THE HOOFER AWARD

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Dr. James ‘Buster’ Brown
2002 Hoofer Award Recipient

Dr. James ‘Buster’ Brown, a Baltimore, MD native, was a member of the legendary Copasetics Club - an elite group of master tap dancers formed after the death of the great Bill ‘Bojangles’ Robinson to honor his legacy. Dr. Brown enjoyed a career that spanned seven decades, from touring the vaudeville circuits to a featured role in the Broadway hit revue Black and Blue. Other career highlights included performing at the Apollo Theater, and appearing as a soloist with the Cab Calloway Orchestra and in Duke Ellington's Sacred Concert. He appeared in the film THE COTTON CLUB, (dance sequence with Gregory Hines), as well as in TV and documentaries, and toured internationally. An active teacher and choreographer, he was the recipient of several fellowships, and most recently received a historic honorary degree of Doctor of Performing Arts in American Dance from Oklahoma City University. He passed away May 2002 and is greatly missed

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