Nicholas Brothers
Nicholas Brothers | |
|---|---|
Nicholas Brothers in Stormy Weather (1943) | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Genres | Tap dance, flash dance |
| Works | |
| Years active | c.ā1930sā1950s |
| Award | see Awards and honors |
| Past members | Fayard Nicholas Harold Nicholas |
The Nicholas Brothers were an entertainment act composed of brothers Fayard (1914ā2006) and Harold (1921ā2000), who excelled in a variety of dance techniques, primarily between the 1930s and 1950s. Best known for their unique interpretation of a highly acrobatic technique known as "flash dancing", they were also considered by many to be the greatest tap dancers of their day, if not all time. Their virtuoso performance in the musical number "Jumping' Jive" (with Cab Calloway and his orchestra) featured in the 1943 movie Stormy Weather has been praised as one of the greatest dance routines ever captured on film.
Growing up surrounded by vaudeville acts as children, they became stars of the jazz circuit during the Harlem Renaissance and performed on stage, film, and television well into the 2000s. Diminutive in size, they were appreciated for their artistry, innovation, and soaring leaps.