May 25, 2021 – National Wine Day | National Tap Dance Day

These Two Days Favor The Spirit Of The Mashup, Whether It’s Dance Cultures Or Viticulture.

Welcome to May 25th, 2021 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate a dance step mashup and the spirit of the vine. 

Like so many things in American culture, tap dance is a melding of immigrant traditions. Irish step dancing, performed with clogs, and African juba dance, which involves rhythmic clapping and stomping combined to form the basis for a new form of dance. Tap dancing merged aspects of both dances, but added metal to the bottom of shoes, giving each step a musical quality. And that combination created a style of dance unlike any other. Vaudeville popularized tap, but it was made famous by Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire, who added a bit of ballroom flair to the mix. Astaire’s dance in Singin’ In the Rain may be the most memorable tap performance ever. Celebrate National Tap Dance Day by watching an old musical or by learning a few steps for yourself.

Now I’m not exactly a wine connoisseur, but I will say I have tried them all.  That would include both red AND white.  Okay, so I’m no expert, but for those of you who are, this day was made for you! The earliest origins of viticulture or wine making were found in modern day Georgia over 8000 years ago.  That would be the Georgia located in Eastern Europe, where they buried clay vessels filled with fermented grape juice for up to 50 years.  So the next time you’re surrounded by experts who are sniffing, gargling and spitting the good stuff you’ll have something intelligent to add. On National Wine Day, it’s okay to just drink the stuff too. 

I’m Anna Devere and I’m Marlo Anderson.  Thanks for joining us as we Celebrate Every Day.


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