Danny Daniels

Danny Daniels, born Daniel Giagni, Jr. on October 25, 1924, in Albany, New York, was an American tap dancer, choreographer, and dance teacher who died on July 9, 2017, at the age of 92.

Daniels began his Broadway career in 1941, appearing as a featured dancer in productions that included Best Foot Forward, Count Me In, Billion Dollar Baby, Make Mine Manhattan, and Street Scene, with his performing credits on Broadway extending through 1948. He also toured with the Agnes de Mille Dance Theatre during the years following his initial Broadway run.

His career shifted increasingly toward choreography for stage, film, and television. On Broadway, he earned a Tony Award for Best Choreography in 1984 for The Tap Dance Kid, as well as an Astaire Award that same year for the production. He received three additional Tony nominations over the course of his career, for High Spirits, Walking Happy, and the 1967 revival of Annie Get Your Gun.

Daniels' film choreography credits include The Night They Raided Minsky's (1968), Pennies from Heaven (1981), Zelig (1983), and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984). He also choreographed the dance sequences and dubbed the tap sound effects for Stepping Out (1991), the film musical starring Liza Minnelli. For television, his work included The Judy Garland Show in 1963 and specials featuring Gene Kelly and Danny Kaye.

In 1952, Daniels collaborated with composer Morton Gould to create the Tap Dance Concerto. Among his students was actor Christopher Walken.