holding jam sessions every week at a jazz nightclub in New York called La Cave. This became an education-based practice where up-and-coming tappers would come and improvise, while older and experienced tappers would mentor them. Among the mentored included dancers such as Savion Glover, Van Porter, Ira Bernstein, and Roxane Butterfly. Legacy and death Slyde was known for being a great rhythm tapper who had impeccable musicality (partly due to his early music training), perfect timing, and slides that made it appear is if he could glide across the floor effortlessly. His slides were essential to his musicality. "The slides took on many parts of speech, from little connective scoots to long, stage-traversing slalom runs. Slides allowed him to tease the beat, delaying then catching up. They were silences, visually exciting rests, but they also functioned as long notes, as Slyde's physical dynamics, speeding and slowing, suggested crescendos and diminuendos." He was usually the last dancer to perform because he would top any dancer who rivaled him. However, Slyde was a humble man happy to be part of the tap community, who brought a sound-oriented emphasis to tap and called it "a translating thing". The younger generation gained knowledge from him and regarded him as one of the greats including Savion Glover who stated he was "the Godfather of tap" and "one of the true masters of the art form". Slyde died on May 16, 2008 at the age of 80 in his home in Hanson, Massachusetts. Filmography Awards and honors 1984–1986: Choreographer's Fellowship, National Endowment for the Arts 1988: Choreographer's Fellowship, National Endowment for the Arts 1993: Choreographer's Fellowship, National Endowment for the Arts 1998: Living Treasure in American Dance award, Oklahoma City University, Ann Lacy School of American Dance 1999: National Heritage Fellowship, National Endowment for the Arts 2001: Recipient of the first Charles "Honi" Coles Award 2001: along with mentee Rocky Mendes, awarded a Traditional Arts Apprenticeship by the Mass Cultural Council 2002: Honorary Doctorate of Performing Arts in American Dance, Oklahoma City University, School of American Dance and Entertainment 2002: Hoofer Award, American Tap Dance Foundation 2003: Fellowship for Creative Arts in Choreography, John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation 2005: Dance Magazine award 2007: Slyde and Mendes, Traditional Arts Apprenticeship, Mass Cultural Council 2008: Inducted into the International Tap Dance Hall of Fame See also List of dancers References External links Jimmy Slyde performing at The White