Something glorious is afoot in the world of tap dance: America’s infectiously energetic art form has gone global. Tap was born as a pitch for survival. For you to get a nickel instead of the next guy, you had to be good but you also had to be original. In that same beg, borrow, and steal spirit, these young, articulate tap dancers from here and around the world are trading not only steps now but also cultures and music. “I look at tap as a slang, a language that is constantly being added onto,” Emmy-award winner Jason Samuels Smith says. “Before people were just trying to imitate American tap dancers, whether it was our style or our music. Now they’re starting to find their own identity and their own voice and we’re borrowing things from other people!”