FROGS.
>> SOMETIMES INSPIRATION CAN
COME FROM UNEXPECTED SOURCES.
THIS NEXT STORY IS ABOUT A
LONGTIME CHICAGO DANCER
CHOREOGRAPHER AND TEACHER.
HE FOUND EARLY MOTIVATION AND
TRAINING WATCHING A TV SHOW
FAMILIAR TO MANY CHICAGOANS.
HIS NAME IS RANDY DUNCAN AND HE
IS BEING HONORED NEXT MONTH BY
THE CHICAGO ACADEMY FOR THE ARTS
FOR HIS LONG CAREER IN DANCE.
HERE IS JAY SHEFSKY WITH HIS
STORY.
[♪♪♪]
>> AS THE THIRD OF SEVEN KIDS IN
A BLUE-COLLAR FAMILY ON THE WEST
SIDE, RANDY DUNCAN SAYS HE WAS
ALWAYS A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN
HIS SIBLINGS.
>> MY BROTHERS WERE ALL INVOLVED
IN SPORTS.
I WANTED TO TWIRL THE BATON.
AND I WANTED TO JUMP DOUBLE
DUTCH.
ANYTHING THAT HAD MOVEMENT IN IT
THAT WAS PRETTY.
I ENJOYED WATCHING MUSICALS ON
TELEVISION WHETHER IT WAS
SHIRLEY TEMPLE OR WHETHER IT'S
FRED AS ASTAIRE OR GINGER
ROGERS.
I REALLY LOVED IT.
I LOVED THE COSTUMING AND I
LOVED THE LIGHTS AND I LOVED
EVERYTHING ABOUT IT.
>> ONE MORE TIME AND A LIFT.
>> TAKING CLASSES WAS OUT OF THE
QUESTION.
SO HIS FIRST LESSONS CAME FROM A
SURPRISING PLACE.
LIKE MOST CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOL
KIDS IN THE 1960s, RANDY CAME
HOME FOR LUNCH.
>> YOU GOT AN HOUR FOR YOUR
LUNCH BREAK.
SO I WOULD RUSH HOME FROM SCHOOL
EVERYDAY.
AND AT THE 12:30 HOUR I KNEW
THEY WOULD HAVE THE GUEST ON AND
I WAS HOPING IT WAS THE
ACROBATS.
>> RANDY STUDIED THE ACROBATS.
EVERY FLIP, TWIST, AND BACK
BEND.
>> AND I WOULD GO OUTSIDE AND
TRY THE TRICKS.
EVERYTHING THAT THEY DID.
>> THEN CAME THE MOVIE THAT SET
THE COURSE FOR HIS CAREER.
>> WEST SIDE STORY CAME ON
TELEVISION.
SEEING THOSE GUYS DRESSED UP IN
REGULAR STREET CLOTHES AND
DANCING AND SYNCHRONIZATION AND
TELLING A STORY.
THAT IS WHAT I WANT TO DO.
>> RANDY WAS IN SEVENTH GRADE
AND BY CHANCE THE FOLLOWING YEAR
HE SAW A NOTICE ABOUT AUDITIONS
FOR AN ALL CITY HIGH SCHOOL WEST
SIDE STORY.
>> AND THE POSTER SAID THAT THEY
WERE LOOKING FOR ACROBATS.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT AN AUDITION
WAS I DIDN'T KNOW THE MEANING OF
IT.
>> MORE THAN A THOUSAND STUDENTS
TRIED OUT.
MANY WHO CLEARLY HAD A LOT OF
TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE.
RANDY WAS SURE HE DID NOT HAVE A
PRAYER.
BUT IN THAT HUGE AUDITORIUM HE
TOOK A CHANCE THAT CHANGED HIS
LIFE.
>> SOMETHING CAME OVER ME TO
RAISE MY HAND IN THE MIDDLE OF
ALL THESE THOUSAND FOLKS AND SAY
EXCUSE ME, I THOUGHT YOU SAID
YOU WANTED ACT ACROBATS AS WELL?
AND THEY SAID CAN YOU DO ANY?
AND I SAID WELL, YEAH.
AND THEY SAID COME ON UP AND
SHOW US.
SO HERE I AM WITH MY LITTLE
EIGHTH GRADE SELF GET UP ON
STAGE AND I STARTED DOING MY
ACROBATICS FROM BOZO'S CIRCUS
AND THE NEXT THING YOU KNOW I AM
A SHARK.
>> RANDY'S STAR ROSE QUICKLY.
THE CHOREOGRAPHER OF THAT SHOW
INVITED HIM TO TRAIN ON
SCHOLARSHIP.
HE BECAME A PROFESSIONAL DANCER
AT AGE 15 WHEN HE WAS INVITED TO
JOIN THE JOSEPH HOLMES DANCE
COMPANY.
19 YEARS WITH JOSEPH HOLMES THE
LAST SEVEN AS ARTISTIC DIRECTOR.
>> NOW HE IS CHAIR OF THE DANCE
DEPARTMENT AT CHICAGO ACADEMY
FOR THE ARTS WHERE HE HAS BEEN
TEACHING SINCE 1994.
>> OK GUYS.
PLACES FOR STAND BY ME.
[♪♪♪]
>> THEY HAVE A PASSION FOR DOING
WHAT THEY DO.
AND THEY ARE VERY GIFTED AND
TALENTED YOUNG ARTISTS.
ALL THEY WANT TO DO IS DANCE.
AND THAT'S REALLY WHERE I COME
FROM LOOKING INTO THOSE
BEAUTIFUL EYES AND SEEING MYSELF
IN THEIR EYES.
THEY REMIND ME OF MYSELF WHEN I
WAS THEIR AGE.
BECAUSE I WAS THERE AGE WHEN I
FIRST STARTED.
>> FOR "CHICAGO TONIGHT" THIS IS
JAY SHEFSKY.
>> RANDY DUNCAN WILL BE HONORED
AT THE CHICAGO ACADEMY OF THE
ARTS ALL SCHOOL SHOWCASE ON
FEBRUARY 9TH.
THE EVENT IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
AND YOU CAN FIND OUT MORE ON OUR
WEBSITE.
IN 1994 RANDY DUNCAN WAS