Step dancing is a free-style solo dance form in which rhythms and movements are improvised to provide a percussive accompaniment to, traditionally, old time fiddle tunes.
Step dancing has its origins in the southern Appalachian mountains of the USA. English, Irish and Scottish settlers arrived in the New World with their traditional dances : English clogging, Irish step dancing, and this was merged with dance forms brought from Africa by slaves (black dance styles eventually led to what's now called "tap dancing" ). The addition of some American Indian ritual dance steps - some Appalachian Clog Dance steps appear to be the same as dance steps of the Cherokee - completed the dance form to something purely American.

Its various forms are called : buck dancing, hoofing or flat-footing. Other related step dancing styles are: French-Canadian and Cape Breton step dancing, as well as South African boot dancing.

Appalachian music and dance embodies the cultural diversity of the mountains which had become home to a variety of immigrants during the last two centuries. It combines the precise and intricate stepping of the Anglo/ Celtic tradition with the rhythmic beat of the African continent, resulting in a lively and unique artistic form.

Step dancing is not only a dance form, it is also a form of percussion ; at a high level of performance, step dancers wear special shoes with taps so that the rhythmic sounds are clearly audible. Thus, the dancer's movements do more than accompany the music : they make music !