Billy Pierce (choreographer) facts for kids

Billy Pierce (born June 14, 1890 – died April 11, 1933) was an African American dancer, choreographer, and dance studio owner. He is famous for creating the Black Bottom dance. This dance became a huge national trend in the mid-1920s.

Billy Pierce's Life Story

Early Life and New Beginnings

William Joseph Pierce was born in Purcellville, Virginia. His parents, Dennis and Nellie Pierce, were formerly enslaved people who became farmers. Billy was their only child. He went to college, first at Storer College and then at Howard University.

Pierce first worked as a journalist. He wrote for the Chicago Defender, a very important African American newspaper. He also wrote for two newspapers in Washington, D.C. During World War I, he served in the army with an all-black unit.

From Journalism to Dance

As a journalist, Pierce wrote about art. But he soon left writing to work in theater. He started in Chicago as a dancer and trombonist in vaudeville shows. He also played the banjo in a traveling medicine show. This work took him to New York City.

In New York, he briefly went back to working for newspapers. But while selling ads on Broadway, he decided to become a choreographer. He had an idea for a dance studio. He opened the Billy Pierce Dance Studio on 46th Street in New York City. He even worked as an elevator operator in the same building!

The Famous Billy Pierce Dance Studio

The Billy Pierce Dance Studio quickly became very successful. It was a key place for the cultural movement known as the Harlem Renaissance. By 1929, his studio was very large. It had five rooms and was called the "largest of its kind" by the Afro American newspaper.

Pierce managed the studio and coached many Broadway stars. However, he did not teach the classes himself. The studio offered 27 different classes in 1929. Another famous African American choreographer, Buddy Bradley, also worked there. Bradley created dance routines for white performers.

The Black Bottom Dance Craze

One of the dancers Bradley coached was Tom Patricola. Patricola performed the Black Bottom dance with Ann Pennington. They danced it in the musical George White's Scandals of 1926 on Broadway. After this, the Black Bottom became incredibly popular. It soon took over from the Charleston as the most popular dance in America.

The Billy Pierce Dance Studio taught many special dances. These included the Black Bottom with Taps and the Flapper Stomp. Other dances were the Harlem Hips, the Jungle Stomp, and the Zulu Stomp.

Coaching Stars and Broadway Shows

African American choreographers like Pierce often worked without getting credit. They coached and created routines for white performers. For example, Clifton Webb, who later became an Oscar-winning actor, trained at Pierce's studio. Pierce created a special dance routine called "Moaning Low" for Webb and Libby Holman in 1931.

Pierce also choreographed dances for several Broadway shows. He received credit for his work on the 1927 musical Half a Widow. He also created "The Sugar Foot Strut" dance for the hit musical Rio Rita (1927). Pierce developed a show-stopping routine for Norma Terris in the original 1927 production of Show Boat. He also got credit for the dances in the 1932 musical Walk a Little Faster.

In 1930, he spent almost a year in Europe. There, he worked with famous directors like Max Rheinhardt.

Billy Pierce's Family Life

Pierce married Nona Stovall in 1927. They had two children, Billy Jr. (born 1928) and Denise (born 1930). Billy Pierce's career ended too soon. He died in 1933 from an ear infection called mastoiditis. He was only 42 years old.