Tradition In Tap Honors Cook and Brown Sali Ann Kriegsman Receives Preservation Award
Ernest "Brownie" Brown, one of the most popular senior dance hoofers, enjoyed being honored at a Memorial Day 2006 holiday weekend of classes, films, history panels and performances in New York City. Tradition In Tap, produced by Avi Miller and Ofer Ben, selected the well known tap dance team of Cook and Brown to receive this year's Tradition in Tap award. The event was highlighted by a comprehensive program to remember the duo by inviting former students to teach routines made famous by the two. Both men were born in 1917. Charles Cook died in August of 1991. Though "Brownie" entered the classroom on a walker, he couldn't keep still, displaying the energy and passion that makes him such a great artist. He participated in classes with energy, using his arms and occasionally standing and doing steps. Brownie's assistant, Reggio McLaughlin, accompanied and assisted "Brownie" by teaching some of his original routines.
"Cookie" worked with Sarah Venable in an act called "Mammy and her Picks." Venable hired "Brownie" on Cookie's recommendation when one of the other members left the act. The duo joined forces and later performed as kids in an act, "Garbage and His Two Cans," in which they were the cans. In 1930, Cook and Brown officially formed the act of Cook and Brown and became known for their acrobatics and comedy routines drawn from vaudeville and circus acts. They appeared in the Cotton Club revue "Get Lucky," and performed regularly at the Apollo Theatre. They were partners for 45 years, leaving a long string of conquest performances at such places as the New York Roxy, Radio City Music Hall, London's Palladium, and the Latin Quarter in Paris. In the 1948 production of "Kiss Me Kate," they performed "Too Darn Hot."
Cook and Brown were also both members of the original Copasetics, a group formed in memory of Bill "Bojangles" Robinson. They appeared on the Dick Cavett Television show with Maurice and Gregory Hines and were in the film "The Cotton Club." They were featured in documentaries: Brenda Bufalino's "Great Feats of Feet," Susan Goldbetter's "Cookies Scrapbook" and Jane Goldberg's "By Word of Foot."
Charles Cook taught at the Clark Center in New York City and was a guest at Yale, Howard, the Smithsonian, Lincoln Center and tap festivals of the 70's and 80's. He worked with Jane Goldberg for 15 years and collaborated with his former student, Susan Goldbetter, who became his producer and manager. Goldbetter produced an award winning video, "Essentials of Tap Technique" and the slide montage, "Cookie's Harlem." After Cook's death, Goldbetter produced the multimedia jazz exhibit, "Cookie's Harlem, A Tap Dancer's World."
Ernest Brown, now 90, has awards from the St. Louis Tap Festival and the New York Tap Festival, the Flo-Bert Award from the New York Committee to Celebrate Tap, the Living Treasure Award from Oklahoma City University, and has appeared in the tap documentary, "Juba-Masters of Tap."
Hank Smith and Susan Goldbetter presented great film clips of Cook and Brown in a film history session at this year's Tradition in Tap workshop.
Melba Huber conducted the history panel, asking each person how they met Cook and Brown. Reggio McLaughlin, Jane Goldberg, Susan Goldbetter, Harold Cromer, Robert L. Reed, Mickey Davidson, and Tina Pratt served on the panel. Special guests attending the tap history session who also contributed to the panel were Marda Kirn from the International Tap Association, Sali Ann Kriegsman, Jo Rowan and John Bedford from Oklahoma City University.
Several faculty members taught routines they had learned from Cook or Brown. Reggio McLaughlin taught "Old Man Time" and "The Cane Dance." Brownie was always in the classroom cheering everyone on. Reggio McLaughlin tours with Brownie and assists with his travel from Brownie's home in Chicago to numerous events. Mickey Davidson presented "Breezin," Shelley Oliver taught the "Bambalina," and Tina Pratt taught "Wave."
Robert L. Reed and Jane Goldberg taught Master Classes and Kathleen Cirioli, Avi Miller and Ofer Ben led special warm-ups for each session.
Germaine Salsberg was emcee for the sold out Participants Showcase held at Peter Norton Symphony Space. The Showcase is unusual because it is not rehearsed. After the order of presenters is established, the participants come out of the audience to perform. It is fast paced; Salsberg keeps it moving. The age range varies as many of the teachers also perform. This year Salsberg danced with Kathryn Ponza and Jaimie Chandler. Joanne Horn danced to "Honeysuckle Rose" which proved as sensational as last year's dance. Hank Smith's relaxed stage presence is always enjoyable to watch; his number was "A Capella of the Moment." Avi and Ofer danced to "How I Love to See You Smile," choreography by Eddie Brown. Mickey Davidson danced to "I've Got Rhythm," choreography by the late Charles "Cookie" Cook. Jane Goldberg performed "I Remember Cookie" with Harold Cromer. Dean Stroop performed "Mr. Bojangles."
From Kathleen Cirioli's school, sensational Andrew Pirozzi and Mallory Davis led off the younger dancers dancing to "Takin' a Chance on Love," choreographed by Jeannie Hill. Other dancers were Elaine Fenters, Alivia Cotton, Kaitlyn Way, Logan Miller, Andrew Merrigan, Katherine McManus, Andrea Cords, Carly Callan, JoAnn Szaley, Cassie Brennan, Naomi Olk, and Alyssa Davis. Roxy Roy with Katie Schwartz danced a solid routine to "It Don't Mean a Thing," choreographed by Roxy Roy.
Group numbers were performed by Dance Foundations, Seven Star School of Performing Arts, and Rising Stars. The show closed with the traditional Shim Sham.
Sali Ann Kriegsman received this year's Tradition In Tap Preservation Award. Kriegsman has served on foundation and government grants advisory panels and was able to get tap dancing added to the mix of art forms after many years of tap being the forgotten art. She has been artistic adviser to the Digital Dance Library project, President of the Dance Heritage Coalition, Executive Director of Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival, director of the National Endowment for the Arts' Dance Program, dance consultant to the Smithsonian Institution and Executive Editor at The American Film Institute. Her love of tap and her personal and professional influence has greatly advanced the art of tap. With Marda Kirn, Kriegsman co-directed the 1986 Colorado Dance Festival. Kriegsman is a recipient of the 1997 Flo-Bert Award, Oklahoma City University's Heritage Preservation Award in 1999, the New York City Tap Festival's Tap Preservation Award in 2002, and wrote "The Bennington School of the Dance, Modern Dance in America." Her articles have been published in magazines, journals, reference books and on the internet.
Susan Goldbetter accepted this year's Tradition in Tap award on behalf of the late Charles "Cookie" Cook. After seeing Cook dance, she became his protégé. From 1980 to Cook's death in 1991, she was his tap student, archivist, historian, manager and producer. They produced a series of lecture performances, "Evenings with Charles Cook and Friends." As a video producer, Goldbetter worked with director Skip Blumberg on the award winning PBS Television video short, "Essentials of Tap Technique." She produced, archived and donated all of Cook's tap videos (including the documentary "Cookie's Scrapbook") to the Dance Collection at Lincoln Center and the Schomberg Center for Research in Black Culture. She was the curator of the multi-media exhibition, "Cookie's Harlem: A Tap Dancer's World" shown at the Museum of the City of New York in 1996, reaching over 100,000 tap fans. Goldbetter continues to advocate for recognition for the senior tap artists.
The first Tradition In Tap event honored Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, followed by Dr. Henry LeTang in May 2003; Dr. Prince Spencer in October 2003; Dr. Jeni LeGon in May 2004; Mr. Phil Black in October 2004; Dr. Jimmy Slyde in May 2005; Professor LaVaughn Robinson in November 2005; Ms. Melba Huber in November 2005; Mr. Ernest "Brownie" Brown in May 2006; Mr. Charles "Cookie" Cook in May 2006; and Ms. Sali Ann Kriegsman, the Preservation Award in May 2006.
Avi Miller and Ofer Ben presented another incredible event by bringing the foundation laid by the older tap artists to the new generations. With the assistance of so many others, they continue to document the history of tap and the special people who developed this great art form.