Cholly Atkins
{{Short description|American dancer and vaudeville performer}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2020}}
{{No Footnotes|date=January 2019}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Cholly Atkins
| image = Cholly Atkins.jpg
| birth_name = Charles Sylvan Atkinson
| birth_date = {{birth date|1913|09|13}}
| birth_place = Pratt City, Alabama, U.S.
| death_date = {{death date and age|2003|04|19|1913|09|13}}
| death_place = Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.
| occupation = Choreographer, dancer
| spouse = {{plainlist|
- {{marriage|Catherine Williams|November 27, 1936|1944|end=divorced}}
- {{marriage|Dottie Saulters|September 2, 1944|1962|reason=died}}
- {{marriage|Maye Harrison||2003}}
}}
| years_active =
| awards = {{unbulleted list| 1989: Tony: Best Choreography | {{center|Black and Blue}} }}
}}
Charles "Cholly" Atkins (born Charles Sylvan Atkinson; September 13, 1913 – April 19, 2003){{cite web |url=https://buffalonews.com/news/cholly-atkins-89-dies-dancer-noted-motown-choreographer/article_b0a77770-c1e6-5b1c-8162-6dc57569a165.html |title=Alabama Hall of Music | Charles "Cholly" Atkins |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110222144519/http://www.alamhof.org//charlesatkins.html |archive-date=February 22, 2011 |access-date=January 28, 2019 |url-status=dead}} was an American dancer and vaudeville performer, who later became noted as the house choreographer for the various artists on the label Motown.{{cite news |last=Martin |first=Douglas |date=April 23, 2003 |title=Cholly Atkins, 89, Dancer and Choreographer |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/23/arts/cholly-atkins-89-dancer-and-choreographer.html |work=The New York Times |location=New York |access-date=2024-01-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210608191350/https://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/23/arts/cholly-atkins-89-dancer-and-choreographer.html |archive-date=2021-06-08}}
Biography
Born in Pratt City, Alabama, Cholly began dancing in the late 1930s before his military service in 1942 during World War II. Upon leaving the U.S. Army, he first found fame as one-half of Atkins & Coles, a top vaudeville dance act with partner Charles "Honi" Coles, debuting at the Apollo Theater in Harlem, New York. Atkins and Coles toured extensively nationally and internationally, performing in showcases with major jazz and swing bands, including those led by Louis Armstrong, Charlie Barnet, Count Basie, Cab Calloway, and Lionel Hampton. The pair also performed from 1949 to 1952 on Broadway in the stage 4 production, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.{{cite web |url=https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-production/1845 |title=Gentlemen Prefer Blondes - Broadway Musical - Original |website=IBDB.com |publisher=Internet Broadway Database}}
In the mid-1950s, Cholly began teaching dance steps to the Cadillacs, Shirelles, Moonglows, Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers, Little Anthony & The Imperials, and other vocal groups.{{cite web |url=http://www.theatredance.com/legends/atkins.html |title=American Dance Legends - Charles "Cholly" Atkins |access-date=January 28, 2019}}{{cite news |last=Pastoria |first=Brian |title=The Legendary... Incomparable Cholly Pops Atkins |work=UDetroit |date=December 22, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150128131816/http://udetroit.com/article.php?article_id=19 |url=http://udetroit.com/article.php?article_id=19 |archive-date=January 28, 2015 |url-status=dead |access-date=January 28, 2019}} His dance steps were a new style coined "vocal choreography", as singers enhanced their vocal performances with stylish combinations of gestures and steps. After working as a freelance choreographer in 1962 for The Miracles, Atkins was hired by Berry Gordy to work as a Motown choreographer in 1964, and set about developing the routines that would later become the trademark moves of other Motown acts like The Supremes, The Temptations (Atkins was also featured in the video for their hit single "Lady Soul"), The Four Tops, The Marvelettes, Gladys Knight & the Pips and others.{{cite web |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150128113249/http://www.rontyson.com/chollyatkins.html |archive-date=January 28, 2015 |url=http://www.rontyson.com/chollyatkins.html |title=A tribute to Cholly "POPS" Atkins |access-date=January 28, 2019 |url-status=live}} Atkins would, in fact, continue working with Motown artists well into the 1980s. He choreographed for non-Motown artists as well, namely the dance routines of The Cadillacs in the 1950s, and the Sylvers, as well as The O'Jays during the mid-1970s, appearing with them on an episode of Soul Train.{{cite news |last=LEWIS |first=SEGAL |date=April 23, 2003 |title=Cholly Atkins, 89; Tap Dancer, Motown Stars' Choreographer |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-apr-23-me-atkins23-story.html |work=Los Angeles Times |location=Los Angeles |access-date=2024-01-22}}{{cite web |url=https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/news-photo/the-ojays-practice-a-dance-routine-with-choreographer-news-photo/1206047440 |title=The O'Jays practice a dance routine with choreographer Cholly Atkins on Soul Train. |last=Train |first=Soul |date=October 11, 1975 |website=gettyimages.co.uk |publisher=Getty Images |access-date=2024-01-22 |quote=The O'Jays practice a dance routine with choreographer Cholly Atkins (Charlie Atkins/Charles Atkins) on Soul Train episode 153, aired 10/11/1975. (Photo by Soul Train via Getty Images).}} He also worked with Detroit rock band DC Drive and is featured in the "You Need Love" video.
In 1989, Atkins received a Tony Award for choreographing the Broadway show Black and Blue. He also accepted a 1993 National Endowment for the Arts three-year fellowship to tour colleges and universities teaching vocal choreography. He continued to teach dance in Las Vegas until February 2003.
Death
Diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in March 2003, Atkins died of the cancer several weeks later on April 19, 2003, in Las Vegas, Nevada. He was 89.
Family
Marriages
- Atkins married Catherine Gayle Williams (maiden; born 1914) November 27, 1936, in Los Angeles. They were divorced in 1944. She had been a dancer at the chorus line of Cotton Club productions. After leaving show business in 1942, Williams went on to earn a master's degree in Social Work from the University of Iowa and has had a distinguished career in Iowa in social work.
:: 1932: Valedictorian, North High School, Des Moines
:: 1980: Williams was inducted into the Iowa Women's Hall of Fame
:: November 21, 2014: Williams was honored by the Iowa House of Representatives for her life's work and in celebration of her 100th birthday{{cite act |url=http://coolice.legis.iowa.gov/Legislation/86thGA/Resolutions/Introduced/HR19.html |title=House Resolution 19 – Honoring Catherine Gayle Williams |date=November 21, 2014 |type=Iowa State House Resolution |number=19}}
- Atkins married Dorothy ("Dottie") Lee Saulters (maiden; 1922–1962) September 2, 1944, in Wilmington, Delaware, while he was in the U.S. Army. Dottie, who had become his dance partner in 1942, had been married to Honi Coles from 1936 to 1944; Coles had been a longtime dance partner in shows with Atkins, and continued to perform with Atkins{{cite book |last1=Atkins |first1=Cholly |last2=Malone |first2=Jacqui |title=Class Act: The Jazz Life of Choreographer Chooly Atkins |oclc=974087440 |edition=1st |publisher=Columbia University Press |date=2001 |isbn=9780231504126 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DQ0R8D6esKAC}}
- Atkins married Maye Ollie Harrison (1918–2004) and remained married to her until his death.
References
= General =
- {{cite news |author=Douglas Martin |title=Cholly Atkins, 89, Dancer and Choreographer |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D0CEFD6113AF930A15757C0A9659C8B63 |work=New York Times |date=April 23, 2003 |access-date=August 13, 2008}}
- Lewis Segal (2003-04-23). "Cholly Atkins, 89; Tap Dancer, Motown Stars' Choreographer". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2015-09-03.
= Inline =
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Portal|Biography}}
- {{IBDB name}}
- {{IMDb name|40546}}
- [https://findingaids.library.columbia.edu/ead/nnc-rb/ldpd_12918899 Finding aid to the Cholly Atkins collection at Columbia University. Rare Book & Manuscript Library.]
= Selected videos =
- {{YouTube|6DJPusWF_-4|Over the Top To Be-Bop}}, Coles and Atkins (dance duet), aired January 3, 1965, on CBS (Hank Jones, piano); {{OCLC|830519421|181202686|41462387}}, {{OCLC|38594171|37633199}}
- {{YouTube|A7fvumwhdFk|Swing is Really The Thing}}, Coles and Atkins (dance duet) (recording date unknown)
:: ({{YouTube|GUCkuiJbFtY|alternative link - better resolution}})
:: Willie Bryant, announcer; accompanied by the Apollo Theater house band (the Paul Williams Band); Paul "Hucklebuck" Williams is in the checked jacket on bari sax
- {{YouTube|Hoypx-0_U1M|Interview with Charlie Atkins: The O'Jays Rehearsal}}{{Dead link|date=January 2019}}, Soul Train October 11, 1975, on YouTube
- {{YouTube|Vv-5EOAOTQM|The Sylvers performing "Boogie Fever"}}{{Dead link|date=January 2019}}, and discussing Cholly Atkins' choreography of the number
{{TonyAward Choreography 1976-2000}}
{{Motown}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Atkins, Cholly}}
Category:American choreographers
Category:Deaths from pancreatic cancer in Nevada
Category:Artists from Birmingham, Alabama
Category:American vaudeville performers
Category:African-American male dancers
Category:African-American dancers
Category:American male dancers
Category:African-American choreographers
Category:20th-century American dancers
Category:African Americans in World War II
Category:United States Army personnel of World War II