Bill Bojangles Robinson - 4395 Words

Bill Bojangles Robinson Bill Bojangles Robinson, who claimed he could run backward faster than most men could go forward, was the most famous of all African American tap dancers in the twentieth century. Dancing upright and swinging, his light and exacting footwork brought tap up on its toes from an earlier flat-footed shuffling style, and developed the art of tap dancing to a delicate perfection. Born Luther Robinson in Richmond, Virginia, his parents, Maria and Maxwell Robinson, died in 1885. Young Bill was reared by his grandmother, Bedilia Robinson, who had been a slave. In Richmond, he got the nickname Bojangles from jangler, meaning contentious, and invented the phrase Everythings Copasetic, meaning tip-top. He got†¦show more content†¦Robinson had no doubts that he was the best at what he did, a self-confidence that some took to be arrogance and that was mixed with a sometimes brooding depression at the fact that, because he was black, he had to wait until he was in his sixties before he could enjoy the fame and fortune given to less talented white dancers. In fact, he appears to have been a remarkably generous man and in addition to his massive workload, he never refused to appear at a benefit for those artists who were less successful or ailing. It has been estimated that in one year he appeared in a staggering 400 benefits. In 1930 Robinson had made a film, DIXIANA, but it was not until he went to Hollywood in the middle of the decade that he made a breakthrough in this medium. He danced in a string of popular films, including some with Shirley Temple. By 1937 Robinson was earning $6,600 a week for his films, a strikingly high sum for a black entertainer in Hollywood at the time. In 1943 he played his first leading role in STORMY WEATHER, an all-black musical in which he starred opposite Lena Horne. Despite being in his early seventies when he madeShow MoreRelatedBlack Voices : The Harlem Renaissance1587 Words   |  7 Pagesrose during this time was Bill â€Å"Bojangle† Robinson. He was born as Luther Robinson in Richmond, Virginia in 1878. Both of his parents died in 1885, when Robinson was just seven His grandmother, who had been a slave earlier in her life, stepped up and rose him. According to Robinson, he used physical force to compel his brother, Bill, to switch names with him, since he did not care for his given name of Luther. Additionally, as a young man, he earned the nickname Bojangles for his contentious tendenciesRead MoreTap Dance: A Uniquely American Dance Form3422 Words   |  14 Pagesentertainment, vaudeville, emerged. Many believe this packaging marked the beginning of the entertainment industry as big business. (Vaudeville, A History) In a vaudeville show there were a variety of unrelated acts grouped together on a common show bill. Entertainers included: comedians, singers, plate spinners, ventriloquist, dancers, musician, acrobats and animal trainers. During its prime (1880-1920) vaudeville was said to be the home for more than 25,000 entertainers. (Vaudeville) The vaudevilleRead MoreThe Evolution And Impact Of Jazz Dance On The World864 Words   |  4 PagesOliver). Vaudeville was first a European tradition that travelled from city to city performing their songs, dances, and skits (Guarnino and Oliver). Vaudeville opened up opportunities in America for dancers to thrive in show business like Bill â€Å"Bojangles† Robinson who was black tap dancer. Performers like Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers integrated ballet movements with the sudden rhythmic movements of jazz as well. During the late 50’s, jazz dance started integrating the roots of the Caribbean traditionalRead MoreEssay about Americas Sweetheart: Shirley Temple878 Words   |  4 PagesGreat Depression. Shirley Temple, the dimpled, curly-haired child star dubbed â€Å"America’s Sweetheart,† was one such film star who brought hope to those affected by the Great Depression and left an enduring impression on the United States of America. Robinson 2 Before and during her rapid rise to Hollywood stardom, Temple’s family played an important role in her childhood. Born in Santa Monica, California on April 23, 1928, Temple was welcomed into the world by her parents and two older brothers. MrRead MoreAn Analysis Of George Gershwin s An American Folk Opera 1641 Words   |  7 Pagesthat the theater is a place where we as artists are natural, inventive, spontaneous, and not afraid to be ourselves.† The evolution of the â€Å"genuine American music-drama† can be traced back to African American vaudeville performers like Bill â€Å"Bojangles† Robinson and the Whitman Sisters, who performed song and dance acts in the early nineteen hundreds. The popularity of some African American vaudeville performers led to their inclusion in Broadway musicals and eventually to the creation of a showRead MoreGreat Depressions Influence on American Vernacular Dance2179 Words   |  9 PagesCigar† from her solo role in the revue Shore Excursion. Her sense of rhythm, theater and costuming, as well as her choreography and dancing, put serious African American vernacular dance on the map once and for all. Another example would be Bill â€Å"Bojangles† Robinson, who was an American tap dancer and actor of stage and film. Audiences enjoyed his understated style, which eschewed the frenetic manner of the jitterbug in favor of cool and reserve. Rarely did he use his upper body, relying instead on busyRead Morejazz dance Essay2756 Words   |  12 Pageswas also the era of Bill â€Å"Bojangles† Robinson, a black tap dancer who achieved world fame through the clean and clear percussive rhythms of his feet. The early forms of tap dance evolved from the Irish jig, which incorporated limited upper body movements. As the movements of the tap dance became more flexible, the lightness of Robinson’s style influenced the future of tap dance by changing the placement of the tap steps from the full foot to the ball of the foot. Bill Robinson was seen performingRead More Writers of the Harlem Renaissance Essay2535 Words   |  11 Pagesof visual arts. Aaron Douglas and William H . Johnson were two of the many black painters to benefit from the Harlem Renaissance. Black music also began to flourish, and jazz became a sensation under black talents such as Duke Ellington, Bill ?Bojangles? Robinson, and Ma Rainey. James Van Der Zee represented blacks in the photography profession. As a result of this increasing exposure to black culture and art, the distance between black and white culture began to diminish. Even after the HarlemRead MoreLena Horne9265 Words   |  38 Pagesstardom. By March 1943, she was back in Hollywood for what would be her busiest time of filmmaking. MGM loaned her to 20th Century-Fox for another all-black musical, a fictionalized film biography of dancer Bill Bojangles Robinson called Stormy Weather, in which she co-starred with Robinson himself and again sang the title song, which became her signature tune. The opening of Cabin in the Sky in April found her on the road making appearances in black theaters like Washington, D.C.s Howard and