He Tapped Weekly with Welk Keeping Alive a Dance Form

VAN NUYS, CALIF. – Quick! Who was the first African-American to be given a contract as a regular on a weekly variety show? Cape May County’s Flip Wilson? No. Philadelphia’s Bill Cosby? No again. Try Arthur Duncan, tap dancer extraordinaire.
Duncan, who has been dubbed an “entertainer’s entertainer,” performed his dance routines on the “Lawrence Welk Show” from 1964 until 1982, was a mainstay in homes throughout America each Saturday night with his sophisticated style of tap.
“I was aggressive in wanting to be on the ‘Lawrence Welk Show,’” Duncan told The Herald in a Skype interview from his California home. Prior to being given a spot on Welk’s program, the showman had appeared on the “Jimmy Rodgers Show” in Australia as well as many guest spots on shows throughout the world.
According to the entertainer the opening for a tap dancer on Welk’s show was not done by open audition. “They had never thought of that,” he said.
Initially hired as a guest performer, Duncan said Welk told him he wanted to gauge the audience’s reaction to the tap dancer. In 1965, after six months as a guest, he found himself as a regular member of Welk’s musical family in 1965.
“I stayed with the show until 1982, at which time he (Welk) retired,” said Duncan.
He added during the early 1960s he spent most of his time out of the United States. After traveling to Europe for performances the dancer opted to remain abroad, making Zurich his home base. During that time, however, the end of segregation in this country was coming to a head.
“They probably felt it would be advantageous to hire someone of color for the show,” he said. “I planted the idea and they took it from there.”
Duncan said after being hired by the Welk organization and traveling throughout the country with the band he never experienced the prejudice often experienced by other performers of color who were required to stay in different hotels or eat in other establishments than their white counterparts.
“There was no indication that anything was different than California,” said the California-born performer. “I’m sure if I lived there and had to face it daily, I would have probably recognized it or been more involved in segregation.”
Duncan said the public’s love of Lawrence Welk may have played a factor in how he was treated as the company traveled in the South.
“I’m sure out of respect for Lawrence Welk, they loved him down there, they wouldn’t allow their personal beliefs to get in the way of their admiration for him,” said Duncan, adding he was aware segregation did exist. “I was just in there one day. There was never any show of prejudice towards me.”
In speaking with Duncan, his admiration for Welk was apparent. The bandleader, who passed away in 1992, 10 years after retiring from his program, was instrumental in keeping tap dancing alive and kicking in the eye of the public.
With Duncan’s weekly performances, generations were able to sit down in front of the television to watch him perform one of the few genres of dance that is uniquely American. Welk was noted as having said Duncan kept tap dancing alive.
The “Lawrence Welk Show” premiered on television in 1955. Through syndication on Public Broadcasting, the program has never been off the air. It remains seen today thereby giving even another generation time to hear the rat-tat-tat-tat of Duncan’s quickly moving feet and captivating rhythms.
Duncan shared how a member of the Welk organization told him he had more “television time than any other black entertainer in the country for being on all those weeks.”
During his tenure on the Lawrence Welk Show Duncan choreographed approximately 95 percent of his material. He explained how once choreographed, there was little room for improvisation between rehearsal and performing his routine before the live audience. Duncan said although the program had a home on Saturday nights, actual filming took place Monday and Tuesday nights.
Born in Pasadena, Duncan is one of 13 children. He began dancing serendipitously at age 11 while in junior high school.
“I was forced into a school program, I didn’t know how to tap and I fought it all the way,” he recalled. “A couple of fellows in my class tap danced and they said it would be great if we could have three and from then on I was involved. I started taking lessons after that.” He said he didn’t originally want to go into show business but was having fun dancing.
Duncan spent one year in college learning to be a pharmacist. That plan, however, was short-lived.
“I had a cousin who was a musician and he said ‘Let me see if we can get you a couple of bookings,’ so I started doing things for little service organizations,” said the dancer of his start. “I found out you could make a couple of bucks doing that and I decided to drop out when things were looking fairly bright for me.” He added his parents, Corabelle and James, were both extremely supportive and encouraging of his endeavors.
From that point on he became the consummate performer – dancing, singing and entertaining. Duncan said one of his coaches during his teenaged years included the renowned choreographer and dance director, Nick Castle.
“He (Castle) did a lot of films with Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire,” Duncan said. “He had worked with Henry Mancini and they coached me and worked with me for several years and Henry Mancini made my first arrangements,” he said, noting the two men were key in helping to groom him to become the entertainer he is today.
Listening to Duncan talk of his long career is like listening to a who’s who of Hollywood – Betty White, Bob Hope, Dick Van Dyke, Tony Danza, and Peter Falk.
“There are so many,” said Duncan of his show business friends.
Throughout his decades-long career Duncan has seen tap dancing go from its zenith to its nadir and is seeing its resurgence with the interest of young people. He recently starred in a film short, “Tap Heat” with Jason Samuels Smith. The movie has no dialog except for the tapping of shoes as Duncan, a traditional tap dancer, meets Smith’s style of urban funk. The entertainer also appeared in the movie “Tap” with his close friends Gregory Hines and Sammy Davis Jr. as well as appearing in the Broadway musical “My One and Only” with his friend Tommy Tune.
Duncan’s performances have also been in Carnegie Hall as well as Lincoln Center. He also shared his talents when he performed with the St. Louis Symphony and Portland Oregon Symphony.
In 2005, Duncan added the word “Doctor” to his resume when he was presented with an honorary doctorate of Performing Arts in Dance by Oklahoma City University. He was recognized by the school as a “living treasure in American dance.”
He was also given a living legend award at the University of Michigan’s Tapology Festival and was presented with Flo-Bert Award for lifetime achievement of tap artistry.
With an impressive, decades-long career to remember, Duncan instead looks forward. He continues to practice his craft every day for at least an hour. He teaches masters-level tap classes and is on the road 60 days a year. In excellent health, he said he has no plans on slowing down.
“I have to keep the juices going,” he said of a schedule that would tire a man half his age. He attributes his excellent health and stamina to being physically active for such a long time.
“I’m not going to roll over and play dead for anyone,” he said when asked if he planned on retiring. “I’m going to give that horse a long ride.”