May 25
Born Today:
Bill “Bojangles” Robinson
Bill "Bojangles" Robinson (1878-1949) remains the classiest tap dancer on the stairs, his particular specialty. He began performing for change at the age of five and as a young man began performing in vaudeville. Compared with other tap dancers of the day, Robinson’s style was light and upright. He casually chatted with his audience while dancing, which really appealed to audiences on Broadway, where he starred in shows including Blackbirds of 1928. Later in his career he danced with child star Shirley Temple (1928-2014), often cited as the first interracial dance pairing, and his last appearance on film was in the movie Stormy Weather (1943) featuring singer Lena Horne, the Nicholas Brothers flash tap act and the amazing Katherine Dunham (1909-2006). National Tap Day in the United States is celebrated on Robinson’s birthday every year to honor the legendary dancer.
Also Born Today: Hungarian choreographer and philosopher Valeria Dienes (1879-1978) created a movement system called Orchestrics, inspired by Isadora Duncan (1877-1927), which was rediscovered and published in 1996. Ballet dancer José Manuel Carreño (1968-) performed with ABT and the Royal Ballet and appeared in the movie Born to Be Wild – The Leading Men of American Ballet Theatre (2007). Charles "Lil Buck" Riley (1988-) dances Memphis jookin’, a street dance he helped popularize while performing to The Dying Swan, played by Yo-Yo Ma, a video clip that went viral on YouTube.
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Ballet Premiere: Coppélia in 1870