Cholly Atkinss career has spanned an extraordinary era of American dance. He began performing during Prohibition and continued his apprenticeship in vaudeville; in nightclubs; and in the army during World War II. With his partner; Honi Coles; Cholly toured the country; performing with such jazz masters as Louis Armstrong; Cab Calloway; and Count Basie. As tap reached a nadir in the fifties; Cholly created the new specialization of "vocal choreography;" teaching rhythm-and-blues singers how to perform their music by adding rhythmical dance steps drawn from twentieth-century American dance; from the Charleston to rhythm tap. For the burgeoning Motown record label; Cholly taught such artists as the Supremes; Smokey Robinson and the Miracles; the Temptations; Gladys Knight and the Pips; and Marvin Gaye to command the stage in ways that would enhance their performances and "sell" their songs.Class Act tells of Chollys boyhood and coming of age; his entry into the dance world of New York City; his performing triumphs and personal tragedies; and the career transformations that won him gold records and a Tony for choreographing Black and Blue on Broadway. Chronicling the rise; near demise; and rediscovery of tap dancing; the book is both an engaging biography and a rich cultural history.
#1548493 in eBooks 2013-01-16 2013-01-16File Name: B008TVLRO0
Review
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful. Warning! Kindle version has no pictures!!!!By bluesinthenightThe paperback version of this book may be great. but the Kindle version has no pictures!!! Dont waste your money on the ebook. Buy the hard copy if you want the illustrations - as all of us do.2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. This is a nice book for a costumerBy Kathleen de MeyThis is a nice book for a costumer. But the title is a little misleading since it is only about English hats and headdresses. Of course. more or less the same styles were worn at more or less the same time. but still I cant find the Italian Renaissance or the very distinctive Landsknecht. To sum it up : theres nothing wrong with the book. only with the title.3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Great BookBy DylanI needed to use this book for drawing purposes and they make it so easy for you. This is a great book that focuses on the hats of the British Empire from as far back as the Migration period and works it way all the way up to the 80s. Its a great book if you want to see how hats evolves from time to time and they write ups for each hat are easy to follow and find the matching hat to due to bolded texts and clearly labels sections. Just remember that the book only deals with Britain and nowhere else. An excellent book. Ive very pleased.
