A Little History on the Brothers
Fayard Nicholas was born in 1914 and his younger brother Harold was born in 1921. They grew up with the Minstrels in the background, but fortunately did not let the past of the minstrels effect their future. They didn't wear the Blackface of the ragged clothes, instead while performing they always wore very nice dress up suits some sometimes props. The Nicholas Brothers grew up in Philadelphia around black Vaudeville performers in the 1930’s because they were sons of musicians. Fayard the oldest brother had seen Alice Whitman, Bill Robinson and most of the other great Vaudeville acts and as a young child he would imitate these acts for the neighborhood kids and eventually Harold, the younger brother began to imitate and make up his own dances and acrobatics also.

 

The Nicholas brother’s talent was discovered early by the Lafayette Vaudeville showcase and from the Lafayette they opened at the Cotton Club in 1932. They worked at the Cotton Club for two years with famous performers such as Duke Ellington, Ethel Waters and The Stepping Brothers. In 1934 they went to Hollywood to star in Kid Millions. In 1936 the brothers traveled out of the country for the first time to Europe to play in the movie Blackbirds starring Josephine Baker, Bob Hope and Eve Arden. After performing in the Broadway debut in 1936, Ziegfeld Follies, George Balancine put them into the original Rodgers and Hart's Babes in Arms in 1937. The Nicholas Brothers have made over thirty films, of which they themselves consider Stormy Weather (1943), their personal favorite. In Stormy Weather the brothers climb several stairs by jumping and landing in the splits and tap dancing in between.The Nicholas Brother were most famous for their open splits and coming right back up in the dance routine.

 

The Nicholas Brothers were known as “flash acts,” because of their spins, flips, splits and other acrobatics coupled with their smooth air tapping. They also entertained by telling jokes or funny stories as they danced. Sometimes Harold would sing while Fayard continued to dance and use his beautiful hands to pretend to orchestrate a band. Despite their astonishing acrobatics the Nicholas Brothers wore nice suits because they were in the era of the ‘New Negro’ identity and always ended in an impeccable position. Due to their talent the Nicholas Brother’s have received many awards. In 1998 the Nicholas Brothers were given a Gala in Carnegie Hall to celebrate their accomplisment Harold Nicholas died of heart failure on July 3, 2000 at the age of 79. Fayard was married during the prime of his career and is currently still living at age of 88.