Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-07-28

~ ways will be, this Billy Pierce, young
a Negro Of Loudoun County, Va. Just
dancing fool who today, in glittering Times
Square, is acknowledged a success genius.
dancing fool as in his pickaninnish at
tempts he tottered uncertainty from his moth
ers knee and succeeded in only doing a Charles
ton. dancing fool he perhaps unknowingly
black bottomed his way through classes at the
village school. Arriving in Washington, little
newsDoy, the pavement in front of The Eve
ming Star Office, where he sold papers, was slick
and slippery from the eternal tap-tap, click
click Of his superaction "hotsy-totsy dogs"
Drafted into the Army during the very latest
unpleasantness, sent to San Francisco and from
there to the Argonne, Billy Pierce, always dane
ing, always smiling, danced and smiled his way
to a. lieutenancy in the famous 369th Infantry.
This World War safely and triumphantly nego-
tiated, he returned to Washington where for
time he worked as a reporter on Negro news
paper Then ne joined a rather ragged minstrel
troupe, playing trombone and taking tickets
at the door. The young actor scarcely worked
overtime in the box office, because the show died
of starvation at Union Hill, N. ].
The slide trombonst slid for New York on
the last bit of small change in his possession,
striking the town without penny. That was
five years ago and there isn't any doubt but
that the Big City up and struck him in re-
turn: hit him hard, again and again and again.
But the dancing fool struck back, grinned back.
and today he has the largest studio for stage
dancing in the world.
The Pierce registered classes number more
than 600 pupils and the register often is re-
ferred to as "Broadway's Blue Book" The
studio is located on the ground floor of the
Navex Building, 225 West Forty-sixth street,
occupies five rooms for which Sc, 900 year rent
is paid, employs ii people and houses ~ classes.
Its walls are lined with autographed photo
graphs of every stage celebrity Four years ago
the studio consisted Of one room in the top Of
the Navex Building and for this attic-like studio
de danse Billy Pierce paid $35 month rent
when he paid. He bought a desk on the install
ment plan, not much down and 81 month,
and in that first year he was sold out padlocked
and the desk attached by sheriffs again and
again.
Billy has smile extending from the top of
his nature marcel wave to his patent leather
pumps and each time that he was sold out his
many friends grinned back and bought him
back. The professor had but two pupils when
he began his self-appointed job of teaching
Broadway how to dance with heel and toe but
he worked on the Navex elevator at night and
eked out enough for food and finally to pay for
the celebrated desk. Pierce came across Buddy
Bradley, Harlem messenger boy, the best
Negro tap dancer the maestro ever laid ewes
on, and who at once went to work for Pierce at
almost no salary week and something less
than nothing to eat.
But they kept eternally at it. Nothing could
discourage them.
Through Miss Iremce Delroy he was given.
four years ago, the job of fixing up the Green
Wich Village Follies," which had developed fiat
tires, engine trouble, bad paint and was about
to be placed in dead storage in the nearest
theatrical garage. In three days Billy and
Buddy fixed up new dances-dances that on
the first night stopped the show. Before the
week was over the Pierce studio had as pupils
six dancers from the Greenwich Follies" and.
to quote Pierce, We've been doing q rushing
business ever since"