B.S.-Chorus THE BOOK

The B.S.-Chorus

a Victor Cuno tap research book

Presentation

Introduction p. 23

The set-up of the B.S.-Chorus p. 24

The B.S.-Pattern & The B.S.-Break p. 25

Techniques & Variations:

The Time-Step in the 1920s p. 26

The Individual Time-Step Mix p. 27

The Time-Step in the 1930s / The Revival / Start p. 28

The B.S.-Pattern p. 29

The Maxieford in the B.S.-Break p. 30

The Lazy Maxieford p. 32

The B.S.-Break in the 1930s p. 34

The B.S.-Break in white Show-business p. 35

Standard / Gene Kelly

Alternative versions of the B.S.-Break p. 36

B.S-Pattern + Waltzclog / Sand-Pattern + Maxieford / B.S.-Pattern

into Time-Step / Jump-Rope / B.S.-Pattern into 2nd part of Time-Step Break

Other Breaks used in the B.S.-Chorus p. 39

Bill Robinson / Machine-Gun Break

The Time-Step Crossover p. 40

Standard execution / 1920s Vaudeville technique / Bill Robinson

Crossover / from the 3rd execution into the Break

The B.S.-Crossover p. 42

> a special version starting with the B.S.-Pattern

The Buck-And-Wing p. 43

Standard / Syncopated / Concert-Style: Paul Draper and the Buck-And-Wing

Buck-And-Wing 2-3-3 Combination / A very special combination

from Leap-Over to Over-The-Top p. 47

Hitch-Kick & Leap-Over

Over-The-Top p. 51

a / 1920s Over-The-Top - the real thing

b /  Buffalo Over-The Top

c / special: Over-The-Top against a wall

d / 1930s Over-The-Top

Other Over-The-Top techniques p. 54

a1 / just sliding > Original Over-The-Top / a2 / just sliding > with a toe

b / alternative - with touch

c / easy and stylish

d / … clever imitations

Corkscrew Over-The-Top p. 56

Leap-Over - Standard version - stepping down

1930s Over-The-Top Specials p. 57

Syncopated Glide > 1920s Syncopated Glide p. 59

Over-The-Top & Syncopated-Glide p. 60

a / 1920s style - the real thing

b / 1920s style: stepping down

c / 1930s’ execution: stylish with a touch or a toe

d / Song-And-Dance Over-The-Top

Close-To-The-Floor Over-The-Top p. 64

Bandy-Twist Over-The-Top p. 65

Over-The-Top / Buck-And-Wing / Gene Kelly

Rhythmic Evolutions of the Syncopated-Glide p. 68

1 / Adding Shuffles

2 / Maxieford Over-The-Top

3 / Rhythm Syncopated-Glide > filled-in 

The Syncopated-Glide Break p. 71

1930s - Pattern & Syncopated-Glide p. 73

a / with a 1920s Buck-And-Wing-Style Pattern

1 / Maxieford-Break & Syncopated Glide

2 / Machine-Gun Offbeat & Syncopated Glide

3 / Rolling Shuffle-Pull-Change & Syncopated Glide

4 /  Syncopated-Glide Turn

5 / Wing-Change & Syncopated Glide

b / 1930s Creations

1a / Run-On + brush-hops & Syncopated Glide

1b / Run-On + pick-hop & toe-hop & Syncopated Glide

2 / Brush-hop swing & Syncopated Glide

3 / brush-hop with 3 toes & Syncopated Glide

4 /  Cincinnati

5 /  Syncopated Kick-Up

6 /  Syncopated Hitch-Kick

7 /  Two Specials with Pendulum-Wing

Through-The-Trenches p. 83

The Finishing Breaks p. 84

Shave-And-A-Haircut / The Lock-Turn

The Syncopated-Glide in White Show-Business p. 89

The B.S.-Pattern in White Show-business p. 90

Buffalo Time-Step / Traveling Time-Step / Double-Buck

Full-Break / Gene Kelly special

Time-Steps combined with the B.S.-Pattern p. 94

1 / Regular Time-Step & B.S.-Pattern

2 / One-Foot Time-Step & B.S.-Pattern

3 / Triple-Hop Time-Step & B.S.-Pattern

The Military B.S.-Pattern p. 96

B.S.-Pattern / B.S.-Break / A nice Syncopated Combination

Bill Robinson’s B.S.-Pattern p. 98

His famous Softshoe-Rhythm 4-bar combination

Maxieford Over-The-Top p. 90

Buck-And-Wing Combination / Syncopated Glide

Syncopated Glide Break / Maxieford-Break / Swing-Rhythm

One-Foot Over-The-Top p. 104

Leap-Over-The-Leg / Step-Over / 1930s Over-The-Top

Back-Front Over-The-Top

1 / stationary a / Leap-Over p. 106

b / Foot on the floor

c / foot on floor & 1 sound

2 / Over-The-Top Travel a / leap-over p. 107

b / keeping the foot on floor

c / original Over-The-Top with a toe

Hand-On-Foot Leap-Over p. 108

Over-The-Top Combinations 1 / Corkscrew Over-The-Top  p. 109

2 / Fake-Wing

3 / Falling-Down-The-Stairs

4 / Falling-Off-A-Log

5 / Irish

6 / Maxieford & Over-The-Top

7 / Mule-Kick & Over-The-Top

8 / Over-The-Top Turn

9 / Russian

Wing-And-Over-The-Top Combinations a / the great classic  p. 115

b / syncopated

c / Wing-And-Over-The-Top 2

d / Wing-Change 1

e / Wing-Change 2

Part 1

B.S.-Chorus - The Revival

A  /  The Current Standard Version

Eddie Brown p. 119

as learned by the author

B /  The Standard Set-Up with slight Variations

1 / Leon Collins p. 121

as learned by the author

2 / a) Cookie Cook p. 123

dancers: Cookie Cook - Brenda Bufalino - Kevin Ramsey

from the Video "The Essentials Of Tap »

b) Brenda Bufalino p. 125

dancers: Cookie Cook - Brenda Bufalino - Kevin Ramsey

from the Video "The Essentials Of Tap »

3 / ‘Eddie Brown’ p. 127

as demonstrated by Howard Blume

YouTube Clip

C /  The Standard Set-Up with alternative Breaks

1 / Honi Coles & Cholly Atkins p. 129

included in the "camera 3" documentary with Marshall Stearns tempo: 240

2 / Honi Coles 

a) from the documentary "The Class Act Of Tap" (DVD) tempo: 336 p. 133

b) from the documentary "Two Takes On Tap" (JTE performance) p. 136

3 / The Copasetics > German TV

Buster Brown, Bubba Gaines, Cookie Cook, Sandman Sims p. 139

from German TV-Special (VC-Collection, TAP N° 8

4 / The Copasetics «Great Feats Of Feet»

documentary (Brenda Bufalino, 1975/76)

a) from L to R: Ernest Brown, Buster Brown, Bubba Gaines, Arthur Gibson p. 148

b) Charles ‘Cookie’ Cook / Honi Coles / Leslie ‘Bubba’ Gaines p. 154

c) The Copasetics (Step 1 & 4) p. 162

5 / The Copasetics

YouTubeClip provided by Brian Seibert

Honi Coles, Cookie Cook, Bubba Gaines, Buster Brown, Ernest Brown p. 164

6 / «Gaines-Hines-Cook»

(1980) -  from the Sidney J. Stiber Collection( RAW FOOTAGE OF FILMING ) p. 176

7 / Brenda Bufalino p. 181

from the Video "Where The Action Is" - Tap Intensive 1993 N° 2

D /   Step 1 to 3 Standard Version with alternative Breaks, alternative Step 4

1 / The Copasetics «No Maps On My Taps»

from the DOC "No Maps On My Taps 1974 (DVD)

Sandman Sims, Chuck Green, Bunny Briggs p. 183

2 / The Copasetics on «BET» 

USA TV (YouTubeClip)

Sandman Sims, Bunny Briggs, Jimmy Slyde p. 188

3 / Henry LeTang p. 195

as learned by the author 

E /  The Standard Set-Up with alternative Steps

1 / Ralph Brown > alternative Time-Step p. 198

2 / Lavaughn Robinson (as taught by Robert Burden) p. 200

performed by TAPwalker (International Dance Camp,

Taipei National Institute of the Arts, Taiwan, summer 2004)

F /  Versions with extensions:

1 / The Hoofers «Fascinatin’ Rhythm» p. 203

Berlin, 1966

B.S.-Chorus (Rhythm-Version) followed by solos

Buster Brown / Jimmy Slyde / Baby Lawrence / Chuck Green

2 / The Hoofers «Doin’ The New Low Down» p. 214

B.S.-Chorus (Rhythm-Version) with solos

TV-Clip of a stage show (edited) France, 1967

3 / The Hoofers «Perdido» p. 231

provided by Brian Seibert, unidentified tape from 1972

Buster Brown / Albert ‘Gip’ Gibson / Fred Kelly / Chuck Green /Jimmy Slyde / Ralph Brown

4 / Chuck Green & Ralph Brown «B.S.-Chorus extended»

provided by Brian Seibert, unidentified tape from 1972 p. 251

Part 2

The B.S.-Chorus - Historic Documents

1926 2 Black Boys «Scar Of Shame» p. 267

DVD «The Origins Of Film» disc 1

1930 Louis Douglas & 2 Girls «Einbrecher» p. 273

Germany (UFA, 1930), (DVD)

Edward Coles «Happy Feet»  p. 280

«Noble Sissle & Orchestra» (British Pathé, 1930)

unidentified dancer  «Check & Double Check» p. 283

 (RKO, October 25, 1930)

The Three Eddies «Elstree Calling» p. 284

A. Hitchcock, 1930 (UK)

1932 unidentified Tap-Duet «B.S.-Chorus» p. 288

from «The Girl from Chicago» (Micheaux Productions, 1932) DVD

The Nicholas Brothers «China Boy» p. 293

from «Pie, Pie Blackbird» (Vitaphone, June 4, 1932)

1933 Harold Nicholas «The Emperor Jones» p. 301

(United Artists, Sept. 29, 1933)

1935 Harold Nicholas «Miss Brown To You» p. 302

from «The Big Broadcast of 1936» (Paramount, September 20, 1935)

B.S.-Buck-And-Wing Chorus

The Nicholas Brothers «Down Argentine Way - Finale» p. 306

choreographer: Nick Castle (20th Century Fox, 1940)

1936 The Two Mackays «Do The Run Around» p. 307

from the UK 1936 feature film «She Shall Have Music»

1937 Yvonne Moray (wh) «Swing for Sale» p. 308

from «Movie-Mania» (Vitaphone, May 8, 1937)

1938 Boy & Girl Chorus «B.S.-Chorus» p. 310

from the film «The Duke Is Tops»  (Million Dollar Productions, 1938)

The 4 Specs «Sticks And Stones» p. 319

release date: Jan 4, 1943 footage taken from «Sweet Shoe»

(Nu Atlas, Jan 4, 1938)

1939 Edna Mae Harris «Harlem Serenade» p. 321

from «Paradise in Harlem»  (Jubilee Pictures Corp., 1939)

Chris Gill «Heart Full Of Rhythm» p. 323

(British Pathé, 1939)

1943 The Sepia Steppers / Cook & Brown p. 325

from the Soundie «Chatter» (1943)

1946  July Jones & Howard Galloway «B.S.-Chorus» p. 332

from «Dirty Gertie From Harlem USA» (Sack,1946)

1947 Sammy Davis Jr. «B.S.-Chorus» (beginning) p. 334

a / from «Sweet and Low» (short) Paramount, March 28, 1947

b / from «Colgate Comedy Hour» # 2.25, February 17, 1951»

c / «Texaco Star Theatre» hosted by Milton Berle (March 30, 1954)

1949 Nicky O’Daniel «B.S.-Chorus into Vernacular» p. 342

«Harlem After Midnight» May 10, 1949

Part 3

Buck-And-Wing Routines

(based on the B.S.-Chorus)

1928 Josephine Baker «The Fireman Of The Folies Bergère» p. 345

(France, 1928) silent short

1929 The Four Covans «Welcome Home» p. 34