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My good Sun-Times pal from the 1970s at the Chicago Sun-Times, Cynthia Dagnal, wrote me today:

"A friend in London sent me this, obituary from the London indpendent and I was stunned to see that Jeni Le Gon attended the same Southside dancing school in Chicago that I did. It was probably the most reputable one on that side of the "color line," and not very far from my house. So I studied with the younger "protégés" of Mary Bruce, and all those cute pics of me in little but Expensive tutus and whatnot that I sometimes use on my blogs are reminders of those days! I took tap, jazz and ballet as a wee one, and loved to walk around en pointe all day long in those danged--and also expensive--toe shoes!"

Le Gon (born in Georgia Aug. 24,1916; died December 7, 2012) was the first African-American women to sign with a major studio,...

She actually passed on December 7, but I only just got word of it over the weekend. Jeni LeGon (August 14, 1916 – December 7, 2012) was one of the first African American women in tap dance to develop a career as a soloist. She also had a lengthy onscreen (in film and TV), one that spanned over 65 years, starting in 1936 appearing as a cabaret dancer in Dishonour Bright, to 2001's Ernest Dickerson-directed horror movie, Bones. She also did a 2-season stint on The Amos 'n Andy Show, from 1951 to 1953, appearing in 6 episodes in total. But she'll liekly be best remembered for her musical and dance talents. From the American Tap Dance Foundation:...