October 20
Born Today:
Fayard Nicholas
One half of the incomparable tap dancing act, The Nicholas Brothers, Fayard Nicholas (1914-2006), is the older of the two. They grew up in a performing family - their parents played in a vaudeville orchestra and the two young tappers rose from the Cotton Club to perform on Broadway in the Ziegfeld Follies. They appeared in a number of films in the 1940s and you must watch their dance on the giant staircase in the movie Stormy Weather (1943). It is one of the best performances captured on film.
Also Born Today: Modern dancer/choreographer Eleo Pomare (1937-2008), who never shied away from difficult political issues and the black experience.