Tap Dance Map of NYC

New York City has long been a nexus for dance. And there’s one form of dance that has always been an exciting part of the city’s jazz and theatre scenes: Tap. Over time, though, much of this art form’s amazing history has been lost amidst NYC’s ever-changing cultural landscape.

But wait! Thanks to the advent of augmented reality (think ‘Pokemon Go’), The Tap Legacy Foundation, in partnership with Traces, will turn the entire city into a walking museum (sans entry fee!). Through this exciting historical scavenger hunt, you can explore where tap dance lived — the jazz clubs, rehearsal halls, and theaters — and discover where tap dance legends made their mark. AWESOME. We’re in!

This week’s grant will be used to create a virtual map of important places in New York City that illuminate the history of tap dance and allow you to immerse yourself in its lore. As users walk near historical tap dancing locations, they will be notified and provided with fascinating content — texts with historical information, photographs, videos, and more. Instead of chasing Pokemon, we will be discovering our history, one stepâ we mean ‘tap’â at a time!

Stay up-to-date on the project’s progress via Facebook and Twitter.

This week’s grantee, Andrew Nemr, believes that the role of the tap dancer is to spread joy. We, too believe in spreading joy and remembering those who have taught us this guiding principle.

This grant honors Linda Ballew (January 9, 1950 – August 7, 2014), one of our founding Awesome Without Borders trustees. Lindy was a joyful, playful, beloved colleague, and she never missed a chance to dance.