Sanding (dance) the box of rosin before matches to improve his grip. Sims' popularity as a tap dancer and career at the Apollo certainly made him one of the most if not the most influential sand-dancer of all time. Sand dancing was also used by the popular comedic vaudeville trio, Wilson, Keppel and Betty. They spread sand over the stage in one of their most well-known numbers, "Sand Dance". In their performance, there was no allusion to African American heritage; rather to the sandy environs of Egypt, a clear inspiration for their number. In spite of this deviation from the African American
Ballet of the 20th Century Ballet of the 20th Century Ballet of the 20th Century (), was a ballet and contemporary dance company in Brussels, Belgium in 1960, by the French/Swiss choreographer Maurice Béjart. For many years it was the official dance company of the Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie. The company was known for including South and East Asian elements in its performances. Bejart had previously founded a company in Paris, which he named first Les Ballets de l'Étoile, and later Ballet Théâtre de Maurice Bejart. When he moved to Brussels in 1960, he relocated the company and renamed it Ballet du XXme Siècle.