Chuck Green
Encyclopedia
Charles "Chuck" Green was a famous American tap dancer
.
Green was born in Fitzgerald
, Georgia
. He would stick bottle caps on his bare feet as a child and tap dance on the sidewalk for money. He won third place in a dance contest in 1925 in which Noble Sissle
was the bandleader. Soon Green would be touring the South tap dancing.
When he was nine he was brought to New York
by a talent scout to study tap dancing. A famous talent agent Nat Nazzaro, signed Green up as a client when he was just twelve years old. He and his childhood friend James Walker teamed up and called themselves "Shorty and Slim" Walker was a talented comic dancer and would be "Slim" to Green's "Shorty".
They changed their name to "Chuck and Chuckles," and played New York’s prestigious Palace Theatre. Up until 1944, "Chuck and Chuckles" toured Europe
, Australia
, and the United States, performing in such venues as Radio City Music Hall
, the Paramount, Apollo, and Capital theatres. Jobs were plentiful and they would double up on performances averaging five stage shows a day, playing nightclubs until early morning, and touring nonstop with big bands across the country and abroad. In 1944, due to Green's stress the team broke up and Green was committed to a mental institution where he stayed for fifteen years.
Upon his release in 1959 Green had become very introverted but he could still dance. He quickly adapted to bebop and created his own style of tap dancing experimenting with new harmonies and rhythmic patterns. He could easily ad-lib his dance numbers to the new music. He began performing again on stage and on television.
He appeared at the Newport Jazz Festival
on July 6, 1963 along with Honi Coles. Then, in 1964, Green faced tap dancer Groundhog in a tap challenge at the Village Vanguard
. In 1969 Green appeared with members of Harlem’s Hoofer’s Club for a series of “Tap Happenings” that were produced in New York City by Letitia Jay. Through seventies and eighties, Green performed with the Copasetics. Honi Coles would introduce him as, “Chuck Green, the greatest tap dancer in the world.”
In 2003 Green was inducted into the Tap Dance Hall of Fame.
Tap dance
Tap dance is a form of dance characterized by using the sound of one's tap shoes hitting the floor as a percussive instrument. As such, it is also commonly considered to be a form of music. Two major variations on tap dance exist: rhythm tap and Broadway tap. Broadway tap focuses more on the...
.
Green was born in Fitzgerald
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
. He would stick bottle caps on his bare feet as a child and tap dance on the sidewalk for money. He won third place in a dance contest in 1925 in which Noble Sissle
Noble Sissle
Noble Sissle was an American jazz composer, lyricist, bandleader, singer and playwright.-Early life:...
was the bandleader. Soon Green would be touring the South tap dancing.
When he was nine he was brought to New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
by a talent scout to study tap dancing. A famous talent agent Nat Nazzaro, signed Green up as a client when he was just twelve years old. He and his childhood friend James Walker teamed up and called themselves "Shorty and Slim" Walker was a talented comic dancer and would be "Slim" to Green's "Shorty".
They changed their name to "Chuck and Chuckles," and played New York’s prestigious Palace Theatre. Up until 1944, "Chuck and Chuckles" toured Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, and the United States, performing in such venues as Radio City Music Hall
Radio City Music Hall
Radio City Music Hall is an entertainment venue located in New York City's Rockefeller Center. Its nickname is the Showplace of the Nation, and it was for a time the leading tourist destination in the city...
, the Paramount, Apollo, and Capital theatres. Jobs were plentiful and they would double up on performances averaging five stage shows a day, playing nightclubs until early morning, and touring nonstop with big bands across the country and abroad. In 1944, due to Green's stress the team broke up and Green was committed to a mental institution where he stayed for fifteen years.
Upon his release in 1959 Green had become very introverted but he could still dance. He quickly adapted to bebop and created his own style of tap dancing experimenting with new harmonies and rhythmic patterns. He could easily ad-lib his dance numbers to the new music. He began performing again on stage and on television.
He appeared at the Newport Jazz Festival
Newport Jazz Festival
The Newport Jazz Festival is a music festival held every summer in Newport, Rhode Island, USA. It was established in 1954 by socialite Elaine Lorillard, who, together with husband Louis Lorillard, financed the festival for many years. The couple hired jazz impresario George Wein to organize the...
on July 6, 1963 along with Honi Coles. Then, in 1964, Green faced tap dancer Groundhog in a tap challenge at the Village Vanguard
Village Vanguard
The Village Vanguard is a jazz club located at in Greenwich Village, New York City. The club was opened on February 22, 1935, by Max Gordon. At first, it also featured other forms of music such as folk music and beat poetry, but it switched to an all-jazz format in 1957.-History:Over 100 jazz...
. In 1969 Green appeared with members of Harlem’s Hoofer’s Club for a series of “Tap Happenings” that were produced in New York City by Letitia Jay. Through seventies and eighties, Green performed with the Copasetics. Honi Coles would introduce him as, “Chuck Green, the greatest tap dancer in the world.”
In 2003 Green was inducted into the Tap Dance Hall of Fame.