Fayard Nicholas

Fayard Nicholas

Biography: Fayard Antonio Nicholas was an American choreographer, dancer and actor. He and his younger brother Harold Nicholas made up the Nicholas Brothers tap dance duo, who starred in the MGM musicals An All-Colored Vaudeville Show, Stormy Weather, The Pirate, and Hard Four. The Nicholas brothers also starred in the 20th Century-Fox musicals Down Argentine Way, Sun Valley Serenade, and Orchestra Wives. In 1932, when he was 18 and his brother was only 11, they became the featured act at Cotton Club in New York City. The brothers earned fame with a unique style of rhythm tap that blended "masterful jazz steps with daredevil athletic moves and an elegance of motion worthy of ballet". They appeared in the Ziegfeld Follies on Broadway and in London they worked with jazz choreographer Buddy Bradley. The performances led them to a career in film. Nicholas appeared in over 60 films, including the 1943 musical Stormy Weather with their signature staircase dance. His career was interrupted from 1943 to 1944 when he served in the U.S. Army during World War II. Nicholas achieved the rank of Technician fifth grade while in WWII. After his dance career ended, Nicholas and his wife, Katherine Hopkins Nicholas, embarked on a lecture tour discussing dance. In 2003, Nicholas served as "Festival Legend" at the third "Soul to Sole Tap Festival" in Austin, Texas. Nicholas was inducted into the National Museum of Dance C.V. Whitney Hall of Fame in 2001.

Place of Birth: Not available

Birthday: October 20, 1914

Deathday: January 24, 2006

Popularity:

2.223

Known For

Down Argentine Way
Down Argentine Way

1940-10-11

An All-Colored Vaudeville Show
An All-Colored Vaudeville Show

1935-06-21

Hard Four
Hard Four

2007-11-01

Happy Birthday, Bob: 50 Stars Salute Your 50 Years with NBC
Happy Birthday, Bob: 50 Stars Salute Your 50 Years with NBC

1988-05-16

The Big Broadcast of 1936
The Big Broadcast of 1936

1935-09-20

Nicholas Brothers Family Home Movies
Nicholas Brothers Family Home Movies

1940-01-01

Nicholas Brothers: Stormy Weather
Nicholas Brothers: Stormy Weather

2022-06-11

Calling All Stars
Calling All Stars

1937-03-01

Pie, Pie Blackbird
Pie, Pie Blackbird

1932-06-03

The Black Network
The Black Network

1936-04-04

That's Entertainment!
That's Entertainment!

1974-06-21

Added Attractions: The Hollywood Shorts Story
Added Attractions: The Hollywood Shorts Story

2002-02-05

Barber Shop Blues
Barber Shop Blues

1933-09-30

The Liberation of L.B. Jones
The Liberation of L.B. Jones

1970-03-18

Orchestra Wives
Orchestra Wives

1942-09-04

Coronado
Coronado

1935-11-27

Sun Valley Serenade
Sun Valley Serenade

1941-08-29

Tin Pan Alley
Tin Pan Alley

1940-11-29

Bob Hope: Entertaining the Troops
Bob Hope: Entertaining the Troops

2016-05-10

Gene Kelly: Anatomy of a Dancer
Gene Kelly: Anatomy of a Dancer

2002-09-24

Don't Gamble with Love
Don't Gamble with Love

1936-02-28

Hello Kathrin
Hello Kathrin

1956-05-08

The Nicholas Brothers: We Sing and We Dance
The Nicholas Brothers: We Sing and We Dance

1992-11-29

Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?
Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?

1975-08-06

El misterio del carro express
El misterio del carro express

1953-07-22

Take It or Leave It
Take It or Leave It

1944-07-17

Stormy Weather
Stormy Weather

1943-07-21

It's Black Entertainment
It's Black Entertainment

2002-02-08

Dorothy Dandridge: An American Beauty
Dorothy Dandridge: An American Beauty

2003-06-24

That's Dancing!
That's Dancing!

1985-01-18

The Pirate: A Musical Treasure Chest
The Pirate: A Musical Treasure Chest

2007-07-24

My Son Is Guilty
My Son Is Guilty

1939-12-28

Broadway: The Golden Age, by the Legends Who Were There
Broadway: The Golden Age, by the Legends Who Were There

2003-04-03

Night at the Golden Eagle
Night at the Golden Eagle

2002-05-17

El mensaje de la muerte
El mensaje de la muerte

1953-05-02

The Pirate
The Pirate

1948-06-11

Kid Millions
Kid Millions

1934-11-10

The Great American Broadcast
The Great American Broadcast

1941-05-09

Small Steps, Big Strides: The Black Experience in Hollywood
Small Steps, Big Strides: The Black Experience in Hollywood

1998-02-10

Maurice Hines: Bring Them Back
Maurice Hines: Bring Them Back

2019-11-10