Fayard Nicholas
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.
Down Argentine Way
(One of the Nicholas Brothers)
An All-Colored Vaudeville Show
(Self)
Hard Four
(Ulysses)
Happy Birthday, Bob: 50 Stars Salute Your 50 Years with NBC
(Self (archive footage))
The Big Broadcast of 1936
(Dot)
Nicholas Brothers Family Home Movies
Nicholas Brothers: Stormy Weather
(Self (archival footage))
Calling All Stars
(Himself)
Pie, Pie Blackbird
(Child with Nina / Dancer (as The Nicholas Brothers))
The Black Network
(Dancer (uncredited))
That's Entertainment!
((archive footage))
Added Attractions: The Hollywood Shorts Story
(Self (uncredited))
Barber Shop Blues
(Dancer - One of the Nicholas Brothers)
The Liberation of L.B. Jones
(Benny Smith)
Orchestra Wives
(Dancer (as Nicholas Brothers))
Coronado
(Dance Specialty (uncredited))
Sun Valley Serenade
(Specialty Dancer (uncredited))
Tin Pan Alley
(Dancer)
Bob Hope: Entertaining the Troops
(Himself)
Gene Kelly: Anatomy of a Dancer
(Self)
Don't Gamble with Love
(Specialty Dancer)
Hello Kathrin
The Nicholas Brothers: We Sing and We Dance
(Himself)
Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?
(Self (archive footage))
El misterio del carro express
Take It or Leave It
(Himself)
Stormy Weather
(Dancer)
It's Black Entertainment
(Self)
Dorothy Dandridge: An American Beauty
(Self)
That's Dancing!
(From 'Down Argentine Way' (archive footage))
The Pirate: A Musical Treasure Chest
(Himself)
My Son Is Guilty
(Specialty Act)
Broadway: The Golden Age, by the Legends Who Were There
(Self)
Night at the Golden Eagle
(Mr. Maynard)
El mensaje de la muerte
The Pirate
(Performer)
Kid Millions
(Dancer on Ship)
The Great American Broadcast
(Railroad Station Dancer)
Small Steps, Big Strides: The Black Experience in Hollywood
(Self)
Maurice Hines: Bring Them Back
(Self (archive footage))
The Colgate Comedy Hour
(Self)
The Hollywood Palace
(Self - Tap Dancer)
The Jacksons
(Self)
The Kennedy Center Honors
(Self)