Maceo Anderson

Who was Maceo Anderson?

Maceo Anderson expressed an interest in dancing at the age of three. As a child, he used to sneak into the Lafayette Theatre to watch performances with his young friends. He and his friends would practice dance routines. As a young man in his teens, he founded a trio of dancers who performed at Harlem's Cotton Club.

Anderson was the founder of the tap dancing group known as "The Four Step Brothers". The group performed successfully for over thirty years. They were credited as being the first black act to perform at Radio City Music Hall. "The Four Step Brothers" also made television and motion picture appearances. Their dance routines were a unique blend of soft shoe, tap, acrobatic tricks, and "flashy" footwork. The dancers in the group attempted to outperform one another. Anderson performed with the group throughout their existence. They performed abroad and with the Duke Ellington Orchestra. Ellington wrote "Mystery Song" for Anderson and his performing friends, Al Williams and Mr. Walker. The three performed together as "The Three Step Brothers" until the 1930s when they added a fourth performer to the group and at that time, they became known as "The Four Step Brothers".