Savion Glover

Savion Glover is a famous tap dancer.

He makes loud sounds with his feet. He likes to dance with joy.

Savion learned from many great teachers. One teacher called him "The Sponge." This is because he learns very fast.

He also makes up his own dances. He listens to the floor for sounds. He finds rhythms in the stage.

Savion has been a teacher since he was 14. He even has a dance school. He wants to keep tap dance alive.

He has worked on Broadway and in movies. He is a very busy artist. It is fun to watch him dance.

Savion Glover is a famous tap dancer and actor.

He is known for a style he calls "funk." To him, funk is a rhythm that keeps you rolling with the beat. He dances with a heavy foot. He makes loud, strong sounds with every step.

Savion learned from many great dance teachers. One teacher called him "the Sponge." This was because he learned new moves very quickly. He often starts his dances with old moves. He does this to honor the dancers who came before him. He even performed a famous move by Honi Coles to keep that style alive.

Savion also makes up his own dances. He listens to the stage to find new sounds. He might find a spot on the floor that sounds like a drum. He has worked on Broadway and in many movies. He even did work for the movie Happy Feet. Savion has been a teacher since he was 14 years old. He started his own dance school in Newark, New Jersey. He loves to share his joy through dance.

Savion Glover is a famous American tap dancer, actor, and choreographer. He is known for a unique dance style he calls "young and funk." To Glover, funk is about the rhythm and the pulse. He says it is anything that keeps your head on the beat. He dances with a heavy foot to make loud, strong sounds. This style allows him to express himself through every step. He finds great joy in his work as an artist.

Learning to dance is a way of listening to the world. When Glover choreographs, he often improvises as he creates new moves. He listens to the stage to find different sounds. He might find a spot on the floor that sounds like a drum. He looks for places that give him a deep bass sound. He even teaches his students how to "hit" with their feet. This means using their dance to say something important.

Music and dance have been in Glover's family for a long time. His grandfather, Bill Lewis, was a big band pianist and singer. His grandmother, Anna Lundy Lewis, was a music minister in Newark, New Jersey. She was the one who first noticed his musical talent. She would hum rhythms to him when he was a baby. Glover also has a great-grandfather named Dick Lundy. He was a shortstop in the Negro leagues and managed many teams.

Glover has had a very busy career since he was young. He graduated from Newark Arts High School in 1991. He made his Broadway debut at age 11 in "The Tap Dance Kid." At age 15, he performed in "Black and Blue." This show made him one of the youngest performers ever nominated for a Tony Award. He has worked on many famous projects like "Bring in 'Da Noise, Bring in 'Da Funk." He even provided choreography for the movie "Happy Feet."

Many legendary dancers taught Glover how to master his craft. A teacher named Henry LeTang called him "the Sponge." This was because Glover learned very quickly from everyone. He studied under many greats like Gregory Hines and Honi Coles. Glover often uses old moves to pay homage to these dancers. He even performed a famous backflip and split to honor Honi Coles. He believes it is his job to keep these styles alive.

Savion Glover is an American tap dancer, actor, and choreographer. He is widely recognized for developing a unique dance style he describes as "young and funk." To Glover, funk is defined by the bass line and the pulse. It is anything that keeps a person's head on the beat. He describes it as riding with the rhythm. This style is characterized by a heavy foot. He dances with loud, powerful steps to express himself. This approach allows him to "hit," which means using a tap sequence to say something specific.

Glover's creative process involves a deep connection to his environment. When he choreographs, he often improvises as he generates new sequences. He listens to the stage itself to find different sounds. He might find a spot on the floor that produces a "dead" tom-tom sound. He looks for areas that provide a deep bass feeling. This method turns the performance space into a musical instrument. His ability to live in a state of joy is a key part of his artistry. This joy allows him to maintain emotional complexity while performing.

Musicality runs deep in Glover's family history. His grandfather, Bill Lewis, was a vocalist and a big band pianist. His grandmother, Anna Lundy Lewis, served as the minister of music at New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, New Jersey. She once played music for Whitney Houston while singing in a gospel choir. It was Anna who first recognized Savion's musical talent. She would hum rhythms to him when he was a baby, and he would join in. His great-grandfather, Dick Lundy, was a shortstop in the Negro leagues. Lundy also managed eleven Negro League baseball teams, including the Newark Eagles.

Glover learned from many legendary tap dancers. A teacher named Henry LeTang called him "the Sponge" because he learned very quickly. LeTang taught Glover before they worked together on the Paris tap revue "Black and Blue" in 1987. Glover studied under masters such as Gregory Hines, Honi Coles, and Jimmy Slyde. He also learned from Dianne Walker, Chuck Green, and Sammy Davis Jr. Glover uses old-school moves to pay homage to these respected figures. For example, he performed a famous backflip into a split to honor Honi Coles. He feels a responsibility to keep these specific styles alive.

Glover's professional career began at a very young age. He graduated from Newark Arts High School in 1991. He made his Broadway debut at age 11 in the musical "The Tap Dance Kid." At age 15, he performed in "Black and Blue." This performance made him one of the youngest actors ever nominated for a Tony Award. In 1992, he played "Young Jelly" in "Jelly's Last Jam." This role earned him a Drama Desk Award nomination for Outstanding Featured Actor. He later received Tony Award nominations for his work in "Bring in 'Da Noise, Bring in 'Da Funk."

His influence extends into film and television as well. He provided choreography and motion capture for the character Mumble in the movie "Happy Feet." He has appeared in films such as "Tap" and "Bamboozled." His television credits include appearances on "Sesame Street" and "So You Think You Can Dance." He has also choreographed for major events, such as the Academy Awards and the Olympic Winter Games closing ceremony. Many dancers have even informally named a specific move the "Savion Glover Timestep" after seeing him perform in "Timeless."

Beyond performing, Glover is also an educator and a businessman. He has been teaching tap since he was 14 years old. He created a program called Real Tap Skills. He also founded the HooFeRz Club School for Tap in Newark, New Jersey. He has even formed his own dance company called NYOTs, which stands for "Not Your Ordinary Tappers." Through teaching and creating, Glover ensures that the art of tap continues to evolve. He blends historical techniques into a "stylistic brew" that is entirely his own.