SAVION GLOVER

Savion Glover is a notable choreographer and dancer known for his spectacular tap dancing skills, “hoofing.” For many years Glover has inspired many people especially targeting the youth with his amazing skills and modern techniques. As a child he displayed a fondness for rhythms and began taking drum lessons at the age of four. He showed such promise that he was enrolled in the Newark Community School of the Arts and soon became the youngest person in the school's history to receive a full scholarship. While attending this school he developed a passion for rhythm tap, a form of dance that uses the entire foot to create sound. His talent attracted so much attention that a choreographer for the Broadway musical, “The Tap Dance Kid”, recruited him. By 1984, he took the lead role in “The Tap Dance Kid.” In 1989, he performed in the musical review “Black and Blue,” which was nominated for a Tony award. After learning as much as he could from phenomenal tap masters such as, Sammy Davis Jr. and Gregory Hines, he developed his own tap style, which he called “free-form hard core.” He also began teaching his own tap classes as well. By 1990, Glover choreographed a dance piece for a festival at New York City’s Apollo Theatre. He then received the youngest-ever recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts grant in 1992. Glover then choreographed and starred in the musical “Bring in ‘Da Noise, Bring in ‘Da Funk”, that opened Off-Broadway, which featured a series of vignettes that chronicled African American history. The show was a great success that it soon moved to Broadway and by 1996 it won four Tony Awards, including a best choreographer award for Glover. Glover had also made appearances in the children’s television show Sesame Street (1990-1995) and in 2000 he appeared in Spike Lee’s film Bamboozled. Savion Glover is the epitome of a living legend who has graced the stage since childhood. Glover's quick steps and amazing rhythms continue to influence the lives of young people. His production company tours schools across the country, spreading enthusiasm for tap dancing and cementing his place in history.