Popular Dance Still Kicking

Michael Flatley and his Riverdance phenomenon catapulted traditional Irish step dancing into the annals of pop culture. But, Flatley’s got nothing on my 2-year-old. My daughter loves to dance. Ever since she saw Elmo make like Michael Flatley on TV, there’s been no stopping her pint-sized body from jiggling uncontrollably. Couple that with her obsession with ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars” (she spins around the house insisting that she is doing the “cha cha cha” and the “wumba”) and I was compelled to reach for the phone to call an agent (just kidding–I called our local dance studio). I wanted … Continue reading →

Oops He Did It Again!

The Super Bowl is still a couple of weeks away, but controversy is already brewing regarding an upcoming ad slated to air during the big game, and guess who it features? Mr. Britney Spears himself. Yes, Kevin “I got Fed-Exed” Federline is smack in the middle of it all. According to the New York Post, executives in the fast-food industry are blasting the commercial for Nationwide Insurance, which features Brit’s ex daydreaming about being a rap star but really working in a fast-food joint. Representatives for the National Restaurant Association called the ad “demeaning and unpleasant” to the nation’s 12.8 … Continue reading →

Stomp the Yard Tops Out at the Box Office

Step : to move by raising the foot and bringing it down elsewhere or by moving each foot in succession b : DANCE How many of you went to see the new film Stomp the Yard this weekend? If you did, you were not alone! Stomp the Yard debuted in the number one position of the box office, bringing in a cool $22 million. In case you have not seen the movie or do not know what it is about, Stomp the Yard is about a step competition between rival fraternities at a college. Now, if you have not see … Continue reading →

Paula Abdul: An American Idol Herself

Paula Julie Abdul was born on June 9, 1962, in San Fernando, California. Her mother, Lorraine Rykiss, is a Jewish Canadian concert pianist and her father, Harry Abdul, is a Syrian-Brazilian orphan who was born to parents of Sephardic Jewish descent. Because of her Arabic surname, she is often mistakenly perceived as being of African-American or mixed-race descent. Her parents divorced when she was seven years of age and she and her older sister, Wendy, lived with their mother in the San Fernando Valley. She began to take dance lessons at the age of 8, and demonstrated a real talent … Continue reading →

Josephine Baker: Black Venus Shining

Born in St. Louis, Missouri, on June 3, 1906, Freda Josephine McDonald was the daughter of Eddie Carson and Carrie McDonald. She left school early to pursue a career on the stage. By age 13 she was performing professionally in vaudeville, making her way towards New York City during the Harlem Renaissance and the Plantation Club in particular. She performed on Broadway in 1922 in the production “Shuffle Along” and was already a star by 1924 when she appeared in “Chocolate Dandies.” The limitations of prejudice imposed upon this blossoming, talented beauty were too much for her, and in 1925 … Continue reading →

The Brothers Nicholas: Dancing Dynamos

Fayard (1914-2006) and Harold Nicholas (1920-2000) were famous tap dancing brothers. The children of traveling vaudeville musicians, they performed regularly at the Cotton Club in Harlem, dancing their hearts out for many years. Audiences were amazed at the agility and finesse they demonstrated on the dancing floor. They were both consummate dancers with incredible acrobatic skills. Performers on stage, in films and on television, their vital dancing style was like no one else’s. Veteran dancer, Gregory Hines, once said that no duplications of their routines would ever be possible and if a movie about the famous pair were ever made, … Continue reading →

Gene Kelly: Dancer Everyman

Gene Kelly himself once said of his dancing, “if Fred Astaire is the aristocracy, then I am the proletariat.” Born Eugene Curran Kelly on August 23, 1910, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, his father was Al Jolson’s road manager in the 1920s. He graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a degree in economics. During World War II, he was a sailor and starred in several films made for the Navy. While on leave, he also did some civilian films. A dancer since childhood, Gene graduated from college during The Depression when jobs were scarce. He was forced to take menial jobs … Continue reading →

Gregory Hines: A Man of Many Talents

Gregory Oliver Hines entered the world on February 14, 1946. Unfortunately, he left it too soon, dying of liver cancer at the age of 58 on August 9, 2003. In between was a life of accolades, artistic expression and rewards for his outstanding talent. An accomplished tap dancer and choreographer, Gregory Hines is credited with having kept the art of big screen tap dancing alive. He also made many films and was a capable actor. He entered show business at the tender age of six with his brother, Maurice, appearing at the Apollo Theater in Harlem as “The Hines Kids.” … Continue reading →