Flash dancing was a form of

tap dance Tap dance is a form of dance characterized by using the sounds of tap shoes striking the floor as a form of percussion. Two major variations on tap dance exist: rhythm (jazz) tap and Broadway tap. Broadway tap focuses on dance; it is widely perfo ...

(tap was also called

jazz dance Jazz dance is a performance dance and style that arose in the United States in the mid 20th century. Jazz dance may allude to vernacular jazz about to Broadway or dramatic jazz. The two types expand on African American vernacular styles of dance ...

at the time) that evolved in the 1920s–1930s, which combined dance with

acrobatics Acrobatics () is the performance of human feats of balance, agility, and motor coordination. Acrobatic skills are used in performing arts, sporting events, and martial arts. Extensive use of acrobatic skills are most often performed in acro ...

.''Jazz Dance: The Story of American Vernacular Dance'', by Marshall Winslow Stearns, Jean Stearns, 1994, Prominent flash dance acts of the time include the

Nicholas Brothers The Nicholas Brothers were an entertainment act composed of biological brothers, Fayard Nicholas, Fayard (1914–2006) and Harold Nicholas, Harold (1921–2000), who excelled in a variety of dance techniques, primarily between the 1930s ...

The Four Step Brothers The Four Step Brothers were an American dance group. The group started out as a trio in 1925, with the original members, Maceo Anderson, Al Williams and Red Walker. Although their original name was the ''Step Brothers,'' because that was also th ...

and the

Berry Brothers The Berry Brothers were an American "exotic, acrobatic soft shoe dance" trio, active in the entertainment business for over 30 years. The trio was composed of Ananias (Nyas, "King of the Strut"), James and Warren Berry. History Ananias "Nyas" Ber ...

. Examples of such dance appeared in film predominantly between the 1920s and 1940s.''That's the Joint!: The Hip-hop Studies Reader'', by Murray Forman, Mark Anthony Neal, 2004,
pp. 34, 35
/ref> The Nicholas Brothers' spectacular leap-frogging performance in the musical number "Jumpin' Jive" (with

Cab Calloway Cabell Calloway III (December 25, 1907 – November 18, 1994) was an American singer, songwriter, bandleader, conductor and dancer. He was associated with the Cotton Club in Harlem, where he was a regular performer and became a popular vocalist ...

and his orchestra) featured in the 1943 movie '' Stormy Weather'' has been praised as one of the greatest dance routines ever captured on film.

References

Tap dance Jazz dance {{dance-stub