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No Maps on My Taps (PG)* + About Tap (PG)*

Part of EFG London Jazz Fest: Jazz and the City

,Barbican Cinema 1
A still from No Maps on My Taps

These two documentaries, No Maps on My Taps and About Tap, shine a light onto the pioneers of tap dancing. 

The recently restored No Maps on My Taps provides a portrait of the dancers Bunny Briggs, Chuck Green, and Harold “Sandman” Sims, capturing their relationship to tap and their continued commitment to dancing. When released in 1979, the documentary helped to kick start a revival of sorts, leading to renewed interest in the films three performers and generating a stream of concerts and international tours.

The two films reflect the integral role of jazz music and Broadway to tap dancing, and the decline in popularity in both, led to the decrease of relevance and attention tap. Both films also document the centrality of the city to the creation and popularity of tap, highlighting the role of the urban space through its nightlife and clubs as providing a spectacle and temporary escape from the inequality and social instability of the period.

Tagged with: Cinema EFG London Jazz Festival: Jazz and The City EFG London Jazz Festival

No Maps on My Taps
US 1979 Dir George Nierenberg

About Tap
US 1985 Dir George Nierenberg
 

Barbican Cinema 1

Location
Barbican Cinema 1 is located within the main Barbican building on Level -2. Head to Level G and walk towards the Lakeside Terrace where you’ll find stairs and lifts to take you down to the venue floor.   

Address
Barbican Centre
Silk Street, London
EC2Y 8DS

Public transport
The Barbican is widely accessible by bus, tube, train and by foot or bicycle. Plan your journey and find more route information in ‘Your Visit’ or book your car parking space in advance.