Laying Down The Iron.

Tap dancer Jason Samuels-Smith's hoofing style leans heavily on rhythm, and less on elegance, but the rhythms are steeped in the masters' traditions. Watching him is a prism of tap history, made all the richer because Samuels-Smith knows what he is talking about when he throws out the names of tap legends. He has talked with many, studied with others and watched footage of the rest. Samuels-Smith tries to convey the importance of students researching the history of tap. When talking about tap, which he calls "the artform," Samuels-Smith gets almost as worked up as he does when dancing. His aggressive, slam-dunk style of laying down the iron matches his passion for promoting tap, a duty he feels all tappers share. "We need to create places for tap to exist and thrive," he says.