(Scene opens, we see Gregory Hines tapping something slow, and soulful in his head. His movements are specific and small, we see his joy in this moment. He is clearly performing for us, he smiles.)
Do you feel that? No, no, not the vibrations of the taps hitting the floor but the heart beat of the rhythm that is coming through my feet and should be jumping right into you soul. (Laughs) Yeah, into your soul. Cause that is what a good tap combination can do. My mentors would tell me “Gregory, you not doing it right if you can look into the audience and people ain’t on their feet because their bodies won’t allow them to just sit and watch. We old school fellas call that taking ‘em to church.” (Laughs) The Nicholas Brothers, Henry LeTang and Howard “Sandman” Sims were the first black men that I saw put on taps. Sitting in the basement of the Apollo Theatre as a kid my brother and I would sit in the corner and just watch these amazing hoofers, as they called themselves, tap on the old worn out floor. But ya see that floor made the best sound. And I would watch and sit in pure stillness, as the dust from under the floor would creep through the cracks from their taps working the floor so hard. It was like pulling a rabbit out of the hat of a magician. (Beat) I told my brother, “Maurice, I want to make magic like that.” Gregory Hines is my name, and it ‘s an honor to meet you. But if I’m wearing these shoes I’ll have to tell my story. It is a story that burdens me but it’s mine nonetheless.
