February 9
Born Today:
LaVaughn Robinson
Tap dancer and teacher LaVaughn Robinson (1927-2008) learned his craft on the street and developed a speedy acapella style with startling rhythmic complexity in night clubs and international festivals, in a career spanning over 70 years. He partnered with Henry Meadows and others for several decades, but his best known work is a solo entitled Artistry in Taps. In the early 1980s, he began teaching at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, his hometown, creating études to help students learn rhythms and perceive differences between the styles of famous tap dancers.
Also Born Today: Colorful Brazilian singer/dancer Carmen Miranda (1909-1955) appeared in Hollywood musicals during the 1940s including The Gang’s All Here (1943) in which she danced in a tutti-fruity hat. Modern dancer Anna Sokolow (1910-2000) danced with Martha Graham (1894-1991) and is best known for her politically-themed work, including Rooms (1955). Grand-daughter of band leader Duke Ellington, dancer Mercedes Ellington (1939-) assisted with choreography and performed in the Broadway show Sophisticated Ladies (1981).
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Movie: The Broadway Melody of 1940