What the Eye Hears

Starred review from September 14, 2015
New York Times dance critic Seibert’s first book is easily twice the size of most other debuts, and it contains thrice the content. The word comprehensive comes to mind, but is insufficient to properly describe the depth of detail Seibert achieves. Drawing on primary sources of every kind, from written accounts by slave traders in the early 17th century to personal interviews conducted in the 21st, the author breaks down not merely the origins art of tap dancing itself, but the racial and gender constructs that forced the industry—and its performers—to develop in the ways they did, while acknowledging his own white male privilege. Seibert profiles legends such as Fred Astaire and Bill Robinson alongside dancers who have become largely forgotten outside of dance circles, such as the Nicholas brothers, and modern masters including Savion Glover. Seibert has a tendency to jump about in time, but that doesn’t mar this fascinating, sharply written cultural analysis.

September 15, 2015
New York Times dance critic Seibert debuts with an exhaustive account of tap, from its roots in African dance to its multicultural apotheosis. In early chapters, the author delves into the transfer of rhythm from drums, forbidden as possible instruments of rebellious slave communications, to slapping feet, making the point that sound and rhythm were the essence of this African-American art form. Casual readers may weary in the long introductory section about minstrelsy, but it's here that Seibert cogently lays out his central themes of assimilation and appropriation, asking as he surveys pioneers like Master Juba how much they catered to white folks, how much instructed them. As tap moved onto Broadway and into the movies, the vexed question for artists was how much pandering was required to gain commercial acceptance. The author appreciates the contributions made by Irish traditions and white innovators like Fred Astaire, who brought black tap with his distinctive adaptations to a mainstream audience. But he reminds us of the many brilliant tappers like the Nicholas Brothers and John Bubbles, sidelined into specialty numbers while commendable but less-extraordinary talents like Eleanor Powell and Ann Miller became stars. The African-American tradition, kept alive at places like the Hoofers' Club in Harlem and through the devoted efforts of white women like Brenda Bufalino, finally got its due in the tap revival of the 1990s, when youthful veteran Gregory Hines made the old ways new again. In 1995, Savion Glover took tap in a whole new direction with the angry, rap-inflected Bring in 'da Noise, Bring in 'da Funk. The text comes close to turning into a parade of names, but Seibert's point of view and analytic skills are evident throughout. He acknowledges Glover's genius, for example, while taking to task his purist posturing and celebrating tap as a typically multicultural American art form, born from black culture but amended and extended by all who loved it. Awfully long for all but the most committed tap fanatics, but an intelligent, thoughtful assessment worth dipping into by anyone interested in American culture.

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October 1, 2015

This voluminous compendium will tell you more than you could have ever imagined there was to know about the quintessential American dance form--tap. New York Times dance critic and New Yorker contributor Seibert takes readers back to the ships that once brought slaves to America, and from there traces the historical development of American dance forms that ultimately led to tap, such as jigs, breakdowns, minstrelsy, and clog. The author introduces us to the precursors of Fred and Ginger, Mickey and Judy, Eleanor Powell and Gene Kelly, to mention just a few of the better-known hoofers. Of special interest are the accounts of numerous talented but less-well-known African American performers who made major contributions to tap (e.g., Clayton Bates, Joni LeGon, Bill "Bo Jangles" Robinson). Another plus is the extensive social history that serves as a backdrop to all the terpsichorean lore. Also covered is the spread of tap from America to such far-flung locales as Japan and Estonia. VERDICT This encyclopedic tome written with erudition, humor, and touches of snark will not teach you how to tap but will help you understand the origin, development, and appeal of the dance. Highly recommended wherever interest warrants. [See Prepub Alert, 5/11/15.]--Edward B. Cone, New York

Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 15, 2015
Tap is so simple, and so complex. Its glory flows from its meager means: a pair of feet, usually within a pair of shoes, writes Seibert (George Balanchine, 2005). But there is nothing meager about his substantial tap-dance history. It's a glorious account of one of the most popular forms of dance. Seibert traces tap back to its origins in the traditional African dances brought here by enslaved men and women, and the various folk dances brought by immigrants from the British Isles, then forward through minstrel shows, the vaudeville circuit, nightclubs, the Broadway stage, and the Hollywood screen. Seibert looks at the post-WWII decline in popularity and tap's recent reinvention. It's a complicated history, encompassing boththe legacy of African Americans in show business and the development of American popular culture. Seibert's detailed descriptions of dance routines capture the flavor of tap performances, and his personal interviews with some of tap's notables are quite enlightening. Scholars will appreciate the extensive source notes, and anyone interested in dance, popular culture, and African American history will enjoy this comprehensive work.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)