BAMBOOZLED

Q: As a dancer, were you more aware of this history than other black actors? Is it important for black entertainers to recognize that this is a part of their past?

Audio Answer

Because of my theatre background, I may know a little more about the whole minstrel era. It's important, especially for African Americans to see how we've been portrayed... in what light we've been portrayed in, if any light. And to front it. Face it. Deal with it. Not deal with it, but handle it.

Q: Do you think Bamboozled is stepping into a minefield, portraying this subject in a humorous light?

All of this is about, "Do you accept it? Do you get over it?". I don't know. That's the personal opinion. But it has to be brought to the forefront. Some of the actor and actresses who are African American... they're going to feel victim to being still portrayed this way in modern day.

Q: When you first put on blackface, how did it make you feel? Did it put you in touch with what the actors years ago went through?

It was really emotional. It was empty, dark. Not comfortable at all. I felt like I had no power, no value.

Q: Was getting the script kind of a good news/bad news type of thing? You got to come up with great choreography but had to deal with the other side of things too....

Not at all. Immediately it was, like, cool. Like it was a duty to let people know that this is what was up and what could be up if you're not paying attention.

Q: You designed the choreography for Bamboozled. What was the challenge of coming up with people who could follow you for one thing but also do it in costume?

It wasn't hard. The dancers that are in the film are dancers that I have taught or known for a long time. The information is what the Nicholas brothers were doing. They were tricking us for years with the upper body... what was going on up top was sensationalism but the feet were all up in ya another way. You know what I mean? The feet were telling another whole story. That was one of my main reflecting, when I wanted to go back to some research as far as tap dancing I would go to something like that because they had again, upper body but the feet were a totally different story.

Q: How often do you dance? How often do you practice?

I'm practicing right now... all day everyday. I don't go into a room or anything like that... like go into a studio and bang it out for five hours if that's what you mean. I don't do that. I just always come up with some rudiments in my head.

Q: How is the best way for someone to learn to tap? Do they need to learn the history?

Depends on why they want to tap. If you just want to be a tap dancer, whatever, take some tap lessons and have a good time. But if they want be representative of the art form as a dance, then yeah, I suggest you do the history and go back and know where the dance came from and some of the people involved in the pioneering.

Q: Do you teach history to your students along the way?

Yes. I try to always tell you something about Jimmy Slide or Buster Brown. Dancers that you've never heard of probably but they're an important part of history. I think it's important to know about them and what they did.

Q: How is the legacy of the tradition and inspiration of tap dancing preserved?

There is footage. I'm sorry to say that there aren't that many documentaries that were made on tap dancing. About tap dancing. Now about dancers, there are many documents about Fred Astaire, Gregory Hines, but not many about the dance itself.

Q: Can you talk about how tap is received around the world?

Especially for the European audience, it's well received. Tap dancers went to Europe in the 50's because the American people weren't accepting the art form. They all went to Paris to fit in with the other art forms, like jazz. We were just over in Germany again. They received us well. They like it.