It made me really happy last night to see the dance floor full of people doing 1920s Charleston AND Balboa when the music called for it. Even a few who’ve not “learnt” it were trying! Great stuff! I can’t remember the last time I’ve seen this on a Singapore dance floor, and hopefully it will be the beginning of many many more!
Here’s a little clip of Ginger Rogers giving her best doing the Charleston, in a scene which was filmed for the movie Roxie Hart but which was not included in the final version of the film.
Here we have 2 original Lindy hoppers from the Savoy, Tops and Wilder doing two routines, the first being the Tranky Doo, done to “Broadway”, followed by a Lindy routine with some pretty kick ass and very cleanly executed aerials. We were just discussing the name of the band in Herrang… and Peter Loggins managed to get some information about it, but I can’t for the life of me remember it now. Oh well, here they are…
Had a conversation with one of the programmers at the Esplanade while I was teaching for the Da:ns Festival, and I was just saying how it is a pity that they were African-Americans at a particular time in American and Hollywood history. I have always found the notion of seggregation ridiculous, and sad, not just for the people affected (to think of how many African Americans who actually perform at clubs would not be allowed in as guests…), but also for those who impose them.
If things were different, I believe that the Nicholas Brothers would have been bigger names that Gene Kelley or Fred Astaire. It is sad, that when you mention tap, people will think of the two white American tappers, and when you mention Fayard or Harold Nicholas, they’d go “who?”, and then when i show them some of the clips (“Stormy Weather”, appearing elsewhere on this blog), they’re like “Wow”. They are my favourite tappers (and Fayard was such a nice guy), and to me, one of the most talented.
Presented here are two of their clips, in their younger days.
