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Duke Ellington

[Daily Post] Jimmy Slyde

January 4, 2015 By Tap Legacy

Dr. Jimmy Slyde .. Enough said .. Enjoy The Master at Play…

He formed The Slyde Brothers duo with Jimmy Sir Slyde Mitchell. Toured with Duke Ellington and Count Basie in the late 40s and early 50s.

In the 1960s and after Broadway and Hollywood lost their flare for tap dance, he moved to Paris and danced in Europe for six years. A Major influence on tap dance revival of the 1980s.

Check http://www.jimmyslyde.org/

Slyde is the recipient of the Flo-Bert Award 1991, The NEA National Heritage Fellowship Award 1999, the Charles Honi Coles Award among many others.

Check the website link above to learn more.

The clip is Dr. Jimmy Slyde, George Benson, Jo Jones and Milt Buckner in L’Aventure du Jazz.

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[Daily Post] James Buster Brown

December 23, 2014 By Tap Legacy

Dr. James Buster Brown, member of the Original Hoofers and the Copasetics.

At the young age of  16, he and two friends put an Act together called the Three Aces, then changed it to the Speed Kings a mix of acrobatics, tap dance and jive.

Buster toured with Cab Calloway, Count Basie, Dizzy Gillespie, his highlight was working with Duke Ellington. and on Broadway.

Buster was instrumental and a driving force in the rebirth of Tap in the late 70’s. 

Later in his 80’s Buster held court every Sunday at Swing 46 a NYC Jazz Club, known as Buster’s Tap Jam.

We Miss Him…Yes!!!

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[Daily Post] Henry LeTang

December 3, 2014 By Tap Legacy

Dr. Henry Letang is a Tony Award Wining Broadway Choreographer… Black and Blue – Eubie – Sophisticated Ladies…

With credits in Movies TAP, The Cotton Club, and TV shows and productions.

Henry, was an Honorary Board member of the Tap Legacy Foundation Inc.

Find out more detailed and in depth information about his Broadway and Hollywood Credits plus more… Do Visit his tribute website to learn more. http://www.henryletang.org/

Enjoy the clip from the Broadway show with Henry LeTang Choreographer. Sophisticated Ladies, With the late Tony Award Winner, Phyllis Hyman performing a Duke Ellington Classic, It Don’t Mean A Thing. Accompanied by tap dancers featuring Tony Award Winner Hinton Battle and the late Gregg Burge. Choreography by Henry LeTang.

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[Daily Post] Steve Condos HAPPY BIRTHDAY

October 12, 2014 By Tap Legacy

To all dancers, dance enthusiasts and tap dancers, join us in celebrating the Birthday of Steve Condos today 10/12/1918 born Steven Kontas in Pittsburgh PA.

The youngest of three brothers Steve grew up in South Philadelphia, a well known hot bed of talent in the 1920s. His father owned a restaurant across the street from The Standard Theatre, the largest black Vaudeville house in the area, and the place where Steve first heard Louis Armstrong play. Steve would continue to credit Armstrong as a musical influence throughout his career.

Steve began dancing on the streets of Philly and later paired with his brother Nick at age 14 continuing the tradition of The Condos Brothers. Nick and Frank, the eldest of the brothers, had started the act some years earlier following Frank’s departure from his first act King and King with partner Mateo Olvera.

The Condos Brothers earned a reputation for complicated footwork – one of Steve’s specialties punctuated with flash Nick’s forte, and a dynamic overall style. A favorite of Hollywood producer Daryl Zanuck’s, The Condos Brothers – Nick and Steve may be seen in a number of feature films including Wake Up and Live – 1937 The clip is from this film, Happy Landing – 1938, In the Navy – 1941, Pin-Up Girl – 1944, The Time, the Place and the Girl – 1946, and She’s Back on Broadway – 1953, among others. The Condos Brothers also played internationally, including a one year run at the London Palladium with the Crazy Gang.

As a soloist Steve performed with the Woody Herman’s Big Band, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, and childhood friend Buddy Rich. On Broadway Steve appeared in Heaven on Earth and Say Darling and created the role of Spats Palazzo in Sugar – 1972, with director and choreographer Gower Champion allowing Steve the rare liberty of improvising his entire solo feature every night.

Steve’s work during the resurgence of tap dance as a teacher, at festivals such as the Colorado Mile High Tap Summit, and proponent of the form, featured in the documentary film About Tap and in a program of jazz tap improvisation at the Smithsonian Institution with Jimmy Slyde, have had an enormous impact.

Steve’s rudimentary approach to the technique of tap dance, his complete and unwavering focus on the musical aspects of the form, and his excitement with regards to the seemingly infinite possibilities of improvisational play are all major influences on today’s rhythm tap dancers.

Not long after a featured role in the 1989 film Tap, Steve performed what would be his last concert at the Lyons International Dance Biennial, in Lyon, France. Following his performance in the third concert of the event – a concert added to meet public demand – Steve suffered a fatal heart attack.

Steve was an honorary member of the original Copasetics, Inc., and a 2002 inductee of the Tap Dance Hall of Fame. His work lives on in every dancer that thinks of a rudiment as a way to freedom.

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[Daily Post] Bunny Briggs

July 21, 2014 By Tap Legacy

Dr. Bunny Briggs. Tap Master & National Treasure. At 3 he fell in love with tap dance after seeing Bojangles perform at the Lincoln.

Bunny performed with all the Great Bands and was the chosen soloist in Ellington’s Concert of Sacred Music in David Danced Before the Lord,

In 2002 Bunny received an honorary doctorate from OCU.

Bamalam…

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[Daily Post] Ralph Brown HAPPY BIRTHDAY

June 7, 2014 By Tap Legacy

To all dancers, dance enthusiasts and tap dancers, join us in celebrating the Birthday of Ralph Brown today 06/07/1914.

Ralph was born in Indianapolis. A Tap Master and National Treasure.

Leonard Reed guided Ralph’s craft to become a star at the local amatuer contest scene.

In 1931 Ralph moved to New York City, From watching tap dancer Eddie Rector, John Bubbles and Derby Wilson at the Hoofers Club stealing steps, to becoming a performer at the Cotton Club, which led to working with Cab Calloway 1934, with whom he toured from the 1920’s to the 1950’s.

Ralph also toured with with Charlie Parker, Cootie Williams and Duke Ellington

 

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