Dr. Henry Le Tang... Passes Away.

An IMPORTANT message from Susan Abbott-Doskocil:

4/27/07

We have lost another giant in the Tap World...

Henry Le Tang passed away this morning.

A tap choreographer and instructor, my students all had to knowhe choreographed some of the keytap in several broadway shows: Eubie! [which featuredthe Hines Brothers in their first Broadway Appearance], SophisticatedLadies , and Black And Blue [his work was best appreciated in thechorus lines].

Movie Tap Choreography included
Bojangles starring Gregory Hines
Cotton Club Gregory and Richard Gere
Tap
and others.

Gary Moore's television show featured a line of dancers choreographed
by Henry.
A year and a half ago Henry and I were reminiscing about howhe wanted to go to Hollywood to choreograph for Betty Huttonand his mother would not let him go. I also reminded the interviewer and Henry that according to legend around the studio, Henry hadbeen paid to choreograph movies while someone else took the choreography credit.

We also regularly turned to a discussion of women who could tapwell in high heels. He would have laughed to see a special courserequired to assist women in learning how to work in heels. Foryears his was the only studio where he really pushed female studentsto work in heels. We had MULTIPLE conversations about that and theuncomfortable evolution to flat shoes.

He's going to be missed. He loved what I did with chorus lines for National Tap Dance Day Concert Celebrations and always attended. He saw some of his own material treated with respectand integrity at the shows. My UNLV and CCSN tap students learnedmaterial of his [with his blessing] and it always drew applause. Whata lucky person I was to have been selected by him to teach his 18 routines, that groundwork stood me well with later mentors Jack Ackerman, Cholly Atkins, Prince Spencer, Sam Weber, Fayard Nicholasand Bunny Briggs.

More later. Details on memorial and etc in next email.

All The Best-

Susan Abbott-Doskocil