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Salem Press

Great Lives from History: African Americans

Savion Glover

by Tresalyn S. Murray-Bray

Dancer and actor

Glover’s contributions to African American culture are related to his mastery of the art of tap dancing. His incomparable command of rhythm set him apart from all other tappers of his time, and he bridged the gap between such seasoned greats as Bill “Bojangles” Robinson, Sammy Davis, Jr., and Gregory Hines and the hip-hop generation.

Areas of achievement: Dance; Film: acting; Theater

Early Life

Savion Glover (SAY-vee-ahn GLUH-vur) was born November 19, 1973. His mother, Yvette Glover, had originally intended to name him Savior, but thought it too presumptuous and instead changed the “r” to an “n.” She reared him and his two older brothers to leave a mark on the world. Savion Glover chose to leave his mark through dance and, in particular, tap. As a boy, Glover made noises constantly. He was musical and conscious of rhythm from boyhood. To release the rhythms he heard within, he tap-danced in cowboy boots. When he got his first pair of tap shoes, his world was transformed.

Savion Glover.

ph_GLAA_Glover_Savion.jpg

Glover’s mother enrolled him in Suzuki classes at Newark’s School of the Performing Arts in 1978. At age seven, Glover joined the band Three Plus, and when he was nine, the band performed at the Broadway Dance Center. Shortly after, his mother enrolled him in the dance program at Broadway Dance Center.

In 1984, Glover auditioned for the workshop for the musical The Tap Dance Kid and landed the leading role. He performed in more than three hundred shows before the end of the run the following year.

In 1988, Glover traveled to Paris, where he had the opportunity to perform with the legendary tap masters Lon Chaney, Bunny Briggs, Jiimmy Slyde, and George Hillman. By 1989, Glover was starring on Broadway in Black and Blue, a performance that earned him a Tony Award nomination. Later that year he appeared in the film Tap. By 1990, Glover had landed a recurring role on the children’s show Sesame Street, a role that lasted for five years.

Life’s Work

Glover’s unique style of dance garnered cross-generational attention and admiration. His role as artistic ambassador kept the art of tap alive. He modernized the presentation of tap and made the art form relevant to young people. Through his explosive performances, Glover shared the beauty and grit of tap, leaving audiences awed.

In 1992, at the age of nineteen, Glover became the youngest recipient of the National Endowment for the Arts grant. This allowed him to explore new avenues in tap, to hone his craft, and to personalize his style. In 1995, he collaborated with George C. Wolfe to create a show that resonated in the hearts of his growing fan base. Bring in ’da Noise, Bring in ’da Funk opened at the Public Theater in New York City and later moved to Broadway, where Glover earned a Tony Award and a Drama Desk Award for best choreography.

As an actor, Glover transitioned successfully from theater to television and film, starring in The Tap Dance Kid (1985), Tap (1989), Jelly’s Last Jam (1992), The Wall (1998), Bamboozled (2000), Bojangles (2001), and Happy Feet (2006). Glover’s impact on the world of tap was not confined to performance. In an effort to share his love for tap dance with the next generation, Glover founded the HooFeRzCLuB School for Tap. The school’s mission is to teach tap theory and history while allowing each student to develop his or her own style, to allow the student to move from appreciation and demonstration to interpretation and innovation.

Significance

Glover embodied tap in the style of early twentieth century performers. The passion he brought to his work and his willingness to explore new avenues made tap vital to a new generation of young people. Glover utilized his creativity to choreograph shows in a variety of genres, including classical, hip-hop, jazz, and blues. His mastery of the craft reflected his allegiance to the work of older hoofers and of modern performers, paying homage to the former and providing rich historical context to the latter.

Further Reading

1 

Acocella, Joan. “Taking Steps: Savion Glover at the Joyce Theatre.” The New Yorker 79, no. 42 (January 12, 2004): 77-78. Long, insightful article by a dance critic on how Glover creates his almost mathematical tap-dance choreography.

2 

Glover, Savion, and Bruce Weber. Savion! My Life in Tap. New York: William Morrow, 1999. Autobiography that looks at the life of a tap phenomenon. Told in his own words, the text shows Glover’s reverence for the art of tap and its historical significance.

3 

Hasday, Judy L. Savion Glover: Entertainer. New York: Infobase, 2006. Biography captures Glover’s life and work in an easy-to-read, well-written text. Included is an extensive timeline highlighting Glover’s transition through the world of tap.

Citation Types

Type
Format
MLA 9th
Murray-Bray, Tresalyn S. "Savion Glover." Great Lives from History: African Americans, edited by Carl L. Bankston, Salem Press, 2011. Salem Online, online.salempress.com/articleDetails.do?articleName=GLAA_133158003058.
APA 7th
Murray-Bray, T. S. (2011). Savion Glover. In C. L. Bankston (Ed.), Great Lives from History: African Americans. Salem Press. online.salempress.com.
CMOS 17th
Murray-Bray, Tresalyn S. "Savion Glover." Edited by Carl L. Bankston. Great Lives from History: African Americans. Hackensack: Salem Press, 2011. Accessed October 22, 2025. online.salempress.com.