You’ve seen the white suit. You've heard the banjo. But if you’ve ever caught a glimpse of those feet moving in a blur of rhythmic percussion, you might have wondered: Is he actually doing that? Honestly, the Steve Martin tap dance obsession is one of those rare cases where the celebrity "hidden talent" isn't just a gimmick for a talk show. It’s the result of grueling, obsessive practice.
Most people think of him as the "wild and crazy guy," but Martin is a perfectionist. When he decided he needed to dance, he didn't just wing it. He went all in.
The Pennies from Heaven Turning Point
Back in 1981, Martin took a massive career risk. He moved away from the stadium-filling stand-up that made him a household name to star in Pennies from Heaven. It was a dark, depression-era musical. It wasn't a comedy. It was weird, and at the time, people didn't really get it.
But for the role of Arthur Parker, he couldn't just "fake" the choreography.
He spent roughly eight months training. Think about that for a second. Eight months of daily practice just to hold his own on screen. He worked under the direction of Herbert Ross, who was notoriously demanding. While his co-star Christopher Walken already had a background in dance, Martin was starting from scratch.
He wasn't trying to be Fred Astaire. He was trying not to disgrace the memory of Fred Astaire.
There’s a specific scene in a classroom where he dances on desks. It’s a masterpiece of timing. You can see the concentration in his eyes, but his feet are doing the heavy lifting. He actually managed to keep up with professional dancers like Robert Fitch and Tommy Rall. That’s not "actor dancing." That’s real technical proficiency.
That Legendary Moment With Gregory Hines
If you want the "smoking gun" that proves his skill, you have to look at his 1981 TV special. He performed a routine with Gregory Hines.
Yes, that Gregory Hines.
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Hines is widely considered one of the greatest tap dancers to ever live. Standing next to him is a death sentence for most amateurs. Yet, there’s Steve, matching him step for step in a "Fit as a Fiddle" routine.
It’s a funny bit, sure. They do some "follow the leader" moves. But the complexity of the rhythms Martin hits is genuine. He wasn't just doing the "shim sham" or basic time steps. He was hitting syncopated beats that require serious ankle strength and muscle memory.
Is the "Steve Martin Dance" Actually Tap?
You might have heard of a specific hip-hop move called "The Steve Martin." It’s a popular party dance that involves a lot of kicking and switching sides.
Ironically, that move has almost nothing to do with his actual tap dancing.
The "Steve Martin" dance move you see in tutorials today is inspired by his "wild and crazy guy" persona from the 70s—the loose, chaotic flailing he did during his stand-up routines. It’s funny, but it’s not technical.
His actual tap dancing is the opposite. It’s precise. It’s loud. It’s about the sound of the metal plate hitting the floor.
Why He Stopped Doing It (Mostly)
Martin eventually leaned more into his banjo playing. He’s won Grammys for it. He’s a world-class bluegrass musician.
Tap dancing is hard on the body. It’s high-impact. As he moved into different phases of his career—writing novels, collecting art, starring in Only Murders in the Building—the tap shoes mostly stayed in the closet.
But every now and then, he’ll bust out a few steps. You saw it in bits on Saturday Night Live over the years. You saw a glimpse of that grace in Father of the Bride. He still has the "lean." Professional tap dancers have a specific way of holding their weight forward on the balls of their feet. Martin never lost that posture.
What You Can Learn From His Footwork
If you’re looking to replicate the Steve Martin tap dance style, you have to understand his approach. It wasn't about being the most graceful person in the room. It was about "character dancing."
- Commit to the bit. Martin’s dancing works because he looks like he's working hard. He doesn't make it look effortless like Gene Kelly; he makes it look like a feat of engineering.
- Focus on the "off-beat." A lot of his routines involved syncopation—hitting the sounds when the audience doesn't expect them.
- Use your upper body. Martin used his long limbs to accentuate the footwork. If his feet were doing something small, his arms were doing something big.
Basically, Steve Martin proved that "funny" and "skilled" aren't mutually exclusive. You can be a goofball and still be a technician.
If you want to see it for yourself, go find the clip of him and Gilda Radner doing "Dancing in the Dark" on SNL. It’s a parody of The Band Wagon, and while it’s meant to be funny, the footwork is surprisingly tight. It shows the deep respect he had for the craft.
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To really appreciate what he did, watch Pennies from Heaven with the sound turned up. Listen to the clarity of the taps. That’s not a dubbed track. That’s a man who spent half a year sweating in a dance studio because he didn't want to let the audience down.
Your Next Step
If you're inspired to try some footwork yourself, don't start with the complex stuff. Look up a basic "Time Step" tutorial. It's the foundation of almost everything Steve Martin did on screen. Once you get the rhythm of stomp-hop-step-flap-step, you’ll start to hear the music the same way he does.