The Hoofers Club was an African-American entertainment establishment and dancers' club hangout in Harlem, New York, that ran from the early 1920s until the early 1940s. It was founded and managed by Lonnie Hicks (1882–1953), an Atlanta-born ragtime pianist.[1][Note 1]
The Hoofers Club was a legendary site of some of the best of jazz and tap performers, particularly in the 1920s and 1930s. It was located on Harlem's "Swing Street," the stretch of 133rd Street between Lenox and Seventh Avenues known for its music and dance venues.
The Hoofers Club was actually a small room in the back of a comedy club.[2]
When you walked down the stairs of the Hoofers Club ... you would go into a little room. The room was no bigger than 30x20 feet. It had a piano in the corner and a good floor. All the dancers around town came in. You could hear dancing the minute you got in the building. There was always dancin' going on, known dancers and unknown dancers.[3]
At the Hoofers Club, rookie and veteran, mostly [B]lack male tap dancers assembled to share with, steal from, and challenge each other; there, new standards were set for competition. These were nothing like the formalized buck-dancing competitions of Tammany Hall, where judges sat beside, before, and beneath the stage to evaluate the [dancers'] clarity, speed, and presentation. The Hoofers Club comprised a more informal panel of peers, whose judgments could be cruel and mocking and were driven by an insistence on innovation. "Survive or die" was the credo. In an eccentric fusion of imitation and innovation, young dancers were forced to find their style and rhythmic voice. It was said that on the wall of the Hoofers Club was written: "Thou shalt not copy each other's steps — Exactly."[2]
^The stride pianist Lucky Roberts credited Hicks, also a pianist, for influencing him to start a career in music. Hicks went on to become a songwriter and arranger for Nat King Cole.
^Stearns, Marshall, and wife, Jean Stearns (1994). Jazz Dance: The Story of American Vernacular Dance, Chapter 27 – "John W. Bubbles and Rhythm Tap," p. 212
hoofers, club, african, american, entertainment, establishment, dancers, club, hangout, harlem, york, that, from, early, 1920s, until, early, 1940s, founded, managed, lonnie, hicks, 1882, 1953, atlanta, born, ragtime, pianist, note, contents, history, popular,. The Hoofers Club was an African American entertainment establishment and dancers club hangout in Harlem New York that ran from the early 1920s until the early 1940s It was founded and managed by Lonnie Hicks 1882 1953 an Atlanta born ragtime pianist 1 Note 1 Contents 1 History 2 In popular culture 3 Notes and references 3 1 Notes 3 2 ReferencesHistory editThe Hoofers Club was a legendary site of some of the best of jazz and tap performers particularly in the 1920s and 1930s It was located on Harlem s Swing Street the stretch of 133rd Street between Lenox and Seventh Avenues known for its music and dance venues The Hoofers Club was actually a small room in the back of a comedy club 2 When you walked down the stairs of the Hoofers Club you would go into a little room The room was no bigger than 30x20 feet It had a piano in the corner and a good floor All the dancers around town came in You could hear dancing the minute you got in the building There was always dancin going on known dancers and unknown dancers 3 Among the tap dancers who appeared at the club were Bill Robinson 4 Jack Wiggins Maceo Anderson 3 Buddy Bradley 4 John Bubbles 2 Honi Coles 4 Eddie Rector 4 Leonard Reed 3 Dewey Washington 4 Raymond Winfield 4 Roland Holder 4 Hal Leroy one of the only White dancers ever invited in 3 Harold Mablin 2 Sandman Sims Slappy Wallace 4 Warren Berry Baby Laurence Jackson 2 Buster Brown and other black tap dancing greats 4 5 At the Hoofers Club rookie and veteran mostly B lack male tap dancers assembled to share with steal from and challenge each other there new standards were set for competition These were nothing like the formalized buck dancing competitions of Tammany Hall where judges sat beside before and beneath the stage to evaluate the dancers clarity speed and presentation The Hoofers Club comprised a more informal panel of peers whose judgments could be cruel and mocking and were driven by an insistence on innovation Survive or die was the credo In an eccentric fusion of imitation and innovation young dancers were forced to find their style and rhythmic voice It was said that on the wall of the Hoofers Club was written Thou shalt not copy each other s steps Exactly 2 In popular culture editA fictionalized version of the Hoofers Club was depicted in Francis Ford Coppola s 1984 film The Cotton Club The Tree of Hope a piece of which is still touched by performers for good luck on the stage of the Apollo Theater originally stood outside the Hoofers Club and the nearby Lafayette Theatre 6 Notes and references editNotes edit The stride pianist Lucky Roberts credited Hicks also a pianist for influencing him to start a career in music Hicks went on to become a songwriter and arranger for Nat King Cole References edit Schuyler George S America Caught Up With Him The Crisis Vol 49 No 6 Whole No 378 July 1942 pps 194 195 a b c d e Hill Constance Valis 2009 Tap Dancing America A Cultural History Oxford University Press pps 3 87 200 ISBN 978 0 1953 9082 7 borrowable online via Internet Archive a b c d Frank Rusty E 1994 Tap The Greatest Tap Dance Stars and Their Stories 1900 1955 Da Capo Press pps 42 74 212 ISBN 978 0 3068 0635 3 borrowable online via Internet Archive a b c d e f g h i Hill Constance Valis 2002 Tap Dance in America A Very Short History courtesy New York Public Library online link courtesy Library of Congress Stearns Marshall and wife Jean Stearns 1994 Jazz Dance The Story of American Vernacular Dance Chapter 27 John W Bubbles and Rhythm Tap p 212 Collier Macmillan 1968 OCLC 655466715 Macmillan 1971 OCLC 900269 Schirmer 1979 OCLC 720681903 1069868504 ISBN 978 0 0287 2510 9 Da Capo Press paperback 1994 OCLC 610972997 ISBN 978 0 3068 0553 0 Kisselgoff Anna July 14 1969 The Hoofers to Revive Tap Styles New York Times p 28 subscription required 40 48 47 N 73 56 35 W 40 813 N 73 943 W 40 813 73 943 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Hoofers Club amp oldid 1167795459, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
