Howard Sims

Howard B Sims Sr. ( Sandman Sims )
Sims dancing in his signature sandbox
Born	(1917-01-24)January 24, 1917 Fort Smith, Arkansas, US
Died	May 20, 2003(2003-05-20) (aged 86) The Bronx, New York, US
Occupation	tap dancer
Spouse(s)	Solange A. Sims married from 1959–2003 until his death
Children	Diane Sims-Jones Howard B Sims Jr.

Howard "Sandman" Sims (January 24, 1917 – May 20, 2003) was an African-American tap dancer who began his career in vaudeville. He was skilled in a style of dancing that he performed in a wooden sandbox of his own construction, and acquired his nickname from the sand he sprinkled to alter and amplify the sound of his dance steps. "They called the board my Stradivarius," Sims said of his sandbox.

From the 1950s to the year 2000, Sims was a regular attraction — a "fixture" — at Harlem's noted Apollo Theater, comedically ushering failed acts offstage with a hook, broom or other prop. He was also involved in New York City's Hoofers Club, a venue primarily for Black tap dancers.

As part of the resurgence of interest in tap dancing in the 1980s, Sandman Sims served as a cultural ambassador, representing the United States with dance performances around the world. He was featured in the 1989 dance film Tap, along with Sammy Davis Jr., Gregory Hines and Savion Glover, demonstrating classic challenge dancing. Sims also appeared in a 1990 episode of The Cosby Show as Rudy's tap dancing teacher, facing off against Cliff (Bill Cosby) in a good-natured tap challenge.

In her review of the play based on his life, New York Times critic Anna Kisselgoff wrote, "Sims is a virtuoso among virtuosos — in a class by himself. To say Mr. Sims dances on sand is like saying Philippe Petit is a tightrope walker."

Born in Fort Smith, Arkansas on January 24, 1917, Sims was one of 12 children. The family soon relocated to Los Angeles, California, where he was raised. Describing his childhood, Sims said, "It was just a whole big dancing family." He learned to dance from his father, and said he was dancing as soon as he could walk. He began tap-dancing at the age of 3. He attributed some of his early love for tap dancing in particular to his mother, exasperated that he kept wearing out the toes of his shoes, putting steel taps on the shoes. Along with his brothers, Sims was dancing on the sidewalks of Los Angeles from a young age. At the age of 14, peeping in the windows of a dance school got Sims arrested for loitering, but he was able to dance his way to freedom, convincing a judge that his reason for being on that street was legitimate.