The Berry Brothers were a famous flash act duo (and later trio) in the 1920s, 30s and 40s. Their specialties included soft shoe tap, cane, spectacular splits and death-defying acrobatics. The brothers were Ananias (or Nyas) Berry, James Berry and Warren Berry. They performed alongside Duke Ellington and Cab Calloway at the Cotton Club in Harlem, were the first African-American act at the Copacabana in 1929, and performed at the grand opening of Radio City Music Hall in 1932. They also headlined at New York’s Apollo Theatre, the Zanzibar Cafe, Harlem’s Savoy Ballroom, The Moulin Rouge in Paris, and The Rio Cabana in Chicago. Their film credits include Lady Be Good (1941), Panama Hattie (1942), Boarding House Blues (1948), and You’re My Everything (1949).
The Berry Brothers are remembered as one of the greatest dance acts in the history of the American stage and cinema in the twentieth century. At a time when tap dancers were “a dime a dozen,” these brothers combined their talents to form a unique act that remains unsurpassed. Their mixture of the Cakewalk’s Strut, tap dancing, thrilling acrobatics, and amazing cane work was a winning and lasting formula. Click here to read more about them.
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