Bill “Bojangles” Robinson
Bill “Bojangles'' Robinson (1878-1949) was an American dancer. His father was a machinist, and his mother was a choir director. He lost both of his parents at a young age, and was raised by his grandmother, a former enslaved person. When he was five, he began dancing in the streets and at local beer gardens for money. When he was almost eight, or 12, depending on sources, he ran away to Washington DC. There, he supported himself by working as a stable boy at the racetrack, and he also learned more about dancing by observing performers in minstrel shows. Soon after, he joined a touring troupe, and he later was quite successful in performing in nightclubs and Black theaters for Black audiences.
Around 1900, Robinson won the gold medal in a performance contest against a famous white dancer. This allowed him to gain notoriety and several gigs traveling with troupes or performing as part of a successful duo with George W. Cooper. Robinson took a break from performing to serve as a rifleman and drum major during World War I.
After the war, Robinson developed his solo career. Beginning in 1928, he successfully performed on Broadway, where he was especially known for his “stairs dance” and his ability to run backwards at impressive speeds. He is also credited with creating a new style of tap, changing from the then-common flat-footed style to a light, upright swinging style. One of his most successful Broadway roles was the Emperor in The Hot Mikado, which garnered eight encores when the show opened.
Robinson in The Hot Mikado/ Image by The New York Sunday News
Starting in the 1930s, Robinson also found success in film, and starred in 14 movies, including Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, The Little Colonel, and Stormy Weather. He faced some criticism for taking on roles that played into racial stereotypes of Black people. However, he contributed to his community by donating money to many Harlem charities, speaking to authorities in support of the hiring of Black police officers, and co-founding the Negro Actors Guild of America, an organization that supported the rights of Black performers.
Image by Carl Van Vechten via Library of Congress
Bill Robinson’s legacy in the genre of tap was so significant that the date of the American National Tap Dance Day was set to his birthday.
Sources:
“Bill ‘Bojangles’ Robinson.” Web page. Accessed February 19, 2024. http://lcweb2.loc.gov/diglib/ihas/loc.music.tdabio.154/.
“Bill Robinson.” In Wikipedia, February 12, 2024. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bill_Robinson&oldid=1206534702.
“Bill Robinson | Tap Dancer, Broadway Star, Vaudeville | Britannica,” December 28, 2023. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Bill-Robinson.
Biography. “Bill ‘Bojangles’ Robinson - Facts, Quotes & Dancing,” October 27, 2021. https://www.biography.com/performer/bill-bojangles-robinson.
Broadway: The American Musical. “Bill ‘Bojangles’ Robinson | The Stars | Broadway: The American Musical | PBS.” Accessed February 19, 2024. https://www.pbs.org/wnet/broadway/stars/bill-bojangles-robinson/.