Definition

1. Noun:
   • A style of tap dancing performed while wearing shoes with soft soles: This refers specifically to a type of rhythmic dance where the dancer wears shoes with flexible, non-metallic soles, producing quieter, more subtle sounds compared to standard tap shoes with metal plates.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The performer's elegant soft-shoe was a highlight of the variety show.
  • He is a master of both classic tap and the more gentle soft-shoe.

Advanced Usage

• The term is often used attributively (like an adjective) to describe the dance style itself.
  • They performed a delightful soft-shoe routine.
• It can be part of a compound noun describing a specific performance piece.
  • The vaudeville act featured a famous soft-shoe number.

Variants and Related Words

• Soft-shoe shuffle: A common phrase referring to the specific dance step or routine characteristic of this style.
  • He did a little soft-shoe shuffle to the music.
• Tap dance (n): The broader category of percussive dance, which includes both soft-shoe and hard-shoe (with metal taps) styles.

Synonyms

• Buck and wing (historical, a specific type of soft-shoe dance).
• Rhythm dance.

Related Phrases

• To do a soft-shoe: An informal phrase meaning to perform this style of dance.
  • The comedian broke into doing a soft-shoe during his monologue.

Noun

1. tap dancing wearing shoes that have soft soles