Down Argentine Way (1940) as One of the Nicholas Brothers
Short Info
Died
January 24, 2006, Los Angeles, California, United States
Spouse
Katherine Hopkins, Barbara January, Geraldine Pate
Fact
Self-taught, Fayard learned how to dance watching vaudeville shows while their parents played in the orchestra pit. He then would teach the routines to his younger brother. Fayard was considered the gregarious one of the duo; Harold was more withdrawn and introspective.
Fayard Nicholas was born in Mobile, Alabama on October 20, 1914. His parents were both vaudeville performers, and his sister, Dorothy, would also go on to have a successful career in entertainment. Fayard began dancing at a young age and made his stage debut at the age of six. He quickly developed a reputation as a talented performer, and by the early 1930s he was appearing in Broadway shows.
Fayard’s career really took off in the mid-1930s when he teamed up with his sister to form the Nicholas Brothers. The duo became known for their spectacular acrobatic dance routines, and they went on to perform in a number of films, including ‘Down Argentine Way’ (1940) and ‘Sun Valley Serenade’ (1941). They also toured extensively, appearing in nightclubs and on stage around the world.
In the late 1940s, Fayard began working as a choreographer and director, as well as continuing to perform. He worked on a number of successful films, including ‘The Band Wagon’ (1953) and ‘Hello, Dolly!’ (1969). He also staged the musical numbers for the Academy Awards ceremony on several occasions.
Fayard Nicholas retired from performing in the early 1990s, but continued to work as a choreographer and director until his death in 2006. He was inducted into the National Museum of Dance’s Hall of Fame in 1999.
Fayard Nicholas had a long and successful career in entertainment. He was a talented dancer, choreographer and director, and his work was enjoyed by millions of people around the world. He was inducted into the National Museum of Dance’s Hall of Fame in 1999.
General Info
Full Name
Fayard Nicholas
Died
January 24, 2006, Los Angeles, California, United States
Profession
Actor, Dancer, Choreographer
Nationality
American
Family
Spouse
Katherine Hopkins, Barbara January, Geraldine Pate
Children
Tony Nicholas
Parents
Viola Harden, Ulysses Domonick Nicholas
Siblings
Harold Nicholas
Accomplishments
Awards
Kennedy Center Honors, Tony Award for Best Choreography, Grammy Hall of Fame
Movies
Hard Four, Night at the Golden Eagle, The Pirate, Orchestra Wives, Pie, Pie Blackbird, A Century of Black Cinema, Barber Shop Blues
Our father said, 'When you're dancing, don't look at your feet, look at the audience. You're not entertaining yourself, you're entertaining the audience.'
2
One day at the Standard Theater in Philadelphia, I looked onstage and I thought, 'They're having fun up there; I'd like to do something like that.' We worked up an act called 'The Nicholas Kids,' and did it in the living room.
3
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.
4
We can't do those routines any more; we don't want to, and I'll tell you why -- it hurts!
5
When we were doing routines, it was like a love affair.
Facts
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Fact
1
The Nicholas Brothers were inducted into the International Tap Dance Hall of Fame in 2002 (inaugural class).
2
Former brother-in-law of Dorothy Dandridge. His ex-wife, Geraldine Pate, was her best friend.
3
The brothers broke down racial barriers throughout their career. As child performers at Harlem's Cotton Club they were the only entertainers in the all African-American cast allowed to mingle with patrons.
Self-taught, Fayard learned how to dance watching vaudeville shows while their parents played in the orchestra pit. He then would teach the routines to his younger brother. Fayard was considered the gregarious one of the duo; Harold was more withdrawn and introspective.
6
Compliments followed them wherever they went. Dancer extraordinaire Fred Astaire once called The Nicholas Brothers' "Jumpin' Jive" dance sequence in the film Stormy Weather (1943) the greatest movie musical number he had ever seen. Famed choreographer George Balanchine called their acrobatic movement ballet, despite their lack of formal training. Tapper Gregory Hines once said that if a film were ever made about the Nicholas Brothers, the dance numbers would have to be computer-generated because nobody could duplicate them. Ballet star Mikhail Baryshnikov once called them the most amazing dancers he had ever seen in his life.
7
Fayard's two granddaughters call themselves the Nicholas Sisters and perform the brothers' old steps on the road.
8
Continued to tap dance and spoke frequently at dance festivals around the world until suffering a stroke in November of 2005.
9
Dancing for nine U.S. presidents throughout the course of their careers, the brothers were awarded Kennedy Center Honors in 1991.
