In honor of black history month, we’re throwing it back to the “Doctor of Jazz,” Frank Hatchett.
In 1984, Hatchett was an original faculty member of Broadway Dance Center. Located in the heart of midtown Manhattan, BDC quickly became the premier training ground for professional performers in ballet, on Broadway, and beyond. The studio was known for its roster of master teachers including Luigi, Jamie Rogers, Henry LeTang, Phil Black, David Howard, and, of course, Frank Hatchett.
Hatchett exemplified what it meant—and still means—to be a teacher at Broadway Dance Center. He had an impressive performance resume, having danced for the likes of Sammy Davis Jr., Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, and Pearl Bailey. He had an insatiable passion for teaching dance that went beyond just teaching steps. Hatchett instilled in his students an inner confidence, encouraging them to express emotion and overcome challenges through movement and performance. Hatchett was not just a teacher; he was also a mentor, a father figure, and a friend. He saw greatness in each of his students and challenged them to explore their true potential.
Hatchett’s signature style, VOP, was a blend of strength, funk, and individual interpretation, with an emphasis on selling your performance. VOP was a marriage of movement and music where dancers matched their technical training with their own artistic flavor and expressive soul. Hatchett’s classes, especially his famous “3:30pm Advanced class,” were always packed with high-energy choreography, celebrity clientele (Madonna, Brooke Shields, Naomi Campbell, Olivia Newton-John, etc.), and a dash of tough love. Hatchett gave attention to every dancer and would publicly call you out—for better or worse—in order to help you grow as a performer.
In 2013, Hatchett passed away at the age of 78. Broadway Dance Center hosted a tribute performance at Symphony Space in his honor. The three-hour event included heartwarming speeches, spiritual songs, and dance performances showing off Hatchett’s legendary VOP style. Many of us never had the opportunity to take an actual class from Frank Hatchett. But dancing at BDC is inspired by him thanks to the generation of his students-turned-teachers who are keeping his legacy alive…Sheila Barker, Lane Napper, Robin Dunn, Michelle Barber, Heather Rigg, Ginger Cox, Derek Mitchell, and Debbie Wilson. Like so many teachers here at BDC, Hatchett emphasized the importance of foundational dance technique, artistry and individuality, and passion for the art of dance. We are forever honored to keep the VOP legacy alive.
Click here to watch our video honoring the late, great Frank Hatchett.
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human beings. Many have graced the Broadway stage and Hollywood films while others have followed Hatchett’s inspiring vocation to teach. And one thing is for sure: Hatchett didn’t teach “steps.” He instilled in his students a sense of self by expressing emotion and overcoming challenges through movement and performance. Hatchett was not just a teacher, but also a mentor, a father figure, and a friend. He saw greatness in each of his students and challenged them to explore their true potential.
On Tuesday afternoon, the Symphony Space Theatre was packed with students, colleagues, and friends who have been touched by Hatchett’s passion for dance. The nearly three hour-long performance celebration felt like a great big family reunion. It was a sort of homecoming for all of those lives Frank touched. Frank’s dance family—his brothers and sisters, daughters and sons—shared memories and performances that were humorous, sentimental, and moving.
After tripping up the stairs to the microphone (á la Jennifer Lawrence at the Oscars), Brooke Shields described how Papa Frank nicknamed her, “Tasty B,” when she was learning to get in touch with her sexy-side in class. “I couldn’t look at myself in the mirror,” she explained, tearing up. “I didn’t want to seem vain.” But Frank helped her overcome her fear. The mirror is not just a tool to see the lines and shapes of your body. The mirror makes you see yourself: your soul and passion as a dancer.
In ancient Greece, Aristotle characterized “good” art as that in which the audience experiences , a purgation of emotions that results in a sense of renewal and restoration. The performance was an illustration of the power of art—not just dance, but also singing, music, speech, and film. Art can help us to mourn, to express gratitude, to celebrate, to honor, and to heal. This event, in my opinion, exemplified the therapeutic and magnificent power of art.In ancient Greece, Aristotle characterized “good” art as that in which the audience experiences catharsis, a purgation of emotions that results in a sense of renewal and restoration. The performance was an illustration of the power of art—not just dance, but also singing, music, speech, and film. Art can help us to mourn, to express gratitude, to celebrate, to honor, and to heal. This event, in my opinion, exemplified the therapeutic and magnificent power of art.
