Savion Glover
Savion Glover started as The Tap Dance Kid. Now, he must be the tap dance king. Born in Newark, New Jersey, in 1974, Glover starred in The Tap Dance Kid on Broadway at the age of twelve. It was his mother who took him to dance lessons and encouraged him to use his feet rather than kitchen pots and pans to bang out his rhythms. Glover continued to work on Broadway in Black and Blue (1989), Jelly’s Last Jam (1992), and then Bring in ‘Da Noise, Bring in ‘Da Funk (1995) which he created with George C. Wolfe to portray and reveal the African American experience. Glover’s awards include a Tony for Best Choreography, a Drama Desk Award, Outer Critics Circle Award, two Obie Awards, two Fred Astaire Awards, Dance Magazine’s Choreographer of the Year Award (1996), and the Capezio Award (2004). His film credits include Taps (1988) with Sammy Davis, Jr., Bamboozled (2000) directed by Spike Lee, and the transformed moves for Mumbles the penguin in the animated Happy Feet. Glover has been committed to honoring the history of his craft with a determination to create a contemporary art. He spent five seasons as a regular on Sesame Street, and has formed two dance companies, NYOTs (Not Your Ordinary Tappers) and Ti Dii. Choreographing for Nike’s “free style” ads, touring the country with new pieces that incorporate everything from jazz to classical music, Glover is at the center of tap.
