Throwback Thursday and Peg Leg Bates
For those who think they can’t do something, or who come up
with a million excuses, I present Peg Leg Bates. His real name was Clayton Bates, and he was
born in South Carolina in 1907. He
started dancing at age five, but when he was twelve, he lost a leg to conveyor
belt while working in a mill. Despite
this setback, he was determined to continue dancing.
His uncle carved a wooden peg leg for him and he used it to
create his own unique style of tap dancing.
He worked his way from minstrel shows and carnivals to the vaudeville
stage. In 1930 he performed as a
featured tap dancer at such famous venues as the Cotton
Club, Connie’s Inn and the Club Zanzibar.
In 1955, he appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show.
Peg Leg Bates often surpassed other two-legged dancers, and
went on to become one of the finest rhythm dancers in the history of tap
dancing.
From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets:
Dance History Factoid #18:
“Peg Leg Bates was a
famous tap dancer with only one leg.”
Link of the Day:
Quote
of the Day:
"Life means, do the best you can with what you've got,
with all your mind and heart. You can do anything in this world if you want to
do it bad enough,"
-Peg Leg Bates
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