But back to Savion Glover: It was Gregory Hines who helped introduce the world to the dancing whiz kid who grew up to become a talented, innovative dancer and Tony-winning choreographer. Savion Glover's late-90s Broadway show, Bring in Da Noise, Bring in Da Funk, paid tribute to the African-American experience through its use of old- and new-school tap. The work was obviously inspired in part by the gifts and knowledge Glover received from his affiliation with Hines and other legendary tap masters. No doubt this gifted young artist will continue to keep Hines' inspiration alive for all of us; I surely hope so.
Right now, I am thinking about a scene from Tap, in which Hines' character taps to modern-era funk music in the streets of New York and shows how the rhythmic pitter-patter of feet can convey so much about the mundane and massive parts of life. I literally could hear the history of the last 100 years through his shuffles, runs, and ball changes. Perhaps he is in the great beyond right now, tapping a joyful noise, or agreeing to a challenge with tap masters gone before. I pray this is the case, because the silence down here feels pretty unbearable right now.
My heart goes out to all who loved him and his work.
God bless you, Gregory Hines. You were a class act. And you are missed.
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Article comments
1 - Eric Olsen
Thanks Natalie, I'm so glad you got to this story before I did because your take is so much more personal and better-informed than mine would have been, although I thought he was exceptional as well. I still find tap magical.
2 - Steve Rhodes
Yes, thanks for that.
Tavis Smiley did an interview with Hines which I hear last year. He talks glowingly about Savion Glover (who I saw in Bring in Da Noise, Bring in Da Funk).
3 - Natalie Davis
Thanks, Steve, for the NPR link. Coincidentally, I just learned that my former pastor, whom I've known my entire life, passed away yesterday as well. Listening to the Hines interview made me feel happy and sad all at once, but on the whole, it helped me feel a little better.
4 - Mac Diva
Thanks for the news, Natalie. I had missed it somehow.
Say, is it just me or do other folks think a lot of relatively young talented people are dying of late? (I don't mean people like Bob Hope. They have nothing to complain about in the longevity department.)
5 - Natalie Davis
Good question. My daughter and I went back and forth on that earlier today. Neither of us had any clue that Hines had contracted cancer, and we were just stunned that he died so suddenly and so young.
Let's see, using age 60 as a cutoff point, we've had some youthful losses in the past six months (from Dead or Alive: Barry White (58), Noel Redding (57), athlete David Redding (44), Little Eva (59), journalist David Bloom (39), journalist Michael Kelly (46), Edwin Starr (61; a bit over the cutoff, but deserving, I think, of mention), Leslie Cheung (56), Michael Jeter (50), Lynne Thigpen (54), and motorcyclist Barry Sheene (52).
D&A puts the lie to the notion that only the good die young, but lots of the good indeed do die young.