2007
Search results
Bill "Bojangles" Robinson was born Luther Robinson in Richmond, Virginia on May 25, 1878, to Maxwell, a machinist, and Maria Robinson, a church choir director. He and his younger brother William were raised in Richmond's Jackson Ward neighborhood.
Apr 2, 2014 · Bill "Bojangles" Robinson was an iconic African American tap dancer and actor best known for his Broadway performances and film roles.
- Performed Solo. According to author Constance Valis Hill, early in his career, Robinson, like other black performers, had to abide by the so-called “two-colored” rule of vaudeville.
- Appeared Without Blackface. Early twentieth-century vaudeville performers still frequently wore blackface, just like the white “minstrel show” performers who started vaudeville in the 1800s.
- Danced With White Actors. Like American society generally, the world of performance was highly segregated. But Robinson, whose fame grew as a soloist, frequently performed with white actors.
Bill Robinson (born May 25, 1878, Richmond, Virginia, U.S.—died November 25, 1949, New York, New York) was an American dancer of Broadway and Hollywood, best known for his dancing roles with Shirley Temple in films of the 1930s.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Mar 13, 2008 · Learn about the life and achievements of Bill “Bojangles” Robinson, a pioneering Black entertainer who popularized tap dancing and broke racial barriers in theater and film. Find out how he earned his nickname, became a millionaire, and died penniless.
Bill "Bojangles" Robinson (May 25, 1878 [1] – November 25, 1949) was a pioneer and pre-eminent African-American tap dance performer. Bojangles (the name referred to his happy-go-lucky ebullience) starred in vaudeville, musical stage and movies.
Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, perhaps the most famous of all African-American tap dancers, demonstrated an exacting yet light footwork that was said to have brought tap "up on its toes" from the flat-footed shuffling style prevalent in the previous era.
