Bill Robinson
Bill “Bojangles” Robinson (1878–1949) was an American tap dancer and actor celebrated for his precise, upright style and stage and film performances.
Shirley Temple: An American child actor and singer who became one of Hollywood’s biggest stars in the 1930s. Their films paired Temple’s screen persona with Robinson’s dancing, including The Little Colonel.
Tap dance: A dance form in which performers use shoes fitted with metal taps to create rhythmic sounds. Robinson’s career helped make tap a celebrated solo performance form.
The Little Colonel: A 1935 American musical film starring Shirley Temple and Lionel Barrymore. Robinson’s stair dance with Temple became one of his best-known screen performances.
Vaudeville: A form of popular theater built from short, varied acts, prominent in North America from the late nineteenth century. Robinson built his reputation on the vaudeville circuit before achieving Broadway and film fame.
Fred Astaire: An American dancer, singer, and actor celebrated for his work in musical theater and film. Astaire admired Robinson’s tap technique and cited him as a major influence.
Stair dance: A tap routine in which a dancer ascends or descends steps while producing rhythmic patterns. Robinson made his ascending stair routine a signature display of control and timing.
Stormy Weather: A 1943 American musical film featuring an all-Black cast of performers and musicians. Robinson appeared in this showcase of Black music and dance near the end of his film career.
Harlem Renaissance: A flourishing of Black arts, literature, and intellectual life centered in Harlem during the 1920s and 1930s. Robinson’s Broadway and film career unfolded amid the era’s expanding visibility of Black performers.
Duke Ellington: An American composer, pianist, and bandleader who led a major jazz orchestra for decades. Robinson appeared in Ellington’s 1929 Broadway musical, Black and Tan.
Time step: A tap-dance phrase that establishes a recurring rhythmic pattern, often used to set a tempo. Robinson’s precise time steps exemplified his reputation for rhythmic clarity.