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 performed in musical theater. Rhythm tap focuses on musicality, and practitioners consider themselves to be a part of the Jazz tradition.

The sound is made by shoes that have a metal "tap" on the heel and toe. There are different brands of shoes which sometimes differ in the way they sound.

"Soft-Shoe" is a rhythm form of tap dancing that does not require special shoes, and though rhythm is generated by tapping of the feet, it also uses sliding of the feet (even sometimes using scattered sand on the stage to enhance the sound of sliding feet) more often than modern rhythm tap. It preceded what is currently considered to be modern tap, but has since declined in popularity.

History

Tap dance has roots in dancing such as Irish dancing, English Lancashire Clog dancing, and Juba Dance. It is believed to have begun in the mid-1800s during the rise of minstrel shows. Famous as Master Juba, William Henry Lane became one of the few black performers to join an otherwise white minstrel troupe, and is widely considered to be one of the most famous forebears of tap dance.

Generic top-level domain

Generic top-level domains (gTLDs) are one of the categories of top-level domains (TLDs) maintained by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) for use in the Domain Name System of the Internet. A top-level domain is the last label of every fully qualified domain name. They are called generic for historic reasons; initially, they were contrasted with country-specific TLDs in RFC 920.

The core group of generic top-level domains consists of the com, info, net, and org domains. In addition, the domains biz, name, and pro are also considered generic; however, these are designated as restricted, because registrations within them require proof of eligibility within the guidelines set for each.

Historically, the group of generic top-level domains included domains, created in the early development of the domain name system, that are now sponsored by designated agencies or organizations and are restricted to specific types of registrants. Thus, domains edu, gov, int, and mil are now considered sponsored top-level domains, much like the themed top-level domains (e.g., jobs). The entire group of domains that do not have a geographic or country designation (see country-code top-level domain) is still often referred to by the term generic TLDs.

Dance (Disco Heat)

"Dance (Disco Heat)" is the title of a 1978 single by American disco singer Sylvester James, who performed using just his first name, Sylvester. The song became Sylvester's first Top 40 hit in the US, where it peaked at #19 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the fall of 1978; it also reached #29 on the UK Singles Chart. The song appears on his 1978 album, Step II.

A 12" single was released in 1978, with "Dance (Disco Heat)" as the A-side and "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)" as the B-side, and these two extended dance mixes proved to be very popular in the dance clubs at the time. The two songs held down the top spot on the Billboard Dance/Disco chart for six weeks in August and September of that year and helped to establish Sylvester's career as a noted disco and dance music performer, both in the U.S. and abroad.

References

External links

Dance (surname)

Dance is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:

See also

Tap (gaming)

Tapping is a term used in a variety of ways in a number of games. Although the exact meaning varies, it generally either refers to either the physical action of actually touching something, or to the "using up" of the resources of some element of the game.

Collectible card games

In collectible card games such as Magic: The Gathering to tap a card means to use it so that it cannot be used again in that player's turn. The visual indication of the tapped status is represented by turning the card 90 degrees to the right.

On cards since Revised edition (1994), tapping has been represented by a symbol, though this is not unique to the game of Magic: The Gathering. U.S. Patent 5,662,332 was filed by Wizards of the Coast to patent the mechanics of some aspects of collectible card games, including tapping.

Mechanics similar to tapping are used in many collectible card games, often involving the same 90 degree card rotation. For example, this act is referred to as setting in Ophidian 2350, while it is known as committing in the Universal Fighting System. In the medieval-Japan-themed Legend of the Five Rings, the mechanism is called "bowing". A few games, such as the City of Heroes Collectible Card Game, use several different rotational increments (90, 180, and 270 degrees), each denoting a different card status.

Tap (transformer)

A tap is a connection point along a transformer winding that allows a certain number of turns to be selected. This means, a transformer with a variable turns ratio is produced, enabling voltage regulation of the output. The tap selection is made with a tap changer mechanism.

Voltage considerations

If only one tap changer is required, tap points are usually made on the high voltage, or low current, side of the winding to minimize the current handling requirements of the contacts. However, a transformer may include a tap changer on each winding if it is advantageous to do so.

For more on this see tap changer.

See also

References

Tap (valve)

A tap (also spigot or faucet: see usage variations) is a valve controlling the release of a liquid or gas.

Nomenclature

British Isles

US

Types

Liquid

Water for baths, sinks and basins can be provided by separate hot and cold taps; this arrangement is common in older installations, particularly in public washrooms/lavatories and utility rooms/laundries. In kitchens and bathrooms mixer taps are commonly used. In this case, hot and cold water from the two valves is mixed before reaching the outlet, allowing the water to emerge at any temperature between that of the hot and cold water supplies. Mixer taps were invented by Thomas Campbell of Saint John, New Brunswick and patented in 1880.