Bill “Bojangles” Robinson, Jeni Le Gon, and Fats Waller

In this segment from the 1935 film “Hooray For Love” Bill “Bojangles” Robinson performs his amazing tap dance routine with partner Jeni Le Gon, when the pair are joined by Fats Waller who lends his wonderful piano and unique personality.

Jeni Le Gon was the first African-American to tap dance with a partner on screen. She was born in Chicago on August 14th 1916 and began tapping while she was still a child. Her first professional job was in the chorus line of the Count Basie Orchestra.

Le Gon set her sites on Hollywood, and in 1935 stared in “Hooray For Love” (the movie from which this performance is taken.) after which she would appeared in over a dozen other films.

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