African-American tap dancing legend Jeni LeGon dies in Vancouver at age 96
The Canadian PressDecember 10, 2012
Jeni
Legon at 90, photographed here at home with some of the mementos of her
long career. The ontemporary of Bill Robinson and Fats Waller was be
honoured Oct. 29, 2006 by the National Congress of Black Women.
Photograph by: Ian Lindsay, Vancouver Sun
VANCOUVER - An African-American tap dancing legend and long-time Vancouver resident has died.
Jeni
LeGon died Friday at age 96, according to Vancouver journalist James
Oakes, who is a neighbour of the woman's partner Frank Clavin.
The
American Tap Dance Foundation says LeGon was one of the first
African-American women to develop a career as a tap soloist — and she
wore pants when all the other female dancers were sporting skirts.
LeGon
was born in Chicago and landed her first job in musical theatre at age
13, the start of a career that brought her to Los Angeles, London and
New York.
She played several leading roles in films, toured with
the U.S. Army and performed in clubs and theatres internationally,
performing with stars like dancer Bill Robinson and jazz pianist Fats
Waller....
