Tap Performers

See also:

• "Tap! The Greatest Tap Stars and Their Stories: 1900-1955" Rusty Frank's book contains a substantial appendix with tap acts and tap dancers before 1955.
• Jazz Dance by Jean and Marshall Stearns has some great chapters on tap dancers

• Return to Who's Who in Tap Index

A number of the links below point to short bios (and some pictures) on another page while others point to Web pages other tap fans have assembled or the Internet Movie Database (US) which gives information on a performer's films and possibly some biographical information. (It also has search forms for finding film info.) This list is a mix of currently performing tappers and past masters and is by no means complete!

A - C | D - F | G - I | J - L | M - O | P - R | S - U | V - Z

A - C

• Lane Alexander - director of am/FM. Lane developed the Concerto tap shoe, described on the Supplies page.
• Maceo Anderson - one of the Four Step Brothers. Interviewed in book Tap!
• Sharon Arslanian - tap dancer and documentarian ("Two Takes on Tap" and "Eddie Brown's Scientific Rhythm.")
• Fred Astaire[d. 1987]
• Cholly Atkins [d. 2003] - former partner of Honi Coles, master teacher, and choreographer for Motown Records. Interviewed in book Tap! The Greatest Tap Stars and Their Stories
• Bess Bair - Rosie Radiator - affiliated with RadTap and Soundancing in San Francisco.
• Chris Baker - director of the National Tap Ensemble
• Clayton "Peg Leg" Bates - amazing one-legged tap dancer and Catskills resort owner. Interviewed in book Tap!
• Ira Bernstein - principal of Ten Toe Percussion. Here's some bio information.
• Warren Berry - member of the Berry Brothers which worked for 30 years. Interviewed in book Tap!
• Barry Blumenfeld (link plays sound) - combines tap and modern dance. Also acting and teaching credits. His company is Tap Fusion.
• Julia Boynton - based in the Boston area.
• Bunny Briggs - one of the master tappers featured in the movie Tap! (also sings/plays piano); achieved greatness and stardom as "Duke Ellington's dancer." Interviewed in book Tap!
• Eddie Brown [d. 1992] - master tapper used "Scientific Rhythm." Interviewed in book Tap!
• Ernest "Brownie" Brown - of "Cook and Brown" and "The Copasetics."
• James "Buster" Brown [d. 2002] - seen in "Tap Dance in America" PBS special, in later years worked with National Tap Ensemble and had a regular tap jam in NYC. Influenced many.
• Ralph Brown - Cotton Club and big band tapper. Interviewed in book Tap!
• "King" Rastus Brown - Early tapper know as "Mister Tap."
• Ardie Bryant - jazz tapper and master teacher.
• John Bubbles (John William Sublett) - tap innovator that invented the "cramp roll" changing the vocabulary and timing of tap.
• Brenda Bufalino - founder/director of American Tap Dance Orchestra. Interviewed in book Tap!
• Robert Burden - principal in Phila.-based Tap Team Two.
• Roxane Butterfly - free-style tap performer and teacher
• Bob Carroll - tap soloist with Rhapsody In Taps, teacher.
• Lon Chaney - influential, innovative tap dancer. Influenced by Baby Laurence and in turn influenced Savion Glover.
• Honi Coles [d. 1992] - "class" tap dancer, partner with Cholly Atkins.
• Marion Coles - top Apollo chorine, teacher, founder of current "Silver Belles."
• Leon Collins [d. 1978] - on of the bebop tap dancers influential teacher.
• Steve Condos [d. 1990] - noted for precision close work, "the rudiments."
• Heather Cornell - Artistic Director for Manhattan Tap, Broadway Choreographer, Tap Soloist and Teacher. Website: http://www.manhattantap.org/
• Willie Covan - tapper, member of Four Covans. Interviewed in book Tap!
• Skip Cunningham - This tap dancer and singer's career is long, varied, and active. Based in Los Angeles, CA area.

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D - F

• Lynn Dally - director of Jazz Tap Ensemble
• Danny Daniels - Broadway and classical tapper. Visit the Danny Daniels Web site.
• Sammy Davis, Jr. [d. 1990] - consummate song-and-dance man.
• Alfred Desio - inventor of Tap-Tronics (see entry in company portion above.)
• Dean Diggins - classical tapper. Often performed Morton Gould's Tap Concerto.
• Paul Draper [d. 1996] - a truly great and innovative tap dancer. Interviewed in book Tap!
• Barbara Duffy - founding member and ATDO alum, master tapper and teacher in NYC. See Barbara Duffy's tap company Web site. Some additional info listed onBroadway Dance Center Web site.
• Arthur Duncan - one of the hoofers in movie "Tap!"; performed on Lawrence Welk and still quite busy.
• Buddy Ebsen - While he was later a TV "Beverly Hillbilly" and detective, Buddy was an eccentric tap dancer, partnered with sister Vilma who is interviewed in book Tap!
• Vera-Ellen [d. 1981] - hot female tap dancer in films. A Fan tribute page and Filmography.
• Rod Ferrone - tapper and partner in Feet to the Beat duo with Max Pollak.
• Rusty Frank - author of "Tap! The Greatest Tap Dance Stars and Their Stories: 1900 - 1955"

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G - I

• Will Gaines - bebop tapper
• Al Gilbert [d. 2003] - nightclub/theater performer, known as teacher and for his teaching method. MusicWorks, LLC carries the Al Gilbert Tap Syllabus and routines.
• Savion Glover Broadway, film (Tap, Happy Feet), and performing tap sensation...
• Jane Goldberg - documentarian/tapper/founder of Changing Times Tap, producer of "Sole Sisters" tap shows.
• Acia Gray - codirector of Tapestry Dance Company in Austin, TX.
• Chuck Green - [d. 1997] influential master tapper, part of Chuck and Chuckles.
• Steve Harper - A top tap dancer and teacher, based in Brazil. See Steven Harper's Web Site for more. (in English, French and Portuguese)
• Josh Hilberman - based in Boston, MA and member of StopTime performing group.
• Jeannie Hill - based in NYC, performer and teacher of classic and jazz tap.
• Gregory Hines See also the NYPL and ATDF Gregory Hines Collection of American Tap Dance. [d. 2003]
• Maurice Hines - Broadway tapper and choreographer. (Was in successful brother act with Gregory in past.)
• Nicole Hockenberry - artistic director of T.A.P. company and studio based in Easton, Pa. See Web site.
• Pascal Hulin - contemporary tap dancer, workshop leader and teacher.
• Edith "Baby Edwards" Hunt - Phila.-based child prodigy tapper, worked solo and duo as adult, tapping into 70s.
• Germaine Ingram

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J - L

• Laurie Johnson - dancer, teacher, author
• Hortense Allen Jordan - top chorine and tap soloist, show producer.
• Stan Kahn - tapper, developer of Kahnotation
• Ruby Keeler - early film and stage star. Interviewed in book Tap!
• Charles Kelly is one of the top acrobatic/tap/jazz teachers in NYC (Broadway Dance Center) Has intructional videos.
• Gene Kelly [d. 1996)] Internet Movie DB entry, MGM Tribute page. Brother Fred, also a tapper, is interviewed in book Tap!
• Katherine Kramer - Based in Miami, FL. Produces annual Rhythm Explosion Workshop in Bozeman, MT. Choreographer, performer, teacher - tours in one-woman shows. See her Web site.
• William Henry Lane, aka "Juba" - early tapper.
• Baby Laurence - influential rhythm and improvisational dancer (1930's- '50s)
• Hervé Le Goff - was a soloist in the American Tap Dance Orchestra (ATDO), now based in Paris.
• Jeni LeGon - early female tap solist. Partnered with Bojangles in film "Hooray for Love." Interviewed in book Tap!
• Henry LeTang - master teacher, Broadway and film choreographer.
• Ted Levy - tapper, teacher, lecturer, and performer

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M - O

• Cintia Martin - Lives and teaches in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Internationally known for performance and choreography.
• Flash McDonald - one of the Four Step Brothers, interviewed in book Tap!
• Gene Medler - tapper, inventor, respected teacher, founder and director of North Carolina Youth Tap Ensemble.
• Mark Mendonca - soloist and member of the Jazz Tap Ensemble.
• Ann Miller - [d. 2004] film tapper known for world record "machine-gun" tapping. Interviewed in book Tap! [Filmography on IMDB and bio on Women's International Center Web site.]
• Avi Miller (link plays music) - Israeli tapper, designed Dansky tap shoe with Brenda Bufalino.
• Florence Mills [d. 1927] - one of the greatest stars of the black theatre and the first black international female superstars. Sang and danced.
• Margaret Morrison - rhythm tap soloist, choreographer, teacher, and producer
• George Murphy - tapping film star. Interviewed in book Tap!
• Gay Nardone - based at the Univ. of New Hampshire. Member of Classical Tap Trio and StopTime performing groups.
• Frances Nealy - West Coast tap chorine with "stair dance" specialty. Interviewed in book Tap!
• Gene Nelson [d. 1996] - film tapper, choreographer. Toured entertaining troops in WWII. Interviewed in book Tap!
• The Nicholas Brothers: Fayard and Harold - duo known for combining flash and class tapping in several films. Interviewed in book Tap!
• Donald O'Connor - film tapper, comic actor. Interviewed in book Tap! There is also a nice, extensive bio on a Donald O'Connor fan site.
• Drika Overton - based in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Member of Classical Tap Trio and StopTime performing groups.

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P - R

• Hermes Pan - tapper and choreographer for Fred Astaire. Great influence on how tap is filmed. Interviewed in book Tap!
• Leela Petronio - based in France, teaches and performs widely.
• Sarah Petronio - jazz tap artist, recent subject of ITA newsletter feature (May/Jun '96), tours and teaches, now living/working in France. PH: 33-1-47-35-8105
• Max Pollak - featured dancer with Manhattan Tap.
• Van "The Man" Porter
• Eleanor Powell [d. 1982] athletic Broadway and film tapper (Broadway Melody of 1938 (and 1940) and others) Filmography at IMDB. Here's an Eleanor Powell tribute site.
• Jane Powell - film tapper.
• Pamela Raff - performer based in Boston, has CD called "Feet First".
• Leonard Reed - [d. 2004] early tapper and producer, inventor of shim-sham. Interviewed in book Tap!
• Robert Reed - performer, dir. of St. Louis Tap Festival, grandson of Maceo Anderson.
• Michele Ribble - Director and creator of Youth programs for Tap City the New York City Tap Festival (5th year), Faculty member of the A.T.D.F., long standing Master instructor and performer in the field.
• Bill "Bojangles" Robinson[d. 1949]
• LaVaughn Robinson Philadelphia tapper and touring master teacher. Interviewed in book Tap!
• Ginger Rogers [d. 1995] actress and dance partner of Fred Astaire in many classic MGM film musicals.
• Pat Rooney - early influential clog/tap dancer.
• Peggy Ryan - film performer partnering with Donald O'Connor and others. Interviewed in book Tap!

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S - U

• Earl Maximillian Scoggins - from street to vaudeville, stage and master teaching.
• Billy Siegenfeld - choreographer, artistic director, dancer and teacher.
• Howard "Sandman" Sims [d. 2003] - one of the great hoofers and actors in movie "Tap!" Well-loved by the community. Long associated with the Apollo Theater in NYC.
• Jimmy Slyde - big band "presentation" dancer. One of the hoofers in movie "Tap!" resides in NYC, tours, does master classes. Interviewed in book Tap!
• Hank Smith - tap dancer, mime, clown, performer and teacher in NYC.
• Linda Sohl-Donnell - director of Rhapsody In Taps
• Libby Spencer - top chorine, show producer and teacher.
• Prince Spencer - one of the Four Step Brothers. Interviewed in book Tap!
• Fred Strickler - master tapper and choreographer.
• Tommy Sutton - long-time tap dancer and teacher, learned from Bojangles.
• Tobias Tak
• Arthur Taylor - principal in Phila.-based Tap Team Two.
• Shirley Temple - child film star partnered often with "Bojangles". Interviewed in book Tap!
• Bob Thomas - tapper and Lindy Hopper
• Toy and Wing - Asian-American tap duo, worked in vaudeville and "Chop Suey Circuit." Interviewed in book Tap!
• Robin Tribble - based in NYC
• Gracey Tune - Texas tapper, sister of Tommy. Innovative work with tap dance and props.
• Tommy Tune - well known choreographer and dancer based in NYC. (My One and Only, Will Rogers Follies, etc.)
• Glenn Turnbull - tap dancer and choreographer, worked in film and TV.

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V - Z

• Herbin Van Cayseele
• Tony Waag - Executive Director of ATDO and featured dancer.
• Dianne Walker - based in Boston area and affiliated with the Leon Collins Studio.
• Sam Weber - tap soloist and principal of Jazz Tap Ensemble.
• Karen Williams - tap performer, instructor and lecturer based in New Jersey.
• Jane Withers - film actress and dancer. Nicknamed "One-Take Withers" for successful B-movie work. Interviewed in book Tap!
• Danny Wooten - hot young tap dancer featured in "Riverdance", and previous Star Search champion. A busy guy. (Seen on a FameLA episode.)
• Christy Wyant - tapper, teacher, member of Rhapsody In Taps
• Karen Zebulon - photographer, tap dancer, teacher, choreographer and producer based in New York City.
• Steve Zee

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Last Modified: 10-Jun-08