For Black History Month, we celebrated our favourite dance pioneers – from the inventors of locking to those that shaped the future of dance. Get to know the incredible list of those that paved the way for us today!
The Nicholas Brothers
Fayard and Harold became one of the most popular double acts of the mid 20th century. They excelled in a variety of techniques, specifically tap dance.
James Brown
A progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th century music and dance.
Gregory Hines
One of the most celebrated tap dancers of all time. Hines starred in more than forty films and also made his mark on Broadway during his lifetime.
The Black Resurgents
Pioneered Boogaloo & Stepping groups in 1960’s – 1970’s Oakland.
The Lockers
Credited for inventing ‘Locking’ in the 1970’s. Members included Don “Campbellock” Campbell & Greg “Campbellock Jr.”
Geoffrey Holder
Cultural icon Geoffrey Holder was a Trinidadian born dancer, choreographer, actor, designer & painter based in New York.
Tyrone Proctor
1970’s soul train dancer & pioneer of waacking.
The Black Messengers
Formed in 1972, the group innovated a Boogaloo technique of “posing hard” which would develop into popping.
Alvin Ailey
Dancer, director, choreographer, and activist who founded the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in 1958.
Pearl Primus
Proselytizer for African dance. She was a dancer, choreographer and anthropologist who played an important role in the presentation of African dance to American audiences.
Josephine Baker
American-born French dancer and singer who symbolized the beauty and vitality of Black American culture, which took Paris by storm in the 1920s.
Elroy Josephz
Jamaican-British dancer, actor, producer and teacher. He played a central role in changing how modern dance is both taught and performed.
Katherine Mary Dunham
Dancer, choreographer, author, educator, anthropologist, and social activist. She has been called the “matriarch and queen mother of Black dance.”
Berto Pasuka
Founder of Les Ballet Negres, Europe’s first Black dance company in 1946.
Buddy Bradley
Dancer and choreographer of the 1930s and later. He was the first Black dancer to choreograph an all-white show in London.
The Electric Boogaloos
Founded by Boogaloo Sam in Fresno, California in 1977. Members included Poppin Pete, Skeeter Rabbit & Sugar Pop.
I Dance Jazz (IDJ)
Formed in the 1980’s these UK dancers were pioneers of a jazz dance style fusing vernacular jazz, tap, ballet, West Indies and African dance traditions. Primarily practiced by Black male dancers from poor immigrant communities across the UK, they were known for their intricate footwork, incredible tricks, and tireless energy.
