It’s hard to believe that it’s been well over seven decades since one of the most remarkable dance routines in history was caught on film. But, what really makes the routine legendary is the incredible story behind it. The scene was filmed in 1943 for the movie Stormy Weather, starring Bill Robinson and the great Lena Horne. In the film, the Nicholas Brothers, Fayard and Harold, performed one of the most acrobatically beautiful swing dance scenes to Cab Calloway’s song, “Jumpin’ Jive.” But, the thing that makes this scene so remarkable is that the brothers performed this routine unrehearsed and did it all in one take.
Let’s take a minute to let that sink in folks. Even the best dancers in the world today would have a tough time pulling off such a highly-choreographed routine without any rehearsal and in one take. The degree of skill, hours of practice, and self-confidence to pull something like this off earns these brothers a place in the dancing hall of fame. In fact, dancing and Hollywood legend Fred Astaire called the scene “the greatest dancing he had ever seen on film.” And in 2001, Stormy Weather took its place in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”
Photo Credit: Wikipedia
These two brothers are true legends that more folks should know about. Their routine has inspired countless dancers over the years.
Photo Credit: 20th Century Fox
Just check out their unbelievable routine in the video below.
Source: Wimp
