Legacy

The Sammy Dyer School of Dancing was established in May 1933 by noted Choreographer Sammy Dyer. Dyer, instructor of tap and stage shows for Muriel Abbott and the famous Abbotteers, also produced cafe shows at the old Sunset Cafe, Club Morocco, and others such as Club DeLisa, where he spent eighteen years. In 1950 Sammy Dyer created the Dyerettes, an African American female dance troupe known to be the only chorus act of its kind. The Dyerettes toured internationally with some of the greatest entertainers of the twentieth century including Nat King Cole, Sammy Davis Jr., and Sarah Vaugh.

 
At Dyer's request in 1960, the directorship of the school was passed to Dyerette Shirley Hall Bass. In 1968, Mrs. Bass traveled to the Bahamas Islands with 30 Dyer School dance students, beginning the Cultural Exchange Workshop. In this program students from the Bahamas Dance Theatre and Sammy Dyer School travel each year to share culture and tradition through dance and friendship. In recent years the Chicago school has hosted an array of exciting dance workshops and seminars including Tap Explosion which featured Broadway star and instructor Savion Glover. Students of Sammy Dyer have also placed 1st in numerous competitions on regional and national levels. Their most recent accomplishment was a special performance at Walt Disney World in Orlando Florida.
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