Charles E. Johnson
*Charles E. Johnson was born on this date in 1871. He was a Black dancer. From Saint Charles, St. Charles County, Missouri, he grew up in Minneapolis. As a teenager, he worked at the Nicollet Hotel.
His wife, Dora Babbige, was born in Kentucky. The couple met while performing as part of the same vaudeville troupe in the late 1800s and soon decided to create their show. Early on, as a team, Johnson and Dean agreed to avoid Uncle Tom-style humor. Instead, they went for a higher level of performance. As they could afford, they purchased costumes and jewelry to enhance the act's appearance. They are identified with several firsts. They were the first Black couple to perform on Broadway, the first to use strobe lighting, and the first to use steel taps on their shoes.
The couple was a premier dance team, especially in their signature, elegant cakewalk. They were also the first vaudeville act to perform in full evening attire. Dora Dean's dresses were famed for their beauty and expense, often costing over $1,000! Not to be outshone, Johnson donned formal wear–complete with top hat and monocle – often in white or lavender. The fame of Johnson & Dean led them to tour Europe several times. German painter Ernest von Heilmann painted a portrait of Dora Dean, which was unveiled at the coronation of King Edward VII in 1902 and displayed at the Paris Expo. Dora Dean was even immortalized in song.
Johnson and Dean split up personally and professionally in the 1910s. Both tried solo careers, but without much success. In the 1930s, they made a brief comeback as a reunited dance team. They also reunited romantically and retired to Minneapolis, living together at 811 36th St. E, until Dora Dean died in 1949. Johnson continued to dance and anticipate a performance comeback until his death on December 26, 1956, in Minneapolis. Both are buried at Lakewood Cemetery.
