Comments on: Tap dancing, then and now

By: Marcy O'Rourke

Marcy O'Rourke — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 00:46:37 +0000

Thank you so much for sharing Savion Glover’s tap dance, and the others, too. Have always been a fan of the Nickolas Bros. and Astaire. Also love Donald O’Connor. I enjoyed Glover’s tapping. It is very representative of today’s post ‘everything human and fun’ style. But somehow his enthusiasm leaks through his indifferent demeanor. Relief from politics in dance? Do you remember Arlene Croce? A great dance critic ruined by her response to an AIDS ballet.

By: Anonna

Anonna — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 18:53:53 +0000

I wanted to add a little more on showmanship. Traditional flatfoot Appalachian clogging done by elderly performers of the old school has an interesting twist on showmanship. There’s no jumping and gesturing, but there’s also none of the stoop-shoulder self-absorption that Glover produces. Instead, the dancer looks out at the audience, at ease, relaxed, and perhaps even a little surprised by what’s happening as their feet, tap, tap, tap, tap along as if on their own. The dancer glides a little with the steps, but the feet seem to be doing their own thing! It’s charming. I believe the DVD is called, “Talking Feet.”

By: Richard Saunders

Richard Saunders — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 19:45:13 +0000

If you want to see Gregory Hines (may his memory be for a blessing) at the top of his game, watch his dance sequence in White Nights (an otherwise completely forgetable movie). And then he dances with Barishnikov!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbxI3K8GnpU&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tr8vtCrzT6w&feature=related

By: Helen

Helen — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 15:01:50 +0000

May I just add that Fred Astaire himself considered the Nicholas Brothers to be the best in the business.

By: Paul

Paul — Sun, 07 Nov 2010 22:06:59 +0000

If you can find it, there’s a fabulous PBS biography of the Nicholas Brothers with lots of clips. It includes the late great Gregory Hines talking about them with something approaching awe.

One of the funniest parts is their interaction with Gene Kelley. One of the Nicholas brothers would sit and watch rehearsals, he just didn’t feel like tiring himself out. This got Kelley angry when it first happened. Of course, when it came time to perform for the camera, the lazy brother danced his part perfectly.

By: Gale

Gale — Sun, 07 Nov 2010 20:47:55 +0000

Arrrggghhh… I meant: precision of the dancers…

By: Gale

Gale — Sun, 07 Nov 2010 20:46:41 +0000

The Nicholas Brothers are amazing to watch – I had never heard of them, thanks for that.

I loved Fred’s segment of Puttin on the Ritz when he dances with the male chorus. What impressed me is the total, absolute precision of the dances. What also amazed me is that with Fred in the middle, you know there is a dancer directly behind him but you do not see him, because he is so precisely matching what Fred does. I had to watch it twice.

By: Trebuchet

Trebuchet — Sun, 07 Nov 2010 15:17:17 +0000

“Savion is not pretty, but close your eyes and listen – there are professional drummers that cannot do that with four extremities and a kit”

Get hold of any Louie Bellson, Ginger Baker, Max Roach or Niel Pert solo, great rhythm and much more fun to watch.
Also, on the subject of where tape came from, I had heard that it originated on the plantations of America in the late 1600’s to the early 1700’s when the Irish Bond Slaves worked and lived in the same quarters as the African American Slaves. The Irish clogging met with the Africans’ rhythmic dance and tap was born. It makes sense when you consider most of the great Tap Artist of the early days of Vaudeville were either Irish or African American.
You did leave three of the great Tap Artist out, the Hines Brothers and Donald O’Connor. I broke my arm trying to run up the wall like O’Connor did in his “Make “Em Laugh” dance sequence from “Dancing in the Rain”

By: Paul_In_Houston

Paul_In_Houston — Sun, 07 Nov 2010 15:05:19 +0000

rickl Says:
November 6th, 2010 at 1:19 pm
…

Astaire: Not much I can add about the dancing. I like the way he used his cane as a percussion instrument.

Young Frankenstein: One of the funniest movies ever made. Arguably Mel Brooks’ best.

Totally agree about Mel Brooks best. I suppose that working with a genuine madman (Wilder) helps a bit there. 🙂

Astaire is one of those with such a laid-back and effortless style with his dancing (as with Frank Sinatra singing or James Garner acting) that he often doesn’t seem to be doing anything special at all. He makes it look so easy it appears that anyone could do it — until they try.

I suspect that is a hallmark of a genuine artist.
–

By: Beverly

Beverly — Sun, 07 Nov 2010 08:03:39 +0000

And here’s one of my favorite Gene Kelly/Cyd Charisse routines, from Singing in the Rain:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YWBOfsXsDA

In my fantasies, I dance like that. . . .