The four cameos

In 1990, Janet made the video for "Alright", a bright retro spectacle of zoot suits and shoulder-shrugging choreography. It definitely contributed to the impression in my childhood that Janet was some kind of dance genius. The clip features four big names from the history of entertainment. I didn't know this at the time. Even the man whose name is prominently presented I initially thought could have been a fictional character. Only a few years ago, after seeing her in a sparkly green dress in Singin' in the Rain, did I properly discover the identity of a second person out of the four cameos. This is Cyd Charisse (d. 2008).

Also in 1990, Black Dance in America by James Haskins was published--a chronicle of African American dancers, largely in the 20th century. I read Black Dance in America two months or so ago, and made a list of performances mentioned in the book that I would seek out on video. Not long after, I got hold of Stormy Weather, a 1943 Hollywood musical film that was a rare gathering of African American talent. This includes, from the world of music, Lena Horne (d. 2010), Fats Waller (d. 1943), and Cab Calloway (d. 1994), who is the prominent presence in Janet's "Alright" video. From the world of dance are tapper Bill "Bojangles" Robinson (d. 1949) and modern dancer Katherine Dunham (d. 2006). Dunham and her troupe were a disappointment, but most dazzling was the finale tap sequence by the Nicholas Brothers, Fayard (d. 2006) and Harold (d. 2000). This pair had turned out to be the last two of the four famous cameos in "Alright".

The one song in Stormy Weather I absolutely fell in love with is "Ain't Misbehavin'" by Fats Waller. It has a beautiful melody and a soothing drawl. It's pretty Christmassy too.