Dancing Joy: The Story of the Nicholas Brothers

Exploring the life and work of legendary African American tap dancers, Fayard and Harold Nicholas.

As a devotee of the movie musical genre, I love seeing the skill in singing and dancing these films can showcase. When one thinks of famous performers from the Golden Age of Hollywood, one might think of Gene Kelly, Judy Garland, or Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. However, there was an exceptionally talented, lesser-known dance duo from that time known as the Nicholas Brothers.

Fayard and Harold Nicholas were self-trained, African American acrobatic tap dancers who were renowned for their skill in complex and innovative movements. Their signature move was performing a split and using only their legs to get back on their feet — their hands never touched the floor! Their talent is unsurpassed even today, and I find their work and legacy to be an inspiring testament to the power of passion and hard work. Despite obstacles due to racial prejudice, these two incredible dancers received respect for their talent and recognition for their unique approach to dancing.

“We were tap-dancers but we put more style into it, more bodywork, instead of just footwork.” — Harold Nicholas

Their Early Years

Fayard Antonio Nicholas was born on October 20, 1914, in Mobile, Alabama, and Harold Lloyd Nicholas was born on March 17, 1921, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina to Viola Harden, a pianist, and Ulysses Dominick Nicholas, a drummer. The family grew up in Philadelphia and Fayard became obsessed with the great Vaudeville acts he watched while his parents were performing. He mimicked the acts he saw — especially of the dancers — and taught himself how to dance, sing, and perform. He then taught his younger siblings, but Harold, who idolized his older brother, would go on to become his dance partner.

The two formed The Nicholas Brothers and were worked at local theaters, quickly gaining recognition. Their unique combination of ballet, jazz, tap dance, and acrobatics presented an exuberant performance that was in high demand. In 1932, they debuted at Harlem’s Cotton Club as the feature act — when Harold was only 11 and Fayard was 18.

Going Hollywood

Samuel Goldwyn saw their performance at the Cotton Club and invited them to dance in his next picture — Kid Millions (1934). They would go on to feature in many films including Coronado (1935), Babes in Arms (1937), Down Argentine Way (1940), and Stormy Weather (1943). It is their performance in the song “Jumpin’ Jive” from Stormy Weather that they are most remembered for — Fred Astaire called it the greatest movie musical sequence he had ever seen. And certainly, their expertise and finesse are brilliantly displayed in this number. And just remember while watching this iconic dance, that it was not rehearsed and was filmed in one take.

At the time, Stormy Weather was one of the rare films produced by a major studio to feature an all African-American cast. Overt racial prejudice held back talented Black performers and it was common for them to be included in films as “featured performers”. Their roles were deliberately not integral to the plot so their scenes could be easily edited out — which often happened for theaters in the South. Despite the rampant racism, the Nicholas Brothers’ talent put them in high demand for a variety of venues.

Their last major Hollywood film was The Pirate (1948), an underrated movie musical starring Judy Garland and Gene Kelly. Both of these stars worked hard to get the Nicholas Brothers’ in the film, but the studio decided to cut the brothers’ acting roles in the final version, and their exceptional performance with Gene Kelly in the “Be A Clown” sequence was cut for audiences in the South. This was their first on-screen dance with a Caucasian actor, and it is said that because of this they were essentially blackballed in Hollywood. After this film, the brothers would move to Europe where they found success performing for worldwide audiences. They made a return to Hollywood on the variety show The Hollywood Palace in 1964.

“My brother and I used our whole bodies, our hands, our personalities and everything. We tried to make it classic. We called our type of dancing classical tap and we just hoped the audience liked it.” — Fayard Nicholas

Their Legacy

Watching a dance performed by the Nicholas Brothers is a marvelous experience. There is grace in every movement, but the power and athleticism behind it speaks to their skill and ability. I sometimes think that Gene Kelly was exceptional at making his dances look easy, but when watching the Nicholas Brothers I feel like their immense skill and unique combination of moves shows the viewer how complex and artistic dance can be. Their choreography seems to fully embody the music it follows.

Fayard and Harold would go on to teach master classes in tap-dancing as teachers-in-residence at Harvard University and Radcliffe. Among their students were Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, and Debbie Allen. They were global headliners with a career that spanned 60 years. Sadly Harold Nicholas passed away in 2000 at the age of 79, and Fayard Nicholas passed away a few years later in 2006 at 91.

With their extraordinary talent and dedication, they should be more widely known and remembered. Unfortunately, they had to fight systemic racism throughout their career and while they worked consistently through it, it must have been so discouraging to be overlooked for lead roles. Yet despite that, they are revered by their peers and their fans and are recognized as masters of the art. They have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, an honorary doctorate from Harvard University, and were honored at The Kennedy Center Honors.

If you see daring and bold tap-dancing routines with acrobatic flips and kicks, know that it was probably influenced by Fayard and Harold. They were masters of innovative dance, and watching a clip of any one of their dances is enough to lift you up from your daily worries — if only for a little time.

Here’s a fun Janet Jackson music video of the song “Alright” (1989) which features some great performers like Cab Calloway, Cyd Charisse, and of course The Nicholas Brothers.

Many thanks to the following sources:

• Britannica.com
• NicholasBrothers.com
• Wikipedia
• Judith Mackrell, Mean feet: the tap-dancing duo who were Fred Astaire’s heroes 6 Oct 2016, The Guardian