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have said to do the same routine for over twenty years, part comedy,
part song and dance. John legally changed his name to John W.
Bubbles
--
When Bubbles came to New York for the first time he was just eighteen
years old and a singer rather than a dancer, to add more to the
act he was aspiring to become one. After visiting the Hoofers
club and being laughed out of very same club he left for California
continuing his singing with the Orpheum circuit to make a living
but continued to practice his dancing and a year later was back
in the Big Apple. After arriving in New York he went back to the
Hoofers Club but this time they applauded his efforts and he didn't
stop there either.
--
Their routine consisted of a Charley Brown and Linus type of comedy
routine. Buck was cool and confident, but laid back at the Piano
and Bubbles was a smooth but cocky singer who would challenge
Buck with his Singing and dancing, and Buck would pick on Bubbles
while nonchalantly accepting his challenges. Bubbles would stand
at the Piano then be off all around the floor, then back to the
piano acting cool and suave, trying to impress or outdo Buck at
the Piano. Their routines would go from slow and easy to frantic
and hell bound and then right back to melancholy with many times
Buck shouting " That's not the way it's supposed to be done"
he would get up from the Piano and show Bubbles how it should
be done, sometimes successfully and sometimes not. Their act was
a more relaxed style that kept heir audience relaxed as well.
--John Bubbles is known to have invented
the "Cramp Roll"... (Ball-R, Ball-L, Heel-R, Heel-L
done very quickly) in Tap dance as well as inventing what
he referred to as "Rhythm Tap." Bubbles claims that
he got the many of his ideas from dancer Harland
Dixon and Clog dancers.
This change as well as Bojangles
dancing tap on his toes made major changes to the way tap dance
was being done. |