We had the privilege of getting to know Marshall L. Davis, Jr., a tap dancer and native of Miami who gifts the art of tap to his audience through rhythm that tells a story from the life of Marshall and African history. Read our conversation below!

Welcome Marshall to our part of the art world here at Arts Decoder Miami!

Hello, my name is Marshall L. Davis Jr. I am a tap dancer, a Hoofer, if you will, a composer through dance. I am originally from Miami, Florida. I was born in Dade County. I grew up in the area known as Miami Gardens.

How did you begin your journey into the world of dance?

It’s interesting! I started at the African Heritage Cultural Arts Center, which is now the Marshall L. Davis Senior African Heritage Cultural Arts Center in Liberty City, Florida. I initially started taking African dance classes. From there, I moved into taking jazz, ballet and modern dance classes. I never expressed it to my parents, but I remember watching Gregory Hines and his brother, Morris Hines dancing on Sesame Street, and I was like, I want to know how to do that. So, when they eventually added tap to the curriculum at the Center, I expressed to my father my interest in that class, and I was put into the tap class, and that’s how I began my dance journey.

How do you define yourself as an artist?

I try to be as honest and authentic to myself. I’m moving out of a phase of just performative artistry. I think of myself being like clouds in the sky. They’re still captivating and have their natural beauty, serving their purpose, but they’re not there to put on a show, but they still do that. So, that’s how I try to present myself as an artist. That’s where I am right now.

What is your mission as a dancer?

One of my missions, especially with tap dancing, is to express and convey everything that I’ve learned from the dance itself. I feel that there are things that I’ve learned through the art of tap dancing that have made me a better human being. I try to exemplify that through my sharing of the performances. I think that we all have gifts, and a few of mine happened to be tap dancing and music. I believe there’s a divinity within all of our gifts that we can tap into. There’s a light within all of us that we’re able to shine that’s unique to each one of us, but that’s still possible for us to express together.

Focusing on the process of tap dancing, what was that like for you from when you first started to learn until now?

Tap can be very technical. My journey when I first started as a young kid, my father was reluctant to buy me tap shoes, so I took tap class in my sneakers and dress shoes to get whatever sound on the floor that I could. I began to progress. My teachers finally convinced my father to buy me my first pair of tap shoes. I’ve been dancing ever since that journey. I’ve learned so much, and I was fortunate to meet my teacher and mentor, the late great Steve Condos, who’s one of the tap masters who really helped take my understanding of tap to another level, and it changed my life.

How did Steve Condos take your understanding of tap to the next level?

In our first lesson he expressed to me at the end, he said, “You think you’re good now, imagine yourself 10 years from now, if you continue to practice.” So right away, he activated my imagination, and I began to see myself not necessarily dancing and being better, but I began to envision myself as a young man doing something positive and doing something that I enjoyed. It immediately brought a smile over my face, and he said, “Now, imagine 10 years from there and 10 years from there.” Simultaneously, he instilled in me that work and progress never stop. You never reach your peak, as long as you are willing to always continue to practice and work on it, you can improve. One of his sayings I remember was, “Practice, practice, practice.” Practice doesn’t make perfect. It shows us how imperfect we are.

Where have you had the privilege of performing?

I’ve had the honor and privilege of performing in so many different places. I got my start in Miami at the African Heritage Cultural Arts Center, performing in talent shows at Joseph Caleb Auditorium, to winning contests in the middle of Aventura Mall. I’ve performed at the Jackie Gleason Theater. Then moving to New York, I’ve performed on Broadway in Bring in ‘da Noise, Bring in ‘da Funk and the Ambassador Theatre. I’ve been as far as Paris, France to Sydney Opera House in Sydney, Australia, so I’ve been very fortunate to have a lot of different experiences through tap dancing.

Can you shed some light on the history of tap dancing?

One of the things that I was taught early was that the history of those who were enslaved and their experiences brought about the art of tap dancing. Tap dance was created through rebellion, so when those who were enslaved were denied the drums because this instrument was used as a means of communication to communicate over long distances and send messages to organize rebellions, then, the body became the percussive instrument and those early forms of the enslaved using their body became known as the Juba, or the Pattin’ Juba. The traditions of stepping that we see with a lot of black fraternities and sororities all came out of that tradition. In step, the rhythms move down to the feet, while the other people stepping would hold the rhythms. Then, you have someone who takes a solo and dances in the middle of the circle, which goes back to the traditions of the ring. We see this circle formed during ciphers, in hip-hop music tradition, where the rappers take turns during the cipher.

What is some advice you would give a young person who wants to begin tapping?

Let go of fear! I tell my students all the time, that they’re going to find themselves in a place that may be unfamiliar, but know that it’s still safe. It’s a very safe space, and once you can embrace the unfamiliar, it allows you to progress. Take your time and build a strong foundation. A lot of times, people want to learn but, it can be like okay, this stuff is boring and I want to get to the good stuff. They don’t realize the stronger the foundation, the higher you can build. So, take the time to build a strong foundation and you’ll be able to build higher. Those are just a couple of the beginning pieces of advice that I would share.

What current and upcoming projects are you working on?

Currently, a lot of my time, energy and focus has been on Revelations in Rhythm. This iteration of the show that we’re presenting this year is taking on another reveal that will happen on May 24, 2025. Thinking about my teacher, Steve Condos, and so many other people such as Gregory Hines, Bunny Briggs, and Mable Lee, who are no longer with us, who have shared and poured into us one way or another, whether that’s directly or indirectly, through their contributions to the world, well, this show is inspired by them. This show focuses on passing on, and that play on words, where sometimes when people pass on, especially those who have been so influential in our lives, we go through the grieving process, which is normal, natural and a good thing. What helped me during that time when Steve passed was to focus on what he passed on to me, and how grateful I am to receive that and carry that on. He died on September 16, 1990. What he instilled in me and those seeds that he planted, I’ve been able to now come to the revelation of what those things really are and how powerful they are, and how they’ve been guiding me all of this time, even with him not being here in the physical form. This show will touch on this time in my life as well.

How did Revelations in Rhythm come about?

The idea initially started when I was inspired by Alvin Ailey’s masterpiece Revelations. I wanted to do something like that with tap and speak on my experiences and where I am in my walk and dance with spirituality. I wanted to create a piece that spoke to the inside and evolved. The more I’ve given attention to it, the more I learn, the more I realize what I don’t know. It’s been a process. The more I begin to dive deep into what this project is, the more things begin to come to me. This is one of the reasons we’re able to present different aspects of Revelations in Rhythm.

What is some feedback you’ve heard from those who have attended a Revelations in Rhythm performance?

They were moved to tears. There’s something that’s deep within you in the essence of who you are, that this show helps you connect with. It’s not a typical show or performance.

It’s a show that touches the soul.

Yes, definitely! It’s not the shoe, it’s the soul. That’s one of the main points of the show.

Attend Revelations in Rhythm on Saturday, May 24, 2025 at 7:00 PM at Florida Memorial University. Click here to purchase tickets.

How do you see your artistry expanding over the next five years?

In the next five years, I want to continue to choreograph, compose, create, and direct. I have a couple of other projects that I’m working on that I’m in the process of writing. I’d like to be able to get to the point where I can present those shows and have them produced. It’s all dealing with tap dancing. There have been so many contributions by tap dancers that the world is not aware of, but we’ve all benefited from them. I would like to tell the stories of those unsung heroes.

Thank you, Marshall for your time and it was an honor interviewing you!

Thank you for having me!

Contact Marshall L. Davis, Jr.

Instagram: www.instagram.com/marshalldavisjr

Photos Courtesy Of Marshall L. Davis, Jr.