Tap Dance | Legacy in Rhythm Guest Speaker
August 7
Marshall L. Davis Jr. was born in Miami Beach, FL and began his arts training at the African Heritage Cultural Arts Center in Liberty City, FL. By the age of 11, he was the 1989 Florida winner for the Tri-Star Pictures Tap Day contest, a promotion for the movie Tap starring Gregory Hines and Sammy Davis, Jr. At age 13, he accepted a check from Ed McMahon for winning the coveted title of 1991 Star Search Teen Dance Champion. Since winning, he has had the pleasure of performing with Harold “Stumpy” Cromer at the Guthrie Theater as Pocket in the musical Babes in Arms, directed by Garland Wright and choreographed by Liza Gennaro. Later, he joined the Tony award-winning Broadway production of Bring In ’Da Noise, Bring In ’Da Funk, choreographed by Savion Glover and directed by George C. Wolfe.
Marshall has performed and taught throughout Europe, Japan, Australia, and the United States. He is the protégé of the late Steve Condos of the “Condos Brothers.” He has also received guidance from James “Buster” Brown, Edwin Holland, Paul Kennedy, Ted Levy, Lavaughn Robinson, and Sam Weber. Named “Most Unusual Dance Soloist” by the Miami Herald for his rendition of the Morton Gould Tap Concerto, Marshall is also the recipient of Isaac Hayes’ Breaking the Barrier Award for his achievements at such an early age.
As a tap educator, he serves on the faculty of Queens College and Manhattan School of Music. Marshall can be seen through motion capture performance in the animated film Happy Feet Two, directed by George Miller. He is the tap choreographer and featured hoofer in Simply Sammy, a ballet choreographed by Darrell Grand Moultrie, set to the music of Sammy Davis Jr. Marshall worked as the Associate Choreographer to Savion Glover for the Broadway show Shuffle Along, as well for Encores Off-Center’s production of Don’t Bother Me, I Can’t Cope! His most recent work-in-progress is Revelations In Rhythm.
To learn more about Marshall and stay up to date with his latest endeavors, please visit @marshalldavisjr on Instagram.
Click here to view all artist faculty.