Henry Letang

Henry Christian LeTang was born in Harlem in 1915 to Caribbean immigrant parents—his father from Dominica and his mother from St. Croix. He began tap as a child and built his reputation primarily as a teacher and choreographer rather than as a touring performer. The American Tap Dance Foundation credits him as a "teacher of stars," and his studio shaped the early routines of Maurice and Gregory Hines when they performed as the Hines Kids. His pupils and collaborators included Lena Horne, Betty Hutton, Billie Holiday, Chita Rivera, Ben Vereen, Debbie Allen, Hinton Battle and Savion Glover.

LeTang's Broadway work began in the 1940s. He served as assistant choreographer on *My Dear Public* in 1943 and directed tap routines for *Dream With Music* in 1944. In 1952 he choreographed the Broadway revival of *Shuffle Along*, connecting his career to a foundational African American musical while Eubie Blake remained active.

His most visible period came through revues centered on Black musical and dance history. For *Eubie!* in 1978, he shared movement responsibilities with Billy Wilson, receiving specific credit for choreography and tap choreography—work that earned him a Tony nomination in 1979. On *Sophisticated Ladies* in 1981, Donald McKayle and Michael Smuin handled broader musical staging while LeTang received co-choreography and tap-choreography credit, again earning a Tony nomination.

In 1989, *Black and Blue* celebrated blues, jazz and African American vernacular performance. The choreography Tony was jointly awarded to Cholly Atkins, Henry LeTang, Frankie Manning and Fayard Nicholas, with Dianne Walker credited as assistant choreographer. That collective credit reflects the production's gathering of distinct lineages—tap, jazz, swing and show-business movement—rather than a single authorial vision.

LeTang also contributed tap expertise to film and television, including *The Cotton Club*, *Tap* and the television film *Bojangles*. He continued teaching into old age and received an honorary doctorate from Oklahoma City University in 2002. He died in Las Vegas on April 26, 2007. The American Tap Dance Foundation later inducted him into its International Tap Dance Hall of Fame, reinforcing his standing as both an artist and a transmitter of the form.