The Nicholas Brothers: We Sing and We Dance

I appreciated watching this documentary because it manages to do two important things...it makes you appreciate the subjects in the film AND it's a 'warts and all' sort of documentary that doesn't ONLY show the good but a full picture.

While the opening screen looks cheap, this is actually an amazingly good documentary about the two greatest dancers of the twentieth century, Fayard and Harold Nicholas. Their grace and athleticism have never been matched and the film celebrates their achievements as well as talks about their personal gifts and deficits. All in all, incredibly well made...with lots of stock footage, photos and interviews. And, most importantly, the brothers participated and provide a lot of the commentary...and a few of their scenes together as they spoke were very touching and fun. See this one!!

THE NICHOLAS BROTHERS: We Sing and We Dance, (1992)

The Nicholas Brothers are presented here in a way that reflects the joy and intrinsic goodness that seemed to come from their hearts, and express itself in brilliantly conceived and executed performances. I was particularly moved by a brief segment showing the two as children, unself-consciously playing and dancing down a length of sidewalk. They appeared as enchanted creatures, almost out of place in this world.

The film addresses the difficult issues in their lives, such as Harold's health problems, and the fact that in the U.S. they were considered 2nd class citizens because of their race. They triumphed by moving to Europe, where they were eagerly welcomed and appropriately valued.

The interview with the dancers as men in their later years was a special treat, for it showed them still imbued with the same gentle, enchanted grace and graciousness that has marked their entire lives.

The film made me want to be a better, finer person, and to seek the joy within myself and my life. I will return to it often, when I need to be reminded that joy and goodness can triumph over sadness and cynicism.