Breaking Color Barriers with the Step Brothers
In the days when black tap lines dared not perform south of the Mason-Dixon line, one group broke color barriers so that others could follow — the Step Brothers. Only one of the original four survives, 84-year-old Maceo Anderson, and he will be honored on National Tap Dance Day with Gene Kelly and Ann Miller.
Honoring a Legend: The Flo-Bert Award
Maceo will receive the annual Flo-Bert Award for lifetime achievement in dance at the Haft Auditorium on May 29, 1994. Recently, Maceo almost forfeited his claim as the only survivor of the illustrious group in an accident where his car rolled over three times. He said he believes the Lord saved him so that his ministry to the homeless could continue. He serves as a minister at the Holy Tabernacle Outreach Mission in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Early Life and Journey to Harlem
As a young boy of six years, Maceo delivered clothes his mother washed and ironed in South Carolina. Because black people were not permitted on the streets after 6 p.m., he would often deliver the clothes in the early hours of the morning to avoid trouble. He became street smart at an early age.
When a sister sent for the family, Maceo, his mother, and sister took a cotton boat from South Carolina to Harlem. As a youngster in Manhattan, he stole newspapers, slipped under turnstiles, and rode to 52nd Street and Broadway. He soon learned that he could make more money dancing than from selling papers.
The Birth of a Dance Talent
His mother converted the basement in their apartment building on 126th Street to a junior hoofer’s club. She would cook large pots of rice and beans and feed the children while they practiced their steps.
When he was only seven years old, Maceo auditioned for Ida Mae Chadwick, a well-known white song and dance artist. He was selected to tour with her group for his ability to do some Russian steps. Because the act was integrated, they couldn’t work below the Mason-Dixon line.
Learning from the Greats at the Hoofers Club
To learn new steps, Maceo would sneak into movie theaters. On weekends, the Lafayette Theatre had amateur night, and he soon discovered the Hoofers Club located under the Lafayette Theatre. There was a restaurant and pool hall in the front and a dance floor for tap dancers in the back. The owner loved tap dancing, and tap dancers were always welcome.
Maceo observed and danced with many famous dancers at the Hoofers Club, including Bill Robinson, Eddie Rector, Ralph Cooper, ‘SnakeHips’ Tucker, Chuck Wiggins, Steve Condos, and Buck and Bubbles. Bubbles inspired Maceo with new rhythm patterns, while Buck did comedy and played piano. Bubbles often danced with Maceo and became his mentor.
Formation of the Step Brothers
In 1925, Maceo, Al Williams, and Red Walker formed a trio. After dancing in a show called Moon Over Alabama, they wanted to perform at the Cotton Club. To avoid the doorman, former heavyweight champion Jack Johnson, they entered through the kitchen. During breaks, Duke Ellington passed by the kitchen to the water fountain. The tap trio showed him their steps and pleaded for an audition. They were hired as the only regular tap act at the Cotton Club for four years.
In 1927, the trio added a fourth member, Sherman Robinson, and adopted the name, Step Brothers. They often toured with the Ellington band.
Innovations and Achievements
The “challenge” dance became their trademark. Each member danced their own specialty with the others clapping their hands, reminiscent of how Maceo had danced as a newsboy. The Step Brothers used jazz rhythms, the elegance of Bill Robinson, the technique of Bubbles, and the hoofing from many others, plus some acrobatics. “We picked up jazz-tap and put together a clap-hand beat that would give us style, plus precision,” Maceo explained.
They were the first black group to play Radio City Music Hall in New York, the Copa City in Miami Beach, and the Chez Paree in Chicago. They faced racial barriers, sleeping on cots in theater basements when hotels did not admit them, and relying on black families to cook their favorite foods when restaurants were off-limits.
International Recognition and Legacy
After Prince Spencer and Rufus “Flash” McDonald joined the group, they became the first black act to play the Lido in Paris and the Café De Paree in London, where they stayed for six years. They toured twelve European countries and received standing ovations from kings and queens. In the United States, they were received by Presidents Truman and Eisenhower.
The Step Brothers appeared in 40 movies and danced with film greats, including Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, and Donald O’Connor. Honi Coles noted that when other tap dancers couldn’t get work, the Step Brothers were working.
Jerry Lewis’s Support and the Future of Tap
Maceo credits Jerry Lewis for opening doors for them. Martin and Lewis would not sign a contract to perform at Copa City in Miami Beach unless the Step Brothers were signed. This opened opportunities for many others like Sammy Davis, Jr., and Lena Horne.
Maceo is excited about the future of tap. Three of his former students—Michael Allen, Van Porter, and Robert Reed, known as “The 3rd Generation Steps”—will perform in his honor at the Tap Extravaganza ’94.
Maceo admires the leadership of Gregory Hines, appreciating that Hines has not forgotten his roots and those who helped teach him steps backstage at the Apollo or Lafayette Theatres. Maceo leaves a rich legacy to the tap world and remains proud of his contributions to dance, particularly for black children in Texas.