- Humanities DC.

Discover the tapestry of our nation's capital.

("I'm a Roadrunner" by Junior Walker) ♪ Money, who needs it ♪ ♪ Let me live a life free and easy ♪ ♪ Put a toothbrush in my hand ♪ ♪ And let me be a traveling man ♪ ♪ 'Cause I'm a roadrunner, baby ♪ ♪ Ooh ooh ooh, ooh ooh ooh, ooh ooh ♪ There are seniors in Washington DC unlike no other place in the world.

The seniors of DC are the practitioners of the historic dance known as DC Hand Dance.

(R&B music) DC Hand Dance, the official dance of Washington DC.

When most folks entertain- In 2021, I filmed the story of DC Hand Dance.

You've incorporated that double turn, or is it something you call out while you're doing it?

- No.

- We don't call out anything.

- [Dancer] We just instinctively follow.

- So when you do the double, double turn, that's just your lead and y'all just follow.

- Yes, exactly.

- Mm-hm.

- [Ronald] Wow.

- [Dancer] And a good dancer can follow that partner.

- Sure you're right.

- That's right.

- Sure you're right.

All right, Dunbar.

(laughs) (audience laughs) In making this film, I met... Tell the world who you are.

- Oh, my name is Adrienne Poteat.

- I'm Lawrence Bradford.

- I'm Maxine Grant.

- Nevada Warren, affectionately known as Peaches.

(Ronald chuckles) - Melvin Copeland.

- And Lee Ware.

- And Lee Ware.

- DC Hand Dancers.

- And these are the classic DC hand Dancers.

So give yourselves a round of applause.

- Actually, I teach it.

- You do teach it.

- Yeah.

- So you keeping it alive.

- Oh, absolutely.

- Can I come and learn?

- Oh, absolutely.

- Yeah.

Okay.

After Mr. Bradford said that, at that moment, I began to learn about Lawrence Bradford, the man, the myth, and the legend of DC Hand Dance.

♪ I love your ways ♪ ♪ You got personality ♪ and charisma for days ♪ ♪ Go on and strut your stuff, baby ♪ ♪ I can't get enough, baby ♪ ♪ Mister Catch has met his match ♪ Lawrence Bradford was born on July the 24th, 1944 in Washington, DC to Melvin and Florene Bradford.

Raised in the northwest section of DC, attended St. Augustine's Elementary School, Francis Junior High School, and Western High School, where his talents were on full display as a star basketball player before graduating with honors.

- Brad was a gentleman.

He was a sweet man.

He was innovative, was smart and gentle in everything he did.

That's why I'm not surprised at what he has become in the dance world.

- When I first met Mr. Lawrence Bradford, I was really, really impressed about his leadership abilities.

Now, I recall a story that Mr. John Thompson, the legendary coach of Georgetown University, said that Mr. Bradford could have coached on a national level if he had chosen to.

Now, that takes leadership.

Now, not only that, but to be an instructor of strangers and to teach people who had never danced before, how to dance and transform their lives, that takes leadership.

Lawrence Bradford, at an early age also began to dance.

- My mother was young when I was born, she was 17.

So by the time I turned 12, she's in her late twenties, and her and her buddies were still dancing.

They were still going out dancing.

So when they were getting ready to dance, they would have me lead them so they would get ready for the party, right?

So dancing was just in my blood and we all danced, and then it also became kind of a competitive thing in the neighborhood.

Everybody was trying to do something to do a little better than, you know, guys, we are gonna compete, even if we spitting, we won't see who spits the furthest.

We gonna make a competition out of it.

So we made a competition out of dance, and that's what we did.

Yeah.

(blues music) (audience cheers) - Lawrence Bradford's competitive nature and spirit as a dancer became evident winning award after award and appearing in major dance competitions across the United States (audience cheering) ("Wade in the Water" by Eva Cassidy) ♪ Wade in the water ♪ ♪ Wade in the water, children ♪ ♪ Wade in the water ♪ ♪ God's gonna trouble the water ♪ ♪ Who's that young girl dressed in red ♪ ♪ Wade in the water ♪ ♪ Must be the children that Moses led ♪ ♪ God's gonna trouble the water, oh ♪ (audience cheering) ("I Want" by Chaka Khan) (singer vocalizing) ♪ Baby, when you need me ♪ ♪ Wintertime or anytime at all ♪ ♪ I'll be right there for you ♪ ♪ Be right there whenever you call ♪ ♪ And I said, baby, I'm addicted ♪ ♪ I'm addicted to your love ♪ ♪ I love you more and more ♪ ♪ More and more than all the stars above ♪ ♪ And I say boy I love the way you walk ♪ ♪ And boy, even when you talk ♪ ♪ My world ♪ ♪ Feel so good to me ♪ ♪ Don't you know that you're my fantasy ♪ (singer vocalizing) (audience cheers) - [Announcer] Oh ho, yeah!

(audience cheering) What do you think, ladies and gentlemen?

What do you think?

Couple number seven.

Lawrence Bradford and BJ Jones (audience cheering) ("Lost Without You" by Robin Thicke) (indistinct chatter) (audience members shouting indistinctly) ♪ I'm lost without you ♪ ♪ Can't help myself ♪ ♪ How does it feel ♪ ♪ To know that I love you, baby ♪ ♪ I'm lost without you ♪ ♪ Can't help myself ♪ ♪ How does it feel ♪ ♪ To know that I love you, baby ♪ ♪ Tell me how you love me more ♪ ♪ And how you think I'm sexy, baby ♪ ♪ That you don't want nobody else ♪ ♪ You don't want this guy, ♪ you don't want that guy ♪ ♪ You wanna touch yourself ♪ - Go, girl!

♪ When you see me ♪ ♪ Tell me how you love my body ♪ Go, lady!

♪ And how I make you feel, baby ♪ ♪ You wanna roll with ♪ me, you wanna hold me ♪ ♪ You wanna stay warm and ♪ get out of the cold with me ♪ ♪ I just love to hear you say it ♪ ♪ It makes a man feel good, baby ♪ ♪ Tell me you depend on ♪ me, I need to hear it ♪ ♪ I'm lost without you ♪ ♪ Can't help myself ♪ ♪ How does it feel ♪ Oh, yeah!

♪ To know that I love you, baby ♪ ♪ I'm lost without you ♪ ♪ Can't help myself ♪ ♪ How does it feel ♪ - All right there!

♪ To know that I love you, baby ♪ (audience cheering) ♪ Baby, you're the perfect shape ♪ ♪ Baby, you're the perfect weight ♪ (audience member shouts indistinctly) ♪ Treat me like my birthday ♪ ♪ I want it this way, I want it that way ♪ ♪ I want it ♪ ♪ Tell me you don't want me to stop ♪ ♪ Don't stop ♪ ♪ Tell me it would break your heart ♪ ♪ But you love me and all my dirty ♪ ♪ You wanna roll with me, ♪ you wanna to hold me ♪ ♪ You wanna make fires and ♪ get Norwegian wood with me ♪ ♪ I just love to hear you say it ♪ ♪ It makes a man feel good, baby ♪ - Yeah!

♪ I'm lost without you ♪ ♪ Can't help myself ♪ ♪ How does it feel ♪ ♪ To know that I love you, baby ♪ ♪ I'm lost without you ♪ ♪ Can't help myself ♪ ♪ How does it feel ♪ ♪ To know that I love you, baby ♪ - [Audience Member] All right, now.

(audience members shout indistinctly) ♪ 'Cause you will tell me ♪ - Yes!

- Yeah!

♪ Every morning ♪ - Yes!

- Yeah!

(singer vocalizing) Lovely!

♪ All right, baby ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, oh, baby ♪ Lovely!

♪ Oh, darling ♪ ♪ All right, right ♪ ♪ I'm lost without you ♪ ♪ Can't help myself ♪ ♪ How does it feel ♪ (audience members shout indistinctly) ♪ To know that I love you, baby ♪ ♪ I'm lost without you ♪ ♪ I can't help myself ♪ All right now!

♪ How does it feel ♪ ♪ To know that I love you, baby ♪ ♪ Ooh, yeah, oh, baby ♪ All right now!

♪ Oh, darling ♪ All right now.

♪ All right, right ♪ ♪ Oh, baby, oh, darling ♪ (audience member shouts indistinctly) ♪ Ooh ooh ooh, baby ♪ ♪ All right, all right, right ♪ - [Ronald] As Lawrence Bradford's life as a dancer grew, so did his personal life, becoming father to four.

One of his daughters reflects.

- The thing I remember most, and I think my siblings would agree with me on this.

Daddy was always a very popular person, popular with his friends through basketball, through karate, through dance, obviously.

But to us, he was just our dad.

He was special because he was our dad and not so much special because of all the other things that he could do, even though that's what most people knew about him.

If you asked even Daddy, if he started talking about his life and his legacy, he would talk about dance, he would talk about basketball.

But to us, he was just our dad.

The thing that stands out about Daddy the most is something that people already knew about him, which is that he was a teacher.

Even as a parent, everything was a lesson, a opportunity for you to reflect, to learn, to grow, regardless of the situation.

- My dad was very outgoing, friendly, very community oriented, really spent a lot of time and took time to really help people.

And as my sister mentioned, he was a excellent teacher and instructor in anything he touched.

And one of the things he did, he told jokes, he shot pool.

Pretty much anything he touched, he was excellent.

He jumped rope, he could play jacks.

He taught us chess at a young age.

He tried to get us into computers at a young age.

He would bring us books on Fortran and things of that nature.

You know, his professional career was, he was the director of the computer department for University District of Columbia for UDC.

And they were the second who actually brought online grading to the DC area.

UDC was the actual second university in this whole area to do it under his guide.

- Another thing that I came to find out or discover about the man, Mr. Lawrence Bradford, was his devotion and his, I would say personal fortitude.

Because see, when I met Mr. Bradford, when we were filming my documentary, he had a hip problem.

But you never knew Mr. Bradford was suffering in pain.

And he was dancing and dancing.

But then Mr. Bradford had hip replacement surgery.

Two weeks later, I don't know the exact time, a month, two, three weeks, six weeks, whatever for Mr. Bradford, after having replacement hip surgery to be back on the dance floor.

Teaching Washingtonians how to dance took a devotion and a personal fortitude that I hadn't witnessed in somebody his age before.

Lawrence Bradford's love for the dance resurface and continued after high school and for the rest of his life.

("Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me" by Quincy Jones) (audience cheering) (audience members shouting indistinctly) ♪ Do nothin' till you hear from me ♪ ♪ Pay no attention to what's said ♪ ♪ Why people tear the seam of ♪ anyone's dream is over my head ♪ (audience cheering) ♪ Do nothin' till you hear from me ♪ ♪ At least consider our romance ♪ (audience members shouting indistinctly) ♪ If you should take the ♪ word of others you've heard ♪ ♪ I haven't a chance ♪ ♪ True I've been seen with somebody new ♪ ♪ But does that mean ♪ that I'm been untrue ♪ ♪ When we're apart the words in my heart ♪ ♪ They reveal how I feel about you ♪ ♪ Some kiss may cloud my memory ♪ ♪ And others arms may hold a thrill ♪ ♪ But please do nothin' ♪ till you hear from me ♪ ♪ And you never will ♪ ♪ When we're apart the words in my heart ♪ ♪ Reveal how I feel about you ♪ ♪ Some kiss may cloud my memory ♪ (audience cheers) ♪ Others arms may hold a thrill ♪ ♪ Oh, but please do nothin' ♪ till you hear from me ♪ ♪ And you never will ♪ ♪ Do nothin' till you hear from me ♪ (audience member shouts indistinctly) (audience cheers) - When we leave high school, especially in the inner city, around 34, 35, another 15 years after you've been outta high school, you start thinking about some of the things you did in high school, right?

And you start talking about the high school reunion and all that kind of stuff.

Well, for us, it was kind of dance.

So I'm leaving high school in 62, right?

18, 19, 20, somewhere around in there.

So now when I'm in my early thirties, I want to go back to the dance.

I wanna find the dance, right?

So I go to this club, I'm asking where the Hand, where the Hand, where they dancing, where they dancing, right?

And this is before the term hand dance actually happened.

I have a theory on that, but, you know.

So I go to this club, and there are like nine people in the club, right?

And it's all the music that I grew up on, and those nine people are dancing.

I go back the next week and it's now 10 people in the club.

And so the next thing I know, right, and this is in the late 70s early 80s that this is taking place.

Used to be a club called Foxtrappe down on R Street, right?

Well, they were doing the hustle in there, right?

And so the hand dancers said, "Wait a minute, that is not our dance.

"We're hand dancing."

So they went down and they did the little thing.

And the next thing we knew, a gentleman by the name of Alan Lee, had a radio station.

He started the place, started the dance.

And the next thing you know, you looked up and the place was packed.

'Cause I wasn't the only one looking for somewhere to go to do the dance we did in high school, right?

And it really started to take off.

("Can't Get Enough" by Smokey Robinson) - [Ronald] Lawrence Bradford danced and danced.

♪ Don't you know you're ♪ making it tough, now ♪ ♪ For anybody else and me ♪ ♪ I get the feeling deep down inside me ♪ ♪ If your love was ever denied me ♪ ♪ Alone is what I would be ♪ ♪ You're so good, you're so fine ♪ ♪ You're like my beauty queen ♪ ♪ My mama and baby combined ♪ ♪ I love your ways ♪ ♪ You got personality ♪ and charisma for days ♪ ♪ Go on and strut your stuff, baby ♪ ♪ I can't get enough, baby ♪ ♪ Mister Catch ♪ Then the opportunity to teach presented itself, and Mr. Bradford could not resist.

- We used to hang out in a club called the Eclipse on Bladensburg Road.

We thought, 'cause we grew up in the city, that everybody in DC knew how to dance.

I mean, we knew how to dance, we did it all our lives.

So we thought, and the owner of the club at that time, Larry Beasley, came to me, and I think I was referred to him by one of the guys that dances with us, in the the classic hand dancers, the National Hand Dance Association, Melvin Copeland, for whatever reason, told Mr. Beasley that if he wanted somebody to teach the dance, he should really talk to me.

So he came to talk to me about teaching the dance.

And at the time, I said, "Larry, everybody in DC knows how to dance.

"Hell, you don't really need anybody to teach it, right?"

He said, "I'm telling you, Brad, "you don't see it because you in here dancing.

"There are 20 or 30 people in this club "just standing watching you guys dance, "wishing they knew how to do "what you guys take for granted."

Right?

He said, "So would you just think about it for a minute "and just start a class?"

So we talked and talked and talked.

So I said, "Okay, we'll give it a shot."

So I'm holding the class.

Again, I got seven, eight people in the class.

This is in November of 1992 is when I started teaching.

So now I got nine people in the class, and the word gets out.

Around June, July in 1993, I now got 35, 40 people in the class, right?

I said, "Wait a minute, this is getting crazy."

So now I've had the first group of people from November to June, right?

So now here comes August, September, weather's changing, I got 75, 80 people in the class.

But I got a problem, right?

With the success comes a problem, a logistical problem.

I got some people who've been in the class for seven, eight, nine months.

They're able to do a bunch of stuff.

I got now 25, 30 people that don't know anything.

So now what am I gonna do?

Right?

Because now I gotta try to teach both groups at the same time.

And that's how the structure of the class came to be.

- [Ronald] Lawrence Bradford's classes began to grow and grow, which became known as the Lawrence Bradford Smooth and Easy style of DC Hand Dance.

(R&B music) As the Smooth and Easy style continued to grow, more and more DC residents began to gravitate to hand dancing, and the nation's capital began to dance and dance.

Lawrence Bradford began to add variations on the classic DC Hand Dance style, allowing the dance to evolve.

And more and more people came to study with Lawrence Bradford.

As the new variations on the classic hand dance style of dancing that Lawrence Bradford introduced began to grow, some of the classic DC Hand Dancers weren't necessarily happy with this change.

However, once seen by new hand dancers, it was a hit and people loved it.

- Some of the old schoolers like ourselves kind of resented the fact that you took our dance, which was old school, and you made it something, it's almost like it was competitive.

We didn't compete like that.

We weren't a showcase.

Like they said, we had fun.

We went out, and when we did compete against others, it was like, you get the floor, and if you got the floor and people circling around you, that means you were really doing something.

But to actually go out there and compete for money or showcase, no, we didn't do that.

We were just dancing.

And there was some people that they were immaculate, they were superb.

They could really roll on that floor.

And if you saw Brad in the old school, it did not look like what he's doing now.

Brad was a good old school dancer.

("People Will Say We're In Love" by The Spaniels) - [Ronald] Hand dance in DC was back with a vengeance.

The older and the new.

♪ Didn't you hear what I told you ♪ ♪ Don't sigh and gaze at me ♪ ♪ Don't you know that your ♪ sighs are so (indistinct) ♪ ♪ You better watch your eyes ♪ As Lawrence Bradford Smooth and Easy style grew, his teaching technique evolved as well.

(indistinct) - Before I- ♪ Baby ♪ - [Ronald] With the evolution of Smooth and Easy, DC now had two styles of hand dance, the old classic hand dance, and the new Smooth and Easy.

It's worth mentioning again, not everyone was happy with the evolution and the two styles rarely met and dance on the same dance floor together.

- I will say that in my observation, old school doesn't dance with new school.

They do not dance with new school at all.

That's my observation.

And that's unfortunate for the dance.

That's unfortunate for what Brad wanted this to be.

He wanted to be integrated.

So I think it's unfortunate, but they don't.

- A lot of the old schoolers, they want to get out and have a good time.

They don't care if you do six turns.

But the new schoolers think they're doing something and sometimes they look down on the old school.

("That's Why I Love You So" by The Temptations) - [Ronald] In spite of this brewing controversy, hand dance in DC continued to grow.

♪ Rest of my life, oh, baby ♪ ("That's Why I Love You So" by The Temptations) (upbeat music) As the classic old school dancers continued to age Lawrence Bradford's Smooth and Easy style was bringing in a new generation of dancers, ensuring the survival of hand dance in DC.

(upbeat music) (singer singing indistinctly) - [Singer] Pay attention.

(upbeat music) (audience cheering) ♪ Hey ♪ ♪ Hey ♪ ♪ Like this ♪ ♪ Hey ♪ (audience cheers) ♪ Hey ♪ ♪ Hey ♪ ♪ Hey ♪ (audience cheers) (indistinct) - [Ronald] To ensure the survival of the two styles, dance classes of both styles are being taught citywide.

- Pass like this, leave space and all that.

Lean past (indistinct).

Okay?

Right foot goes next and there you go.

Right here.

Bam.

Pass by.

Right here, gentlemen.

Pass by, here we come.

Pass her.

(singe vocalizing) (audience applauding) - [Ronald] One of the main reasons for the growth of Smooth and Easy was that Lawrence Bradford began to graduate his dance students to make room for the newcomers.

And those that graduated received a certificate of graduation, qualifying them to become teachers of Smooth and Easy as well.

- [Instructor] One and two, three and four, and slide.

And one and two, three and four, and five.

And one and two, three and four, and five.

And one and two, and three and four, and five, and loose.

- Five, six, seven.

- Take all out, guys.

Give 'em a round of applause.

(audience cheers) (announcer drowned out by cheering) - First, I was a student of grad from his first class.

And as his classes started to grow and he needed help, he took 11 students from the first class and trained them how to instruct.

And those 11 students wanted to to dance, whenever there was an affair, Brad would do a demo dance with his current partner.

At the time, it was Lulu, who was old school.

And as we learned how to instruct, we wanted to show the crowd that we could dance too.

And it was impossible for all 11 of us to do a separate dance.

So the Smooth and Easy Dance Troupe was formed.

So it was 12 people.

Initially 11, Brad making the 12th person.

So Brad gave the guys, five guys, the opportunity to choose who they wanted to dance with out of those females.

And it just broke my heart that nobody chose me.

So out of default, Brad, the last man standing, had to take me.

And it turned out to be the best thing in the world for me.

("Shakin' the Shack" by Fantastic Shakers) ♪ Me and Cindy Lou going out tonight ♪ ♪ Aint gonna come home ♪ till the broad daylight ♪ ♪ Shakin' the shack ♪ ♪ Shakin' the shack ♪ ♪ I aint coming back ♪ ♪ Tonight I'm shakin' the shack ♪ ♪ It's Saturday night ♪ and I just got my pay ♪ ♪ Digging on you baby, but ♪ I'm going out to play ♪ ♪ Shakin' the shack ♪ ♪ Shakin' the shack ♪ ♪ I aint coming back ♪ ♪ Tonight I'm shakin' the shack ♪ (audience cheering) ♪ Now at night it's good to be alive ♪ ♪ To raise a family is ♪ the same old thing ♪ ♪ Now we're caught until ♪ the church bells ring ♪ ♪ You're really pretty now, Cindy Lou ♪ ♪ Jump in the act and I'll join you too ♪ ♪ We're all getting down, ♪ don't make no excuse ♪ ♪ I'm ready to party, ♪ so let's turn it loose ♪ ♪ I aint coming back ♪ ♪ Tonight I'm shakin' the shack ♪ (audience laughing) (audience cheers) ♪ Every Monday morning ♪ it's a nine to five ♪ ♪ Now at night it's good to be alive ♪ ♪ To raise a family is ♪ the same old thing ♪ ♪ Now we're caught until ♪ the church bells ring ♪ ♪ You're really pretty now, Cindy Lou ♪ ♪ Jump in the act and join me too ♪ ♪ We're gonna get down, ♪ there'll be no excuse ♪ ♪ I'm ready to party, so turn me loose ♪ ♪ I aint coming back ♪ ♪ Tonight I'm shakin' the shack ♪ (audience cheering) ♪ Every Monday morning ♪ it's a nine to five ♪ ♪ Now at night it's good to be alive ♪ ♪ To raise a family is ♪ the same old thing ♪ ♪ Now we're caught until ♪ the church bells ring ♪ (audience cheering) (announcer drowned out by cheers) That man, we would have practice on Saturdays, we would have a class on Saturday, they ended at 12 noon, and Brad would work me from 12 to five straight.

All we would do is dance and dance and dance and dance.

And it wasn't easy because Brad's a Leo, and Eileen's a Leo, and boy.

But as Jojo stepping on that dance floor, it was explosive, those two wheels.

But we would battle getting there.

(laughs) ♪ Come back to me ♪ ♪ And maybe, if I cry every day ♪ ♪ You'll come back to stay ♪ ♪ Oh, maybe ♪ ♪ Maybe, if I hold your hand ♪ ♪ You will understand ♪ ♪ And maybe, if I kissed your lips ♪ ♪ I'll be at your command ♪ ♪ Oh, maybe ♪ (audience cheering) ♪ I've cried and prayed to the Lord ♪ ♪ To send you back my love ♪ ♪ But instead you came to me ♪ ♪ Only in my dreams ♪ ♪ Maybe if I pray every night ♪ ♪ You'll come back to me ♪ ♪ And maybe if I cry every day ♪ ♪ You'll come back to stay ♪ ♪ Oh, maybe ♪ (audience cheering) ♪ Maybe ♪ Brad, in my opinion, to this day, is the best that I've ever seen in leading a female.

And all the dancers, we did the bird land, we did the walk, we did the skate, we did the bop, we did drops.

He used to, in fact, his nickname for me was Lead Bottom, because in doing some of the dips, if you drop your butt, you went to the floor.

So it took a while for I mastered that.

("Morse Code of Love" by The Capris) ♪ Baby come home to me ♪ ♪ I sent my baby a telegram ♪ asking to be her man ♪ ♪ Begging her to come back home to me ♪ ♪ Oh I dotted the I's ♪ and I crossed the T's ♪ ♪ And I'm begging pretty please ♪ ♪ Honey honey, come back home to me ♪ (indistinct) ♪ Baby I want your love ♪ ♪ Baby I need your love ♪ ♪ Honey honey come back home to me ♪ ♪ Got to have your love ♪ ♪ Can't live without your love ♪ ♪ Honey honey, come back home to me ♪ ♪ Oh i made mistakes, ♪ yes that's the truth ♪ ♪ But the biggest one I made with you ♪ ♪ Honey honey, come back home to me ♪ ♪ I thought that you would understand ♪ (audience cheers) - [Ronald] With the success of Lawrence Bradford Smooth and Easy, some would say he became the pied piper of dance in DC as Washingtonians followed him on the dance floor.

(R&B music) Smooth and Easy gave the dancers of DC an opportunity and a choice to learn the old classic style of hand dance, or the Smooth and Easy style.

Both of which are rooted in the historic Lindy Hop tradition.

(R&B music) (indistinct) If the Lindy Hop evolved into DC Hand Dance, Lawrence Bradford saw that DC Hand Dance could evolve as well, and it attracted thousands.

It's a beautiful thing watching the seniors of DC enjoying themselves on the dance floor.

The dance keeps everyone active socially and physically as well.

♪ You're the perfect man for me ♪ Because all hand dance is rooted in the Lindy Hop, one would ask, what is the difference between the two?

- The difference between the old school style and the Smooth and Easy style is style, okay.

Meaning that women held their heads different, women's body shape and form when they're dancing was about being, I'll basically say prim and proper.

(jazz music) - [Ronald] One of the beautiful things about DC Hand Dance is it allows seniors to socialize, exercise, and glamorize.

And the women love it.

(upbeat music) (indistinct chatter) - On Sundays, I would look forward to going there because I'm telling you, the guys were sharp.

They were very sharp.

And I had never seen anything like that because you know, I'm not in a church.

I don't see where men dress up in suits all the time, looking good, shoes shiny and all of this.

And they would be such gentlemen then.

They would come over to your table and extend their hands and ask you to dance, escort you to the floor, dance with you, and bring you back to your seat.

And I just love that.

And I also love dressing up myself, you know, because I mean, all the women looked very nice.

I didn't wear the shoes that they wore because I, you know, I don't want my feet to hurt.

I came to dance.

So I would have on the ugly dance shoes, you know?

But I just had a ball there every Sunday.

- The ladies at that time, hand dancing was so much enjoyment.

I mean, we had old school, new school, we had the bop, the two step, we had the bird land, we had to walk.

("I'm a Road Runner" by Junior Walker & The All Stars) - [Ronald] As a pied piper of DC Hand Dance, Mr. Bradford's contribution to the art form is undeniable.

Due to his contribution to the dance, people who had never danced before became practitioners of Lawrence Bradford's Smooth and Easy dance style.

And the seniors of DC are still able to let their light shine because of Mr. Lawrence Bradford, the man, the myth, and the legend of DC Hand Dance.

♪ You might look at me and I'll be gone ♪ ♪ You can love me if you wanna ♪ ♪ But I do declare ♪ ♪ When I get restless ♪ ♪ I got to move somewhere ♪ ♪ I'm a road runner baby ♪ ♪ Anywhere is my home ♪ ♪ Hey ♪ ♪ And I love the life I live ♪ ♪ And I'm gonna live the life I love ♪ Humanities DC, discover the tapestry of our nation's capital.