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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. |