Championed by Betty White at the start of his career, he became one of the first Black regulars on a TV variety show. A colleague called him “not just a mentor but an idol” for the tap community.
“Lawrence would introduce me as ‘the man keeping tap dance alive,’” he recalled in a 2005 interview with the Chicago Tribune. “I was one of the few at that time. Today, I believe tap is being reborn.”
Mr. Duncan made his TV debut in 1951, on entertainer Jerry Colonna’s variety series, and appeared on a few episodes of “Hollywood on Television,” a precursor to “The Betty White Show.” He also refined his tap technique with help from Hollywood dancer and choreographer Nick Castle, who advised him to simplify his routines, saying, “Do something that people can understand.”
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