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Leonard Reed: At age 94, he is probably the oldest living vaudeville producer and performer (he even produced the shows for Joe Lewis, the boxer, in addition to the Apollo Theatre and Cotton Club). He is probably the best living authority on the vaudeville circuits, and theatre and nightclub shows from the past. Prince Spencer: The last surviving member of the famous The Four Step Brothers, of which he was a member for 29 years. The Step Brothers pioneered many new things in tap including the "challenge." They made many movies (with Bob Hope and others) and danced with the Duke Ellington Band many years at the Cotton Club. Jimmy Slyde: Known for his ability to incorporate innovative sliding movements in his tap dancing, he continues a performing career. He has enjoyed a career in Europe and toured with all the major big bands. Jo Rowan: Chairman of the Oklahoma City University dance department, the first in the United States to base a bachelor degree on the American dance styles of tap and jazz. Henry LeTang: A Tony Award winning choreographer of movies and Broadway shows, he is also known as the teacher of stars. His movies include Cotton Club and Tap. His Broadway shows include the smash hit Sophisticated Ladies starring Greg Hines which earned him a Tony nomination and the Outer Critic Circle Award for that show and also Eubie. He won a Tony for his choreography for Black and Blue. He also choreographed Eubie Blake's show Shuffle Along starring Pearl Bailey and the specialty number in The Wiz, "Slide Some Oil on Me". A list of his former students includes Betty Hutton and Lena Horne. Others have starred on Broadway in Bubbling Brown Sugar, Guys and Dolls, My One and Only, and Tap Dance Kid. Ernest Brown: Half of the celebrated vaudeville duo of Cook and Brown! Mr. Brown headlined at New York's Roxy, Radio City Music Hall, the Cotton Club, London's Palladium, and the Latin Casino in Paris. A Broadway veteran of Kiss Me Kate, he was a member of The Copesetics and performed in the film The Cotton Club. Debbi Dee: Holding the honor of being referred to as "the teacher's teacher", she is an exciting stylist and master tap technician. Her tap technique and choreography is known world-wide. She has performed as a soloist on Broadway, Lincoln Center, Las Vegas, USO Shows, and nightclubs as well as performing on television and in many movies. She is currently a guest choroegrapher and master teacher for special projects at Walt Disney World. Robert L. Reed: The founder, producer, and artistic director of the St. Louis Tap Festival, the St. Louis Hoofer's Club, and the Robert L. Reed Tap Heritage Institute, Inc., Mr. Reed teaches in Germany, Finland, and Brazil in addition to many workshops in the United States. He has toured with Cab Calloway, was the featured dancer at the legendary Peg Leg Bates Resort, and can be seen performing in the television documentary of the life and career of Peg Leg Bates. He has opened for such luminaries as Sammy Davis, Jr., Jerry Lewis, Cher, Redd Foxx, The Temptations, The Smothers Brothers, David Hasselhoff, Cab Calloway, and Liberace. He recently performed in Riverdance and Incognito. He will be joining the Oklahoma City University faculty as Artist-in-Residence for the 2001-2002 academic year.
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