Bill Robinson Research Paper

Bill Robinson is one of the most famous tap dancers that has ever lived. To most people, Bill Robinson was known for being Shirley Temple’s tap-dancing partner in the 1930’s. Bill Robinson nickname was “Bojangles”. Bojangles stood for a cheerful, happy-go-lucky demeanor for his white friends, despite the meaning being on opposite ends in the black community. Bill “Bojangles” Robinson was a man that claimed he could run faster backwards than most men could run forwards. He was and still is one of the most known African American tap dancers of the 20th century. Bill brought light to the footwork of tap bringing tap steps “up on your toes” rather than flat-footed. Bojangles developed a new art of tap dancing to a delicate perfection.

At the early age of five, Robinson developed a love for dance and started performing in beer gardens. When Robinson turned nine, he joined a traveling touring group as a performer. He was a great success as a musical-comedian performer. At this time in his career, he was exclusively performing for black audiences. In 1928, Bill starred in his first Broadway production Blackbirds of 1928, which featured his famous “stair dance.” This is where Bill would tap up and down a set of stairs in a rythmetically complex sequece. Blackbirds of 1928 was a production of African-American performers, but was intended for white audiences. Blackbirds was a breakthrough for Robinson and soon after was when he received the nickname.