Harold (above) and Fayard in Stormy Weather (1943)
In our May issue’s History: Lesson Plan, we learn about Fayard and Harold Nicholas, aka the Nicholas Brothers, the tap dancing duo from Philly known for their one-of-a-kind “flash act” performances that combined fearless stunts, technical proficiency and brilliant showmanship.
Watch the Nicholas Brothers in “I’ve Got a Gal in Kalamazoo” from the 1942 film Orchestra Wives. In it, Harold debuted his signature flash move: running up a wall, launching into a back-flip and then landing in a full split. Meanwhile, Fayard charged through space with a traveling axle turn that landed in a split.
National Tap Dance Day is on Wednesday, May 25th. Check out a few of the events happening this year.
Brooklyn, New York: The American Tap Dance Foundation will celebrate National Tap Dance Day on Sunday, May 22, with a performance 12–1 at The Evergreens Cemetery, the gravesite of tap legend Bill “Bojangles” Robinson. For more info, visit: atdf.org.
Fort Worth, Texas: Tap dance organization Arts Fifth Avenue will host festivities and a free performance starting at 7 pm at Arts Fifth Avenue outdoor stage. For more info, visit: artsfifthavenue.org.
Allentown, Pennsylvania: Tap Ties Company is hosting a weekend of master classes and concerts at Cedar Crest College, May 21–22. Guest artists include Karen Callaway Williams and Germaine Salsberg. For more info, visit: tapties.com.
Photo courtesy of Dance Magazine archives
For more on the Nicholas Brothers and National Tap Dance Day, subscribe to Dance Teacher and receive the May issue.