Charles Coles
Charles " Honi " Coles ( born April 2, 1911 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, † November 12, 1992 in New York, New Jersey) was an African-American tap dancer and choreographer.
Biography
Charles " Honi " Coles was born the son of George and Isabel Coles in Philadelphia, where he learned early on to dance in the street. In 1931 he made his debut at the Lafayette Theatre in New York. Mid-1930s, he danced at the Apollo Theater, toured with Count Basie and Duke Ellington by the clubs. 1940 Coles danced as a soloist with the Cab Calloway Orchestra, where he also met Cholly Atkins. Together they formed the tap dancing duo Coles & Atkins. Early 1950s was the time of the great big bands to an end and they went on with their show on Broadway. In the following years she revolutionized along with Agnes de Mille musical theater with their idiosyncratic choreography.
In 1944 married Charles " Honi " Coles Broadway dancer Marion Evelyn Edwards, they had two children. Coles died on 12 November 1992, the consequences of a cancer suffering and was buried in the Beth Olom cemetery in Queens.