orig. Luther Robinson known as Bojangles
born May 25, 1878, Richmond, Va., U.S.
died Nov. 25, 1949, New York, N.Y.
U.S. tap dancer.
He developed extraordinary tap-dancing skills as a child, became the first black performer to appear in white vaudeville shows, and was later the first black in Florenz Ziegfeld 's Follies. He is best known for his starring roles in films, notably the four he made with Shirley Temple and the all-black musical Stormy Weather (1943). His soft-shoe and tap routines were widely copied by other dancers, but he was unmatched for ingenuity in creating new steps, especially his famous "stair dance." He also was famed for a unique ability to run backward. See also tap dance .