Status Updates From Brotherhood In Rhythm

“While rehearsing ’All Dark People Is’, Viola continually warned her sons not to sing ‘is’. On opening night Fayard and Harold followed their mother’s instructions and sang ‘All dark people are light on their feet’.
...‘All Dark People’ was a reminder to the Nicholases that black stereotypes persisted on Broadway and that black performers were expected to perpetuate them”

“‘We started dancing’ remembers Fayard (Nicholas), and with no interruptions, the brothers went through their entire routine. When they finished, (Duke) Ellington reportedly leaned in toward the others and said ‘That was wonderful. They are original’. Fayard replied ‘Thank you Mr. Ellington, you are original too!’l

Watching some of their routines from the 30’s and 40’s on YouTube is like...were these guys real? Running up a wall (in tap shoes!) into a backflip and landing in a split which they bounce up from with no hands. Nothing like them before or since.

“Symbolic of the new age, jazz served as a reminder, Ralph Ellison wrote, that ‘The world is ever unexplored, and that while a complete mastery of life is mere illusion, the real secret of the game is to make life swing’ “.