Jennie May Ligon was born in Chicago, 1916, and became one of the first African American women in tap dance to develop a career as a soloist. Like many performers of her generation, her musical talents were developed by watching touring acts who performed at the local theatres, and practising by herself or “playing theatre” […]
Bernard “Bunny” Briggs was born in 1922 in the heart of Harlem, NYC: “a swingin’ area, I’ll tell you that.” According to Briggs, he was born dancing. In his interview with Rusty Frank for the book Tap! The Greatest Tap Dance Stars and Their Stories, 1900-1955 he says: “When I finally faced the world my […]
Gregory Oliver Hines was born in New York in 1946. The family lived on Sugar Hill, home of black entertainers, on Harlem’s West 150th Street. His grandmother had danced at the Cotton Club in the 1920s, and his father was a respected drummer who performed in many legendary venues, including the Savoy Ballroom. It was […]
Born Luther Robinson in Richmond, Virginia, 1878, Bill “Bojangles” Robinson is widely recognised as the Grandfather of tap dance as we know it today. His career began at the tender age of 5, busking in front of theatres for coins with a friend. The two were noticed by another local boy, who encouraged them to […]