# 5609 - 2021 First-Class Forever Stamp - Tap Dance: Max Pollak
US #5609
2021 Max Pollak – Tap Dance
- One of five stamps commemorating the rich history of tap dance in America and its impact on the world of dance
Stamp Category: Commemorative
Set: Tap Dance
Value: 55¢ First Class Mail Rate (Forever)
First Day of Issue: July 10, 2021
First Day City: New York, New York
Quantity Issued: 18,000,000
Printed by: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd.
Printing Method: Offset
Format: Panes of 20
Tagging: Nonphosphored Type III, Block Tag
Why the stamp was issued: To celebrate tap, its origins (19th century United States), and its continued impact on the world of dance.
About the stamp design: Pictures tap dancers Max Pollak performing in front of a buff colored background. Photography by Matthew Murphy.
First Day City: The First Day of Issue Ceremony took place during the New York City Tap Festival in New York, New York.
About the Tap Dance set: Five stamps issued to celebrate the American origins of tap dance and its rise in popularity and influence over time. Each stamp pictures a photograph (by Matthew Murphy) of a modern tap dancer in front of a brightly colored background.
History the stamp represents: Bill “Bojangles” Robinson (May 25, 1878 – November 25, 1949) was the highest-paid African American entertainer in the first half of the 20th century. He was a dancer, actor, and singer, and made an especially big impact on tap dancing.
Dance critic Marshall Stearns once said, “Robinson’s contribution to tap dance is exact and specific. He brought it up on its toes, dancing upright and swinging… hitherto-unknown lightness and presence.” Robinson was a dancer from the age of five onward, originally dancing in the street for pennies. Eventually, he became a regular at the renowned Hoofer’s Club and later went on to perform in several Broadway productions.
Robinson is most famous for his work with Shirley Temple during the 1930s, first partnering in The Little Colonel. In the film, Robinson performed his iconic Stair Dance, in which he tap danced up and down a set of stairs. He also taught the routine to seven-year-old Shirley Temple, and the two performed it side by side in the film. This scene became the highlight of the movie, albeit controversial in the South due to racial tensions.
In 1989, Congress declared Robinson’s birthday National Tap Dance Day. There have been many great tap dancers over the years, but none quite like Bill “Bojangles” Robinson.
US #5609
2021 Max Pollak – Tap Dance
- One of five stamps commemorating the rich history of tap dance in America and its impact on the world of dance
Stamp Category: Commemorative
Set: Tap Dance
Value: 55¢ First Class Mail Rate (Forever)
First Day of Issue: July 10, 2021
First Day City: New York, New York
Quantity Issued: 18,000,000
Printed by: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd.
Printing Method: Offset
Format: Panes of 20
Tagging: Nonphosphored Type III, Block Tag
Why the stamp was issued: To celebrate tap, its origins (19th century United States), and its continued impact on the world of dance.
About the stamp design: Pictures tap dancers Max Pollak performing in front of a buff colored background. Photography by Matthew Murphy.
First Day City: The First Day of Issue Ceremony took place during the New York City Tap Festival in New York, New York.
About the Tap Dance set: Five stamps issued to celebrate the American origins of tap dance and its rise in popularity and influence over time. Each stamp pictures a photograph (by Matthew Murphy) of a modern tap dancer in front of a brightly colored background.
History the stamp represents: Bill “Bojangles” Robinson (May 25, 1878 – November 25, 1949) was the highest-paid African American entertainer in the first half of the 20th century. He was a dancer, actor, and singer, and made an especially big impact on tap dancing.
Dance critic Marshall Stearns once said, “Robinson’s contribution to tap dance is exact and specific. He brought it up on its toes, dancing upright and swinging… hitherto-unknown lightness and presence.” Robinson was a dancer from the age of five onward, originally dancing in the street for pennies. Eventually, he became a regular at the renowned Hoofer’s Club and later went on to perform in several Broadway productions.
Robinson is most famous for his work with Shirley Temple during the 1930s, first partnering in The Little Colonel. In the film, Robinson performed his iconic Stair Dance, in which he tap danced up and down a set of stairs. He also taught the routine to seven-year-old Shirley Temple, and the two performed it side by side in the film. This scene became the highlight of the movie, albeit controversial in the South due to racial tensions.
In 1989, Congress declared Robinson’s birthday National Tap Dance Day. There have been many great tap dancers over the years, but none quite like Bill “Bojangles” Robinson.