Thus, an early form of tap-dancing was created. As tap-dancing evolved, different styles and variations of technique emerged. Vaudeville produced the military tap, also called shotgun tap, which is a lightning-fast series of taps. Ann Miller, considered the most proficient at military tap, was once clocked at a record 840 taps a minute. A hoofer dances on the flat foot with little upper body movement.
Hoofers emphasize improvisation.
The dance was passed from gneration to generation by word of mouth with virtually no written notes, so much technique has been lost. As the dance became more popular, tap was taught alongside ballet, with the result that the dancer began to dance on the balls of the feet, use more stylized upper body movements, and perform choreographed routines. This is the formal style we know today. Tap dancing evolved as America herself was changing. In the melting pot of America, many cultures borrowed, exchanged, and blended with each other until the art form known as tap dancing emerged, and wove itself into the tapistry of America.