The rapper sword dance is the traditional dance of the coal miners of Northumberland and Durham in the Northeast of England. The flexible steel of the rapper “swords” allows a fast and exciting dance which is always a crowd favorite. It is ever evolving in order to please the audience, impress rival teams, and win competitions.
Rapper first came to America in 1913, brought by the first collectors of these dances. It has found an especial appeal with youth, first in Southern Appalachia in the 1930s, and then in the rest of the country by 2000.
Here is the beautifully illustrated 110 year history of rapper in America in 460 pages, with discussion of the first pioneers down to today’s most popular teams. This book explains what has happened to the rapper in America, with details of the movements, music, stepping, and major influences both domestic and cross-Atlantic, along with how the dance has evolved differently in America than in the United Kingdom.
