Nicholas Brothers

Fayard and Harold were two brothers.

They were great tap dancers. They also did big jumps and flips. This was called flash dancing.

Their parents were musicians. The brothers learned by watching others. They did not have formal dance lessons.

They were very fast and fun to watch. They even danced on top of a piano! People loved their amazing skill.

They danced in movies and on TV. They were very famous stars.

Fayard and Harold Nicholas were famous brothers.

They were incredible dancers. People called their style "flash dancing." This style mixed tap dance with ballet and acrobatics. They used their arms and hands in a very special way. They were known for big leaps and fast moves. One famous move was leapfrogging down a long flight of stairs. They could even rise from a split without using their hands!

Their parents were both musicians. Fayard taught himself to dance by watching others. He then taught Harold. They grew up in Philadelphia. The brothers became stars on the jazz circuit. They performed at the Cotton Club in New York. They also danced in many movies and on Broadway.

One of their best dances was in the movie "Stormy Weather." In this scene, they danced on top of a grand piano. They even jumped across music stands! Many people think this was one of the best dance scenes ever filmed. They were so good that famous dancers loved them. Even Michael Jackson was one of their students. They earned many honors for their great work.

The Nicholas Brothers were two famous brothers named Fayard and Harold. They were incredible performers who danced from the 1930s to the 1950s. Many people call them the greatest tap dancers of all time. They were known for a special style called "flash dancing." This style mixed tap dance with ballet and acrobatics. They were famous for their soaring leaps and expressive arms.

Their dancing was full of amazing and difficult moves. One signature move involved leapfrogging down a long flight of stairs. They would complete each step with a split. They could also rise from a split without using their hands. In the movie "Stormy Weather," they performed a famous routine. They leapt across orchestra music stands during the dance. They even danced on top of a grand piano.

Music was a big part of their early lives. Their parents, Viola and Ulysses, were both musicians. Viola was a pianist and Ulysses was a drummer. The brothers grew up in Philadelphia near the Standard Theater. Fayard taught himself to dance by watching professional acts. He later taught his younger brother, Harold. They first performed together as "The Nicholas Kids" with their sister, Dorothy.

By 1932, the brothers were stars at the Cotton Club in Harlem. Harold was 11 and Fayard was 18 years old at that time. They danced to jazz music like "Bugle Call Rag." They worked with famous orchestras like those of Cab Calloway and Duke Ellington. Later, they moved to Hollywood to act in movies. They appeared in the 1934 film "Kid Millions." They also made their Broadway debut in 1936.

Their talent left a lasting mark on the world of dance. Famous dancers like Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson were their students. They even taught master classes at Harvard University. In 1991, they received the Kennedy Center Honors for their work. Even the great dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov called them amazing. Their incredible skill continues to inspire many people today.

The Nicholas Brothers were a legendary entertainment duo consisting of Fayard and Harold Nicholas. They were masters of various dance techniques between the 1930s and 1950s. Many historians and dancers consider them the greatest tap dancers in history. They were most famous for a high-energy style called "flash dancing." This technique combined the rhythmic precision of tap dance with ballet and intense acrobatics. Their performances were defined by soaring leaps and highly expressive use of their arms and hands.

Their unique dance mechanism relied on a hybrid of movement styles. They integrated the footwork of tap with the grace of ballet and the physical stunts of acrobatics. One of their most famous signature moves involved leapfrogging down a wide flight of stairs. As they moved down, they would complete every single step by landing in a split. They also possessed the strength to rise from a split position without using their hands. This combination of strength and rhythm created a visual spectacle that was in high demand during the jazz era.

The brothers had very different paths to their professional success. Fayard was born in 1914 in Mobile, Alabama, and Harold was born in 1921 in North Carolina. They grew up in Philadelphia as the sons of musicians. Their mother, Viola, was a pianist, and their father, Ulysses, was a drummer. Fayard had no formal training and taught himself by imitating professional entertainers. He eventually taught his younger brother, Harold, who idolized him. They originally performed as "The Nicholas Kids" alongside their sister, Dorothy.

Their professional career accelerated rapidly during the Harlem Renaissance. In 1932, when Harold was 11 and Fayard was 18, they became featured performers at the Cotton Club in Harlem. They danced to fast jazz tempos, such as the song "Bugle Call Rag." During this time, they worked with famous orchestras led by Cab Calloway and Duke Ellington. Their talent caught the attention of producer Samuel Goldwyn. He invited them to California to appear in the 1934 film "Kid Millions," marking their entry into Hollywood movies.

The brothers reached a peak of cinematic fame in 1943. They appeared in the musical film "Stormy Weather," performing the routine "Jumpin' Jive." This routine is often cited as one of the greatest dance sequences ever filmed. During the performance, they leapt across orchestra music stands and danced on top of a grand piano. Remarkably, the routine was filmed in one take and was unrehearsed. The choreographer, Nick Castle, told them to simply "do it" without rehearsal. This approach relieved Harold, who wanted to avoid repeating the rigorous routine multiple times.

Throughout their long careers, the brothers achieved significant global recognition. They performed on Broadway in the 1936 "Ziegfeld Follies" and worked with choreographer George Balanchine. They toured extensively through Europe, Africa, and Latin America. In 1948, they gave a Royal Command Performance for King George VI at the London Palladium. In 1991, they received the Kennedy Center Honors for their sixty years of achievement. Their legacy was further celebrated in the 1992 documentary "We Sing & We Dance."

The influence of the Nicholas Brothers extends to modern pop culture and academia. They served as teachers-in-residence at Harvard University and Radcliffe. Their students include famous performers such as Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, and Debbie Allen. Even the legendary ballet dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov called them the most amazing dancers he had ever seen. The dancer Gregory Hines even suggested that their moves were so difficult that they might one day require computer generation to be emulated. Their work remains a vital connection between jazz, ballet, and acrobatic performance.