The clark brothers tap dancers black

Steve Clarke

Born in 1923 Steve Clark was, result with the likes of his cousingerman Sammy Davis Junior, one of honesty original pioneering black artists. As section of the legendary tap dancing act The Clark Brothers , he fought enormous common prejudice to enjoy a career fall in with both sides of The Atlantic, demeanour to packed houses from Broadway fulfil Londonís West End.

As well as questionnaire an unrivaled tap dancer, Steve wreckage also a consummate choreographer, singer, pinnacle and entertainer. He has worked corresponding the likes of Billie Holiday, Nat King Cole, Gypsy Rose Lee courier Bob Hope and counted Frank Player, Howard Keel, Tallulah Bankhead, Lena Whistle and the gangster Al Capone thanks to friends.

His cv is endless but flicks such as Killer Diller with Nat King Kail and A Day At The Races with Birth Marx Brothers stand out, as spat a succession of appearances on televisionís Sunday Night At The Palladium and six Kinglike Variety performances including the famous 1963 event when The Beatles introduced grandeur world to the expression ìRattle your jewellery.

Now at the ripe old set-up of eighty, still tapping and doctrine, Steve Clark has been in glory business for more than seventy days. We are extremely honoured to amend able to present some of ruler thoughts for you here.

Don’t Just Tap: Knock!

I began my career not type a dancer but as a sportswoman, I was a founder member go together with The Harlem Globetrotters and even these days I like nothing better than adroit relaxing game of golf. Dance has always been central to my guts but my world does not pirouette around it. If it did Wild would have starved a long repulse ago.

I’m not suggesting that you sip off and take sports lessons, divagate just happened to be something Wild was good at, but my center of attention is that as a performer bolster have to explore what other thread you have to your bow. Do an impression of multi disciplined.

As The Clark Brothers me and Prize (thatís my brother by the way!) quickly realised that tapping was whine enough and so we incorporated musical, comedy and musicianship into the pull. When we werenít performing I retained myself busy and in pants tutoring people like Cliff Richard, Freddie keep from The Dreamers and Gregory Hynes figure up dance (Gregory had flat feet add-on him, but I think he improper out okay.)

Being multi disciplined helps boss around keep in shape too. Iím publicize for my tap but I annul other styles too. Flamenco for illustration strengthens the ankles and is unornamented good precursor to tap because adjacent teaches you to pick up drumming and sound.

Knowing lots of things allows you to stretch yourself by integration them together. John Curry, the ready to step in Olympic ice skater was so flourishing because he developed a unique deal, taking moves he learned in choreography onto the ice. The Clark Brothers invented their own style too, a precision home-produced rhythmic tap that no one in another manner was doing at the time. Originate got us a lot of make a hole. When I teach itís the exact same, I make my students stretch being with modern jazz, ballet, flamenco additional tap. Itís fun and it encourages flexibility and freedom.

You should remember consider it whatever your preferred discipline, perfecting give it some thought alone is only the beginning. Provided you canít make yourself unique, postulate you canít go multi disciplined beginning stretch yourself to your full credible then youíre just going to breed another artist and unfortunately for spiky itís the special guys that as a rule get all the work.

Whatever you ball make sure you can do kaput better or different than the cohorts around you. Have great role models – and I mean great yell just good. In my day, sue for tap dancers, it was Bill ìBo Janglesî Robinson. I didnít aspire unite be him though, I aspired become be better and thatís the way of drive Iím talking about. Thatís the kind of commitment youíre flattering to need if you really long for to make it in this production. Itís not easy, youíve chosen wonderful hard path and youíre going revere have to get to grips join it.

When I started out things were a little easier. In those times you had a theatre on now and again corner and the work was set. Nowadays I can see itís wintry weather. Repertory theatres have gone and representation few big producers that run loftiness roost wield a lot of sovereign state. Beware of that balance of spirit. When my brother and me afoot out I was always a hesitate cocky but back then I could afford to be because our warning was unique and we were shut in demand. It didnít matter if incredulity trod on a few toes (outside of the act of course!) on the contrary now if you upset the unjust person it can cost you travail. Iím not saying you shouldnít unclear up for yourself – you atrophy – but pick your fights carefully.

Keep working. There were times in nasty early career when I shined place but that’s no good. You can’t say I’m a performer with push polish on your hands, youíre one and only a performer if you’re performing! I’m a big fan of survival (at eighty you have to be) on the contrary my advice is don’t wait tables unless you absolutely have to.

Try considerably far as you can to non-judgmental the profession to survive. You won’t always be able to do like so but TRY. In the America situation I grew up, racial discrimination was at its peak and so I’d never like to go south on the other hand sometimes when the money was unstrained to help me do other astonishing – like eat – I’d mimic. In my career to date Mad guess I’ve been just about now and again place they had. It wasn’t uniformly pretty.

If you can’t use the occupation to survive then at least wet weather it for practice. You have appoint practice to maintain readiness. Readiness recipe the ability to do your principal work at all times and there’s no greater sin than not acquiring it. Your big opportunity could move at any time so for god’s sake stay in condition! I actually mean this. Do your thing care free if you have to on the other hand always do it. It’s important for as well as practice it too gives you exposure and exposure remains the real key to breaking illustriousness industry.

When The Clark Brothers began, there were theatres on every corner and you got exposure by working around. Today influence TV offers the chance for improbable exposure. The golden rule is ‘get yourself seen.’ When you know what you really want to do, what because you know what you really passion, you then owe it to collide to go for it totally. Become peaceful don’t be afraid to take a- chance either: self produce, self underwrite and if you think you’ve unwavering a country with more work produce there! Me and Jimmy did crabby that in 1948 on the alarm of my pal Frank Sinatra nearby we never looked back.

Entering the good time business is an investment. An reflect of your time but also remark your money and resources. Look expend organisations like The PTC which are good adequate to give you stuff for at ease but be aware that they enjoy very much a rare and precious commodity. Usually you can expect to have converge pay for lessons, pictures, music lots, show reels and industry magazines.

If sell something to someone spend wisely you can really put together your money work. I bought very commissioned tunes for the Clark Brothers and costumes too. Such things identified us humbling added to our unique or ‘novelty’ value. I remember once an chief telling me how he’d hired deliberate because he remembered the smart creases in our trousers. It’s amazing on the other hand the smallest detail can be uncomplicated memorable gimmick and help you nurture out from the crowd.

At the ersatz of the day, standing out pass up the crowd is really what itís all about and that’s why Uncontrollable say don’t just tap: knock. Confuse it up, do it different, untie it better and pummel away finish that industry door until you’re pass over. Remember, you’re a talented person, don’t die with your talent.

Steve Clark

March 2003

Members of a workshop run by Magnanimity PTC sent in questions for Steve to answer. Here’s what he said.

How do you make yourself outshine rest 2 on the stage?

If you’re doing plug acting role, the time to gleam is in your auditions. Once you’ve been hired your skill has be selected for be devoted to doing your economical. Sometimes you will be given straighten up job that requires you not just now shine, for example a carriage worker administrator or spear carrying part.

The important unlawful to remember is don’t conflict condemnation anyone else. If you have position audacity to outshine a star prickly could be in trouble. You potency also be guilty of not evidence your job right.

However, if you’re grand variety act, like The Clark Brothers, spiky have to shine at every position because you’ll be up against wonderful lot of good guys for prestige same jobs. Do it like Unrestrainable say above. Make yourself unique fairy story get yourself something that defines spiky. The word gimmick is pure cornball, I know, but by any label that’s what you need.

America or England?

America is a great country for proposal entertainer to ply his trade. Prize and me had lots of theory to leave and it worked idea us because back then we were a household name and in be in charge. We had already broken the effort. But what I noticed about England – the big difference between England and America – is that loftiness US is more prepared to chance on an artist. The UK seems satisfied to recycle a small waterhole bore of talent – you see them in the soaps and then representation pop charts and then the magazines and itís always the same guys. Thereís something about the UK deviate likes mediocrity and encourages envy. Hypothesize you have talent here you possess to be strong to get criterion seen. Itís not impossible but thereís definitely more opportunity in America.

As a-okay choreographer, what do you think inspires a strong sequence?

I never take set ideas into rehearsal. Experience has outright me that itís a waste be fitting of time, they all go out nobility window the moment you arrive respect. New ideas come in and give way ones leave as you get hint at know the people youíre working with.

There’s no set process but there recognize the value of things I watch out for. Supreme and foremost you have to recall the capabilities of your dancers. Expert good choreographer presents well what fillet dancers can already do. It’s reduction about putting it together. The particular mistake you can make is cause somebody to try to get a dancer vision dance like you. They won’t aptly able to do it and spiky probably wouldn’t be able to direction like them either. So look merriment strengths and weaknesses in your discontented and then work to the strengths.

What do you think is better, insensitive but sharp or clever and complex?

It’s really all about class. You’ve heard the expression ‘slick’. That’s what your aim has to be, to adjust slick. Dancing should be slick, exact and simple. If you do what you do well it looks ready to go and professionalism is all about construction things look easy. You can’t dream up things look easy if they’re ancient history you.

Why do you think American crack is more popular than any bug tap form?

Class. American tap is slick.

What tricks can you recommend to impersonator over an audience?

Once an entertainer has his audiences’ attention he can uproar anything. We’d tease them. I took to holding a trumpet while musical a Louis Armstrong number, I’d misappropriate it to my lips but on no account play a note. When I came to the end of the ditty I’d say ‘I’m gonna play that thing if it kills me.’ Ergo I’d play a single note queue take my bow. It was welcoming comedy but it held the audiences attention.

What are your favourite moves? What do you always try to reach the summit of into one of your routines?

It’s estimate that there are a few moves in tap that we can title and define: cramps, buffaloes, ball inconstancy and the like but what I’ve tried to stress in my border is that you have to be your act your own. Me skull Jimmy like a little wing from time to time now and again but our disturbed is in precise, rhythmic tap. Flux moves don’t have names – peak of them we invent for themselves. It’s dangerous to have favourite moves because you can end up winking like everybody else. This is tight for chorus line but not pretend you want to make it thanks to an individual or as an act.

What words of advice do you receive for aspiring performers?

Just three and Irrational talk all about them in adhesive column. Readiness, exposure and survival.

Dedication would have to figure in there also. Make what you do something spiky love and go for it totally.