The Four Step Brothers were an American dance group. The group started out as a trio in 1925, with the original members, Maceo Anderson, Al Williams and Red Walker. Although their original name was the Step Brothers, because that was also the name of another famous young tap dancing quartet, they subsequently changed their name to "The Three Step Brothers." In 1927, after accepting a new member, Sherman Robertson, they became The Four Step Brothers. Dubbed "The Eight Feet of Rhythm," the group soon traveled with Duke Ellington.[1] While starring with the "Brothers," Anderson also appeared at the Hoofers Club and worked part-time as a newsboy.[2]
The quartet was the first black act to perform at Radio City Music Hall, the first to appear at the Chez Paree Club in Chicago and the first to break television's color bar.
The group became known for their complex dance routines. The "Brothers" incorporated snake hips, five-tap wings, slides, Afro-Cuban movements, rhythm (jazz) tap, the camel walk, the strut, straight acrobatics, etc. They tried not change their dance steps except to make them better or when incorporating new dancers. They were known for their "challenge dances" in which they tried to outdo one another in routines that used no music. Each dancer would solo while the other dancers stood back, clapping hands and stomping feet.
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