TDRN UK began as a result of the ‘Tap Dance Research Symposium’ coordinated by Jess Murray to address an identified lack of peer review and support for Tap Dance researchers in the UK. The symposium took place in May 2019 at De Montfort University in Leicester where Jess is undertaking a practice research Ph.D. Since it’s formation, TDRN UK have hosted a post show discussion with Dorrance Dance at Sadlers Wells Theatre, presented research as a panel at POP Moves 12th Annual Conference ‘Moving Beyond Coloniality’ at the University of Roehampton, and also presented a panel online as part of TDUK Tap Dance Day 2020. We were due to deliver a panel presentation as part of Performing Knowledges Conference at Malta University in March 2020, however this was cancelled due to Covid -19.

Our initial Steering team form in May 2019 included Jess Murray, Sally Crawford-Shepherd, Annette Walker, Trish Melton, Deborah Norris and Karen Wood with Junior Laniyan, Lee Payne and Nathan James joining in June 2020.