The Nicholas Brothers were an entertainment act composed of biological brothers,

Fayard Fayard (complete name: ''Librairie Arthème Fayard'') is a French Paris-based publishing house established in 1857. Fayard is controlled by Hachette Livre. In 1999, Éditions Pauvert became part of Fayard. Claude Durand was director of Fayard ...

(1914–2006) and

Harold Harold may refer to: People * Harold (given name), including a list of persons and fictional characters with the name * Harold (surname), surname in the English language * András Arató, known in meme culture as "Hide the Pain Harold" Arts a ...

(1921–2000), who excelled in a variety of dance techniques, primarily between the 1930s and 1950s. Best known for their unique interpretation of a highly

acrobatic Acrobatics () is the performance of human feats of balance, agility, and motor coordination. Acrobatic skills are used in performing arts, sporting events, and martial arts. Extensive use of acrobatic skills are most often performed in acro ...

technique known as " flash dancing", they were also considered by many to be the greatest

tap dance Tap dance is a form of dance characterized by using the sounds of tap shoes striking the floor as a form of percussion. Two major variations on tap dance exist: rhythm (jazz) tap and Broadway tap. Broadway tap focuses on dance; it is widely perf ...

rs of their day, if not all time. Their virtuoso performance in the musical number "Jumpin' Jive" (with Cab Calloway and his orchestra) featured in the 1943 movie '' Stormy Weather'' has been praised as one of the greatest dance routines ever captured on film. Growing up surrounded by

vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic composition ...

acts as children, they became stars of the jazz circuit during the Harlem Renaissance and performed on stage, film, and television well into the 1990s. Diminutive in size, they were appreciated for their artistry, innovation, and soaring leaps.

Early lives

Fayard Antonio Nicholas was born October 20, 1914, in Mobile, Alabama,Kennedy Center biography of Fayard Nicholas
and Harold Lloyd Nicholas was born March 17, 1921, in

Winston-Salem, North Carolina Winston-Salem is a city and the county seat of Forsyth County, North Carolina, United States. In the 2020 census, the population was 249,545, making it the second-largest municipality in the Piedmont Triad region, the 5th most populous city in ...

, to Viola Harden (''maiden;'' 1893–1971), a pianist, and Ulysses Dominick Nicholas (1892–1935), a drummer. The Nicholas Brothers grew up in

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...

, the sons of college-educated musicians who played in their own band at the Standard Theater. At the age of three, Fayard would always sit in the front row while his parents worked, and by the time he was ten, he had seen most of the great African-American

acts—particularly the dancers, including such notables of the time as Alice Whitman,

Willie Bryant William Stevens Bryant (August 30, 1908 – February 9, 1964) was an American jazz bandleader, vocalist, and disc jockey, known as the "Mayor of Harlem". Biography Born in Chicago, Illinois, United States, while growing up he took trumpet l ...

, and

Bill Robinson Bill Robinson, nicknamed Bojangles (born Luther Robinson; May 25, 1878 – November 25, 1949), was an American tap dancer, actor, and singer, the best known and the most highly paid African-American entertainer in the United States during the f ...

."Biography"
. The Nicholas Brothers' official website. The brothers were fascinated by the combination of tap dancing and acrobatics. Fayard often imitated their acrobatics and clowning for the kids in his neighborhood. Neither Fayard nor Harold had any formal dance training.
''USA Today'' (Associated Press) (January 25, 2006). Fayard taught himself how to dance, sing, and perform by watching and imitating the professional entertainers on stage. He then taught his younger siblings, first performing with his sister Dorothy as ''the Nicholas Kids'', later joined by Harold. Harold idolized his older brother and learned by copying his moves and distinct style. Dorothy later opted out of the act, and the Nicholas Kids became known as ''the Nicholas Brothers''.

Career

As word spread of their talents, the Nicholas Brothers became known around Philadelphia. They were first hired for a radio program, ''The

Horn and Hardart Horn & Hardart was a food services company in the United States noted for operating the first food service automats in Philadelphia, New York City, and Baltimore. Philadelphia's Joseph Horn (1861–1941) and German-born, New Orleans-raised Fra ...

Kiddie Hour'', and then by other local theatres such as the Standard and the Pearl. When they were performing at the Pearl, the manager of The Lafayette, a New York vaudeville showcase, saw them and immediately wanted them to perform for his theater. The brothers moved to

in 1926 and gave their first performance at the Standard a few years later. In 1932, they became the featured act at

Harlem Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and Central Park North on the south. The greater Ha ...

Cotton Club The Cotton Club was a New York City nightclub from 1923 to 1940. It was located on 142nd Street and Lenox Avenue (1923–1936), then briefly in the midtown Theater District (1936–1940).Elizabeth Winter"Cotton Club of Harlem (1923- )" Blac ...

when Harold was 11 and Fayard was 18. They astonished their mainly white audiences dancing to the jazz tempos of "

Bugle Call Rag "Bugle Call Rag", also known as "Bugle Call Blues", is a jazz standard written by Jack Pettis, Billy Meyers and Elmer Schoebel. It was first recorded by the New Orleans Rhythm Kings in 1922 as "Bugle Call Blues", although later renditions as well ...

"; they were the only entertainers in the African-American cast allowed to mingle with white patrons. They performed at the Cotton Club for two years, working with the orchestras of

Lucky Millinder Lucius Venable "Lucky" Millinder (August 8, 1910 – September 28, 1966) was an American swing and rhythm-and-blues bandleader. Although he could not read or write music, did not play an instrument and rarely sang, his showmanship and musical ...

, Cab Calloway, Duke Ellington, and Jimmy Lunceford. During this time, they made their uncredited movie debut, in the 1932 short '' Pie, Pie Blackbird'', featuring

Eubie Blake James Hubert "Eubie" Blake (February 7, 1887 – February 12, 1983) was an American pianist and composer of ragtime, jazz, and popular music. In 1921, he and his long-time collaborator Noble Sissle wrote '' Shuffle Along'', one of the first B ...

and his orchestra. The brothers attributed their success to their unique style of dancing - a hybrid of

ballet Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form of ...

, and acrobatics sometimes called "acrobatic dancing" or "flash dancing" - which was greatly in demand during this time. Producer

Samuel Goldwyn Samuel Goldwyn (born Szmuel Gelbfisz; yi, שמואל געלבפֿיש; August 27, 1882 (claimed) January 31, 1974), also known as Samuel Goldfish, was a Polish-born American film producer. He was best known for being the founding contributor an ...

saw them at the Cotton Club and invited them to California to be a part of ''

Kid Millions ''Kid Millions'' (1934) is an American musical film directed by Roy Del Ruth, produced by Samuel Goldwyn Productions, and starring Eddie Cantor. Its elaborate "Ice Cream Fantasy Finale" production number was filmed in three-strip Technicolor, one ...

'' (1934), their first performances in a Hollywood movie. The brothers made their Broadway debut in the '' Ziegfeld Follies of 1936'' and also appeared in Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart's musical ''

Babes in Arms ''Babes in Arms'' is a 1937 coming-of-age musical comedy with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Lorenz Hart and book by Rodgers and Hart. It concerns a group of small-town Long Island teenagers who put on a show to avoid being sent to a wor ...

'' in 1937. They impressed their choreographer, George Balanchine, who invited them to appear in ''Babes in Arms''. With Balanchine's training, they learned many new stunts. Their talent led many to presume they were trained ballet dancers. By 1940, they had moved to Hollywood and for several decades divided their time between movies, nightclubs, concerts, Broadway, television, and extensive tours of Latin America, Africa, and Europe. They toured England with a production of ''Blackbirds''. They gave a

Royal Command Performance A Royal Command Performance is any performance by actors or musicians that occurs at the direction or request of a reigning monarch of the United Kingdom. Although English monarchs have long sponsored their own theatrical companies and commis ...

at the London Paladium for King

George VI George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death in 1952. He was also the last Emperor of I ...

in 1948. In 1991, the Nicholas Brothers received Kennedy Center Honors in recognition of their six decades of achievements. A year later, a documentary film, ''We Sing & We Dance'', celebrated their careers and included tributes from Mikhail Baryshnikov,

Gregory Hines Gregory Oliver Hines (February 14, 1946 – August 9, 2003) was an American dancer, actor, choreographer, and singer. He is one of the most celebrated tap dancers of all time. As an actor, he is best known for '' Wolfen'' (1981), '' The Cotton C ...

, M.C. Hammer, and

Clarke Peters Peter Clarke (born April 7, 1952), known professionally as Clarke Peters, is an American-British actor, writer, and director. He is best known for his roles as Lester Freamon in the television series ''The Wire'' (2002–2008) and Albert Lambrea ...

. In 1994, members of the cast of ''

Hot Shoe Shuffle ''Hot Shoe Shuffle'' is a 1992 Australian musical produced by David Atkins. A jukebox musical, the score mostly includes American big band and popular songs of the 1920s to 1940s. The musical concerns seven Tap Brothers, Spring, Slap, Buck, Wing ...

'' also paid them tribute.

Teaching

The Nicholas Brothers taught master classes in tap dance as teachers-in-residence at

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of high ...

and Radcliffe at Ruth Page Visiting Artists. Among their known students are Debbie Allen, Janet Jackson, and

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...

. Several of today's master tap dancers have performed with or been taught by the brothers:

Dianne Walker Dianne Walker (born March 8, 1951), also known as Lady Di, is an American tap dancer. Her thirty-year career spans Broadway, television, film, and international dance concerts. Walker is the Artistic Director of TapDancin, Inc. in Boston, Massa ...

, Sam Weber, Lane Alexander, Mark Mendonca, Terry Brock, Colburn Kids Tap/L.A, Channing Cook Holmes, Chris Baker, Artis Brienzo, Chester Whitmore, Darlene Gist, Chris Scott, Tobius Tak, Carol Zee, and Steve Zee.

Style and moves

The brothers were particularly known for their expressive use of their hands and arms while dancing, particularly tap. One of their signature moves was to

leapfrog Leapfrog is a children's game in which players vault over each other's stooped backs. History Games of this sort have been called by this name since at least the late sixteenth century.split Split(s) or The Split may refer to: Places * Split, Croatia, the largest coastal city in Croatia * Split Island, Canada, an island in the Hudson Bay * Split Island, Falkland Islands * Split Island, Fiji, better known as Hạfliua Arts, entertai ...

. Its best remembered performance is in the finale of the movie '' Stormy Weather'' (1943). In that routine, the Nicholas Brothers leapt exuberantly across the orchestra's music stands and danced on the top of a grand piano in a

call and response Call and response is a form of interaction between a speaker and an audience in which the speaker's statements ("calls") are punctuated by responses from the listeners. This form is also used in music, where it falls under the general category of ...

act with the pianist, to the tune of " Jumpin' Jive".

Fred Astaire Fred Astaire (born Frederick Austerlitz; May 10, 1899 – June 22, 1987) was an American dancer, choreographer, actor, and singer. He is often called the greatest dancer in Hollywood film history. Astaire's career in stage, film, and tele ...

once told the brothers that this dance number was the greatest movie musical sequence he had ever seen. Numerous articles have been written about this whole dance being filmed in one take and unrehearsed. As unbelievable as that sounds, the Nicholas Brothers confirmed it in an interview shortly before their recognition at the 14th Annual Kennedy Center Honors. The choreographer, Nick Castle, said, "Just do it. Don`t rehearse it, just do it." And so it was done, unrehearsed and in one take, which relieved Harold Nicholas because he did not want to do the rigorous routine over and over all night. In another signature move, they would rise from a split without using their hands.

declared that if their biography were ever filmed, their dance numbers would have to be computer-generated because no one now could emulate them. Ballet legend Mikhail Baryshnikov once called them the most amazing dancers he had ever seen in his life.

Personal lives

Fayard

Fayard married four times. His marriage to Geraldine Pate lasted from 1942 until their divorce in 1955.Gates, Henry Louis; Higginbotham, Evelyn Brooks (2008).
The African American National Biography
'. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 148. . That year, he married Mexican dancer Victoria Barron. As of May 1960, that marriage remained intact, with "Vicky" also working alongside Fayard professionally. He married Barbara January in 1967, the same year he converted to the

Baháʼí Faith The Baháʼí Faith is a religion founded in the 19th century that teaches the essential worth of all religions and the unity of all people. Established by Baháʼu'lláh in the 19th century, it initially developed in Iran and parts of the ...

, and they remained together until her death in 1998. He married Katherine Hopkins in 2000. He died on January 24, 2006, of

pneumonia Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severi ...

contracted after a stroke. His memorial service, presided over by Mary Jean Valente of ''A Ceremony of the Heart'', was standing-room only and featured personal tributes, music, dance, and one last

standing ovation A standing ovation is a form of applause where members of a seated audience stand up while applauding after extraordinary performances of particularly high acclaim. In Ancient Rome returning military commanders (such as Marcus Licinius Crassus a ...

. Two of Fayard's granddaughters dance as the "Nicholas Sisters" and have won awards for their performances.Century Ballroom Presents, 2nd Annual The Masters of Lindy Hop and Tap
/ref>

Harold

Harold was married three times."Fayard Nicholas of renowned Nicholas Brothers dancing duo dies"
'' Jet'', February 13, 2006. From 1942 to 1951, he was married to singer and actress

Dorothy Dandridge Dorothy Jean Dandridge (November 9, 1922 – September 8, 1965) was an American actress, singer and dancer. She is the first African-American film star to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress, which was for her performance in '' C ...

, with whom he had one child, Harolyn Nicholas, who was born with a severe

intellectual disability Intellectual disability (ID), also known as general learning disability in the United Kingdom and formerly mental retardation, Rosa's Law, Pub. L. 111-256124 Stat. 2643(2010). is a generalized neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by signif ...

In Paris, he had a son, Melih Nicholas, with his second wife Elayne Patronne. He lived on New York's

Upper West Side The Upper West Side (UWS) is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City. It is bounded by Central Park on the east, the Hudson River on the west, West 59th Street to the south, and West 110th Street to the north. The Upper West ...

for twenty years with his third wife, producer and former

Miss Sweden Miss Sweden or Miss Universe Sweden (in Swedish: ''Fröken Sverige''), is the title of the Swedish beauty pageant, qualifying delegates to the Miss Universe competition. In 2009 the pageant renamed as Miss Universe Sweden and the first national ...

, Rigmor Alfredsson Newman. Harold died July 3, 2000, of a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which ma ...

following minor surgery.

Filmography

According to a ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the U ...

'' article on the brothers, "Because of racial prejudice, they appeared as guest artists, isolated from the plot, in many of their films. This was a strategy that allowed their scenes to be easily deleted for screening in the Jim Crow-era South". *'' Pie, Pie Blackbird'' (1932) (short subject) (uncredited) *''

The Emperor Jones ''The Emperor Jones'' is a 1920 tragic play by American dramatist Eugene O'Neill that tells the tale of Brutus Jones, a resourceful, self-assured African American and a former Pullman porter, who kills another black man in a dice game, is jailed, ...

'' (1933) (Harold Nicholas) *''Syncopancy'' (1933) (short subject) (Harold Nicholas) *''

'' (1934) *''An All-Colored Vaudeville Show'' (1935) (short subject) *'' Coronado'' (1935) *''

The Big Broadcast of 1936 ''The Big Broadcast of 1936'' is a 1935 American comedy film directed by Norman Taurog, and is the second in the series of ''Big Broadcast'' movies. The musical comedy starred Jack Oakie, Bing Crosby, George Burns, Gracie Allen, Ethel Merman, T ...

'' (1935) *'' The Black Network'' (1936) (short subject) *''

My American Wife My American Wife may refer to: * ''My American Wife'' (1922 film), an American silent drama film * ''My American Wife'' (1936 film), an American comedy film {{disambiguation ...

'' (1936) *''

'' (1937) *''Calling All Stars'' (1937) *''My Son Is Guilty'' (1939) *'' Down Argentine Way'' (1940) *''

Tin Pan Alley Tin Pan Alley was a collection of music publishers and songwriters in New York City that dominated the popular music of the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It originally referred to a specific place: West 28th Street ...

'' (1940) *'' The Great American Broadcast'' (1941) *'' Sun Valley Serenade'' (1941) *''

Orchestra Wives ''Orchestra Wives'' is a 1942 American musical film by 20th Century Fox starring Ann Rutherford, George Montgomery, and Glenn Miller. The film was the second (and last) film to feature The Glenn Miller Orchestra, and is notable among the many sw ...

'' (1942) *'' Stormy Weather'' (1943) *'' Take It or Leave It'' (1944) *''The Reckless Age'' (1944) (Harold Nicholas) *''Carolina Blues'' (1944) (Harold Nicholas) *''Dixieland Jamboree'' (1946) (short subject) *'' The Pirate'' (1948) *''Pathe Newsreel'' (1948) *'' I'm in the Revue'' (1950) *''El Misterio del carro express'' (1953) *''El Mensaje de la muerte'' (1953) *''Musik im Blut'' (1955) *''Bonjour Kathrin'' (1956) *''L'Empire de la nuit'' (1963) (Harold Nicholas) *''The Liberation of L.B. Jones'' (1970) (Fayard Nicholas) *''Uptown Saturday Night'' (1974) (Harold Nicholas) *''

That's Entertainment! ''That's Entertainment!'' is a 1974 American compilation film released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer to celebrate the studio's 50th anniversary. The success of the retrospective prompted a 1976 sequel, the related 1985 film ''That's Dancing!'', and a ...

'' (1974) (archive footage) *'' Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?'' (1975) (archive footage) *''Disco 9000'' (1976) (Harold Nicholas) *'' That's Dancing!'' (1985) (archive footage) *'' Tap'' (1989) (Harold Nicholas) *''That's Black Entertainment'' (1990) (archive footage) *''

The Five Heartbeats ''The Five Heartbeats'' is a 1991 musical drama film directed by Robert Townsend, who co-wrote the script with Keenen Ivory Wayans. Produced and distributed by 20th Century Fox, the film's main cast includes Townsend, Michael Wright, Leon Robi ...

'' (1990) (Harold Nicholas) * "Alright" (Janet Jackson song) and video (1990) *''The Nicholas Brothers: We Sing and We Dance'' (1992) *''Funny Bones'' (1995) (Harold Nicholas) *''I Used to Be in Pictures'' (2000) *''Night at the Golden Eagle'' (2002) (Fayard Nicholas) *''Broadway: The Golden Age, by the Legends Who Were There'' (2003) *''Hard Four'' (2005)

Awards and honors

* Harold received the DEA Award from the Dance Educators of America "Awards & Honors"
, Nicholas Brothers website. - Fayard and Harold Nicholas biography * Harold received the Bay Area Critics Circle Award (Best Principal Performance, Stompin' at the Savoy) * Harold received the Harbor Performing Arts Center Lifetime Achievement Award * An

honorary doctorate An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or ''ad hon ...

from

was awarded to both brothers * Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame (1978) * Ellie Award (1984), National Film Society for both brothers * Apollo Theater's Hall of Fame (1986), First Class Inductees for both brothers * ''

Ebony Ebony is a dense black/brown hardwood, coming from several species in the genus '' Diospyros'', which also contains the persimmons. Unlike most woods, ebony is dense enough to sink in water. It is finely textured and has a mirror finish when ...

'' Lifetime Achievement Award (1987) for both brothers * Fayard Nicholas received Broadway's 1989 Tony Award for Best Choreographer for ''Black and Blue'' along with his collaborators

Cholly Atkins Charles "Cholly" Atkins (born Charles Sylvan Atkinson; September 13, 1913 – April 19, 2003) was an American dancer and vaudeville performer, who later became noted as the house choreographer for the various artists on the Motown label. Biogr ...

, Henry LeTang, and

Frankie Manning Frank Manning (May 26, 1914 – April 27, 2009) was an American dancer, instructor, and choreographer. Manning is considered one of the founders of Lindy Hop, an energetic form of the jazz dance style known as swing. Biography Manning was born ...

. * Scripps American Dance Festival Award * Kennedy Center Honors in 1991 for both brothers who were in attendance * The National Black Media Coalition Lifetime Achievement Award (1992) * Flo-Bert Award (1992) * New York's Tap Dance Committee, Gypsy Award (1994) * A star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7083 Hollywood Blvd (1994) * Professional Dancer's Society, ''Dance Magazine'' Award of (1995) * The 1998 Samuel H. Scripps

American Dance Festival The American Dance Festival (ADF) under the direction of Executive Director Jodee Nimerichter hosts its main summer dance courses including Summer Dance Intensive, Pre-Professional Dance Intensive, and the Dance Professional Workshops. It also ho ...

Award for Lifetime Achievement in Modern Dance * National Museum of Dance Mr. & Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney Hall of Fame Inductees (2001)

Other achievements

* The brothers gave a royal command performance for King George VI at the

London Palladium The London Palladium () is a Grade II* West End theatre located on Argyll Street, London, in the famous area of Soho. The theatre holds 2,286 seats. Of the roster of stars who have played there, many have televised performances. Between 1955 a ...

in 1948 * A retrospective of their work in films appeared at the 1981

Academy Awards The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

ceremony * Carnegie Hall sold out for a tribute to the brothers in 1998 * During the course of their lives, the brothers danced for nine different

presidents of the United States The president of the United States is the head of state and head of government of the United States, indirectly elected to a four-year term via the Electoral College. The officeholder leads the executive branch of the federal government and ...

*The brothers' home movies were selected for inclusion in the

National Film Registry The National Film Registry (NFR) is the United States National Film Preservation Board's (NFPB) collection of films selected for preservation, each selected for its historical, cultural and aesthetic contributions since the NFPB’s inception ...

in 2011 Several of these home movies were preserved by the

Academy Film Archive The Academy Film Archive is part of the Academy Foundation, established in 1944 with the purpose of organizing and overseeing the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ educational and cultural activities, including the preservation of m ...

in 2016.

References

External links

* *
Jitterbuzz Lindy Week Review interview with Fayard NicholasPerforming Arts Gliding Off the Dance Floor: Fayard Nicholas
by Terry Gross
Remembrances Dancer-Choreographer Fayard NicholasRemembrances Inspiration to Astaire, Dancer Fayard Nicholas
by Joel Rose
Harold Nicholas obituaryNicholas Brothers Story
on Electro Swing Italia {{Authority control African-American male dancers African-American dancers American male dancers American dance groups American tap dancers Harlem Renaissance