A Who's Who of Dancers
A Broadway chorus boy named Jimmy Cagney once climbed its stairs to attend tap classes in the studios. Paul Drapper and Elenor Powell rehearsed there, and so did the Condos Brothers and the Nicholas Brothers, Jose Greco and Carmen Amaya, and the hoofers from several Broadway shows. Hanya Holm taught modern dance in one studio; Honi Coles taught Dick Cavett to lap in another. Alvin Ailey worked with his first, small company at what is now Fazil's Studio. And memories of the studio gave Gregory Hines the idea for Sonny's, the dance studio that is home to the old hoofers in the film "Tap." Fazils has remained a center for flamenco, Middle Eastern and Tap classes and rehearsals, with some ballroom and Tango dancing. Performers from the Broadway musical "Black and Blue" work out there, and so did Twayla Tharp at the start of her work on "Singin' in the Rain."
The New York Times By JENNIFER DUNNING