This project honors Gene Ray Artis, affectionately known as “Dancin’ Tony,” a beloved legend in the Washington, DC hand dance community. For more than 70 years, he has been a central figure in the hand dance community, admired for both his distinctive style of hand dancing and his lasting influence on those who come in contact with him.

The National Hand Dance Association is assembling an invaluable collection to preserve Dancin’ Tony’s legacy. The collection will be donated to the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library’s People’s Archive repository in July 2026, the month he turns 90.

The collection will include:
• Clothing
• Photographs
• Award statues
• Washington Post articles about Dancin’ Tony
• Oral history interviews with Dancin’ Tony and others who have known or danced with him over the past 70 years

On Sunday, August 2, 2026, the National Hand Dance Association will host a public tribute to celebrate Dancin’ Tony’s life and contributions. The event will feature the following:
• A screening of the documentary short Dancin’ Tony: A Dancing Legend
• A panel discussion featuring four people who have known Dancin’ Tony for many years and can speak to his character and impact.
•Audience participation during the “Dancin’ Tony Hand Dance Party”

Dancin’ Tony’s family will be bringing him to the event. Although he currently resides in a nursing home, his spirit remains strong, and he is mobile with the assistance of a wheelchair.

This long-overdue tribute celebrates a gentleman deeply loved by the hand dance community and ensures that his legacy will be honored for generations to come.