Skip Cunningham Honored at 2009 Tradition In Tap
For 27 years Skip Cunningham had not set foot in New York other than changing planes at New York airports when traveling to Europe. Tradition in Tap honored Cunningham in New York City and enjoyed a sold out event.
“For so many years I have been an entertainer who did more things than tap dance,” says Cunningham. “As an entertainer, my tap dancing abilities were tempered to fit my overall performance. Receiving an award from the tap dance community in New York City made it even more exciting.” Cunningham’s wife, Sharon, and sister, Doris Anderson, were special guests for the award ceremony.
Cunningham had previously worked with producers Avi Miller and Ofer Ben, in Israel, on three different occasions and they always impressed him with the way they ran their productions. “I appreciate the way they organize their presentation and it was nice to have present a representation of people whom I admired as a young entertainer for my award ceremony,” Cunningham says.
And there were many he admired at the event, including Harold Cromer and Prince Spencer, who Cunningham says shaped the way he performs on stage. “It was nice to see a young performer like Ted Levy, who also comes from Chicago.”
Cunningham enjoyed the teaching and performance portions of the workshop. “The students that I taught the ‘B.S. Chorus’ were excellent dancers and I felt good because I knew they would take some of my styles back to their cities… The Participant’s Showcase performance was icing on the cake, and the impromptu appearance of Jason Samuels, Lee Howard, and Baakari Wilder just lit up the stage and was a giant step forward for tap dance.”
Producers Miller, Ben, and Germaine Salsberg selected excellent instructors to represent Cunningham’s dance style during the weekend event. Each of the staff emphasized different aspects of Cunningham’s style in their own way. The Tap Master Classes were taught by Chloe Arnold, Ofer Ben, Ayodele Casel, Ted Levy, Avi Miller, Yukiko ‘Smilie’ Misumi, Lainie Munro and Professor Robert L. Reed. Shea Sullivan, Miller and Ben taught warm-up classes. Dr. Prince Spencer led a special Honorary Tap Master Class, assisted by slide artist and rhythm tap dancer, Logan Miller.
Cunningham started his life of dancing at age 5 when his mother took him by streetcar to classes with one of Chicago’s famous teachers, Sadie Bruce. Sadie Bruce is honored, among other places, in the Chicago DuSable Museum of African-American History as part of Chicago’s early history of the arts. “She was my first dance teacher and I still do things I learned in that studio,” Cunningham recalls.
Cunningham paired up with Sheila Johnson, and they won nearly all the talent contests they entered in the clubs and theaters. Later, Cunningham developed his own style as a soloist in nightclubs and theaters.
In 1954, while attending the University of Illinois, Cunningham won a trip for two to New York City to participate in a talent contest. “My brother and I saw our first Broadway show, ‘Kismet,’ starring Alfred Drake. We were also taken to Lou Walters’ Latin Quarter and I stated, ‘One of these days, I’m going to perform at this place.’”
After returning home to Chicago, he worked many non-dance jobs. After driving his aunt and uncle to California for a visit, he won first place in a talent contest that awarded him an eight-week engagement at the Moulin Rouge on Sunset Strip. While there, he was drafted and served in the Army from 1957 to 1959.
Following his Army service, Cunningham returned home to Chicago. His former teacher, Sadie Bruce, arranged a write up in the Chicago Defender newspaper. The wife and manager of Billy Williams (of the Billy Williams Quartet) saw the article and told Cunningham they were organizing a revue of young people. “Billy interviewed me for the show that took me to Canada, the Latin Quarter, and to Vegas at the Riviera Hotel for a six-week booking, which was extended to six months,” Cunningham recalls. “We toured all over the country, but always went back to Vegas. We were there one time for 2 ½ years. I left the show to stay in New York in 1961.”
Cunningham danced in and around New York, was on the Merv Griffin Show 32 times, and also appeared on The Tonight Show. He worked on Broadway in “George M,” “Golden Boy,” “Eubie” and “Evolution of the Blues.” He married and moved to California in 1968 and worked mostly on cruises. He was happy when Henry LeTang called him to ask him to dance the role of Raymond from tap trio, Tip, Tap and Toe, for the movie “The Cotton Club.” This was one of his career favorites. During this time he evolved into a song and dance man and often did recording dates, touring all over the world in night clubs. Cunningham’s signature move is a flip in which he picks up a handkerchief from the floor with his teeth….a move he can still do today!
His movie credits are “I’ll Do Anything,” “Tap” and “The Detective.”
Cunningham’s son, a victim of muscular dystrophy, kept him close to home and restricted many performing opportunities.
Jason Samuels Smith selected Cunningham to be featured with Fayard Nicholas, Arlene Kennedy and Arthur Duncan in the opening number for the 2003 Jerry Lewis Muscular Dystrophy Telethon. Cunningham had previously worked for the telethon for many years doing remote appearances. The Samuels Smith tap number received both an Emmy Award and an American Choreography Award.
Cunningham has been awarded the L.A. Tap Festival Leonard Reed Longevity Award, The Chicago Human Rhythm Project Juba Award and the Rhythm Tap Hall of Fame Master Tapper Award.
While in New York for his award over Memorial Day weekend, Cunningham also attended the Flo Bert Awards presentation to Dr. Prince Spencer and the memorial tribute to his long time friend, Dr. Jimmy Slyde.
“These events were very timely to my visit to New York and I thank everyone for this honor.”
Read more of Melba’s columns on www.melbasdance.com