Bill Robinson

Bill "Bojangles" Robinson (May 25, 1878 – November 25, 1949) was an American tap dancer and actor who lived during the 19th and 20th centuries.

While visiting the 1939 New York World's Fair in 1940, Benny Russell and his friends Cassie Johnson and Jenny watched Robinson dancing for 40 minutes. Benny was thrilled more than he had previously thought possible by Robinson's performance, claiming that "never in his life had he seen such an exhibition of grace and ease of motion." Just for an instant, he craved the ability to move with the same fluidity that was displayed by men such as Robinson and the baseball player Willie Hawkins.