Fayard Nicholas
Biography
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.
Known For
One of the Nicholas Brothers
Down Argentine Way
Self
An All-Colored Vaudeville Show
Ulysses
Hard Four
Self (archive footage)
Happy Birthday, Bob: 50 Stars Salute Your 50 Years with NBC
Dot
The Big Broadcast of 1936
Nicholas Brothers Family Home Movies
Self (archival footage)
Nicholas Brothers: Stormy Weather
Himself
Calling All Stars
Child with Nina / Dancer (as The Nicholas Brothers)
Pie, Pie Blackbird
Dancer (uncredited)
The Black Network
(archive footage)
That's Entertainment!
Self (uncredited)
Added Attractions: The Hollywood Shorts Story
Self - Dancer - One of the Nicholas Brothers
Barber Shop Blues
Benny Smith
The Liberation of L.B. Jones
Dancer (as Nicholas Brothers)
Orchestra Wives
Dance Specialty (uncredited)
Coronado
Specialty Dancer (uncredited)
Sun Valley Serenade
Dancer
Tin Pan Alley
Self
Bob Hope: Entertaining the Troops
Self
Gene Kelly: Anatomy of a Dancer
Specialty Dancer
Don't Gamble with Love
Bonjour Kathrin
Himself
The Nicholas Brothers: We Sing and We Dance
Self (archive footage)
Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?
El misterio del carro express
(archive footage) (uncredited)
Take It or Leave It
Dancer
Stormy Weather
Self
It's Black Entertainment
Self
Dorothy Dandridge: An American Beauty
From 'Down Argentine Way' (archive footage)
That's Dancing!
Himself
The Pirate: A Musical Treasure Chest
Specialty Act
My Son Is Guilty
Self
Broadway: The Golden Age, by the Legends Who Were There
Mr. Maynard
Night at the Golden Eagle
El mensaje de la muerte
Performer
The Pirate
Dancer on Ship
Kid Millions
Railroad Station Dancer
The Great American Broadcast
Self
Small Steps, Big Strides: The Black Experience in Hollywood
Self (archive footage)
Maurice Hines: Bring Them Back
Himself
Abbott and Costello Christmas Show
Personal Info
Known For
Acting
Known Credits
41
Gender
Male
Birthday
1914-10-20
Place of Birth
Mobile, Alabama, USA
Also Known As
The Nicholas Brothers