Who was Maurice Hines? Popular American Dancer Dead at 80

Tony-nominated tap dance maestro Maurice Hines Jr. has passed away at the age of 80, as confirmed by reports from friends and family, including Debbie Allen.

Born in 1943 in New York City, Hines commenced his tap journey at the tender age of five at the Henry LeTang Dance Studio. His undeniable talent led LeTang to craft special numbers for Hines and his younger brother, Gregory. The Hines family trio, known as Hines, Hines & Dad, embarked on a performance circuit across New York, Las Vegas, and Europe, making regular appearances on shows such as The Pearl Bailey Show and The Tonight Show.

Maurice Hines Jr. credited his early success to the vision of his mother, stating in a 2013 interview with TheaterMania, “She wanted something more for her sons, never knowing that it would be in show business. But once she saw that, she nurtured it in a very loving way. If you don’t do it through love, then it becomes a job, and she didn’t want that for us as babies.”

His Broadway debut took place in 1954 in The Girl in the Pink Tights. Hines continued to grace Broadway stages in productions like Eubie!, Sophisticated Ladies, Bring Back Birdie, and Uptown…It’s Hot!, earning a Tony nomination for the latter. Beyond performing, he directed, choreographed, and conceived Uptown…It’s Hot!, as well as the unique mashup Hot Feet, blending the music of Earth, Wind & Fire with The Red Shoes. In 1990, he became the first African-American to direct the Radio City Christmas Spectacular.

Onscreen, Maurice Hines starred alongside his brother in Francis Ford Coppola’s film The Cotton Club, portraying a tap dance double-act inspired by the Nicholas Brothers. The film marked the last collaboration between Maurice and Gregory, who stopped speaking for over a decade until the passing of their mother, Alma. Despite the estrangement, their careers remained intertwined, with Maurice touring in Jelly’s Last Jam, the show that earned Gregory a Tony Award on Broadway.

In his later years, Hines paid homage to Gregory’s influence on tap dance in the stage production Maurice Hines Is Tappin’ Through Life, presented nationwide and off-Broadway at New World Stages. Reflecting on his one-man show, he revealed to TheaterMania, “I was reading an article about tap and they failed to mention my brother. I was embarrassed by it and upset. So as I was doing my one-man show then, which was more of a concert, I would talk more about Gregory and what he did. It evolved out of that.”

In addition to the stage retrospective, Hines was the subject of the documentary Maurice Hines: Bring Them Back, available for rental on demand.

Maurice Hines Jr. celebrated his 80th birthday on December 13, leaving behind a legacy that transcends the stage and screen.