This paper examines the development of several dance forms in the West over the course of past five hundred years, including tap dance, rumba, tango, and capoeria. While the intent of the paper is not to provide detailed historical development of each form, it does however provide some indications of the similar African traditions out of which each dance was born. The paper argues that these modern forms are the developmental result of cultural appropriation and synthesis between African cultures and the West.
