Master Tap Dancers Receive Honorary Doctorates
Atkins, Charles "Cholly"
performer
Briggs, Bunny
performer
Brown, James "Buster"
performer
LeGon, Jeni
performer
LeTang, Henry
performer
Nichola, Fayard
performer
Social Event
2002-02-22
Oklahoma City University presents Honorary Doctor of Performing Arts in American Dance degrees to Donald O'Connor and nine "Doctors of Dance" Charles "Cholly" Atkins, Bunny Briggs, James "Buster" Brown, Jeni LeGon, Henry LeTang, Fayard Nicholas, Leonard Reed, Jimmy Slyde, and Prince Spencer. Dance Chairwoman Jo Rowan and Dean John Bedford. The Living Treasure in American Dance Award Program, initiated in 1989 by Professor Jo Rowan, to add legitimacy within higher education to tap dance, tap education, and tap performers. The first recipient was Tommy Sutton who, among many accomplishments, created a progressive tap syllabus. Other recipients of the award included Al Gilbert, Honi Coles, Maceo Anderson, Peg Leg Battes, Henry LeTang, Harold Cromer, Buster Brown, Jimmy Slyde, Dianne Walker, Cholly Atkins, Leonard Reed, Marion Coles and the Silver Belles, Bunny Briggs, Jeni LeGon, Fayard Nicholas, Prince Spencer, Ernest "Brownie" Brown, and Arthur Duncan.
Performing Arts Encyclopedia
http://www.loc.gov/performingarts
Tap Dance America
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/diglib/ihas/html/tda/tda-home.html
James "Buster" Brown (biography)
loc.music.tdabio.30
Henry LeTang (biography)
loc.music.tdabio.128
Jeni LeGon (biography)
loc.music.tdabio.125
Bunny Briggs (biography)
loc.music.tdabio.27
Charles "Cholly" Atkins (biography)
loc.music.tdabio.17
tda
IHAS
151216
loc.music.tda.649