A Tribute to Tap Dancer Frank Condos

A tribute and profile of tap dancer Frank Condos.

STAGE NAME: Frank Condos
FULL NAME: Dionisius Firtes Kontas
DATE OF BIRTH: February 26, 1906
PLACE OF BIRTH: Kalamata, Greece
DATE OF DEATH: Unknown
PLACE OF DEATH: Unknown
BROTHER: Steve Condos (1918-1990)
BROTHER: Nick Condos (1915-1988)

Frank Condos worked in his father's restaurant when he was in high school. That restaurant was located across the street from an African American vaudeville hours known as the "Standard Theatre". One of Frank's jobs was delivering meals to the theater's dancers. He loved watching the tap dancers and they inspired him to learn to tap dance himself. He loved doing wing steps and be became well-known for his five tap wing.

Frank Condos left home at age 16 (around 1922 or 1923) to dance on stage with partner Mateo Olvera as the tap dancing ensemble "King and King". The duo was billed as "the fastest legs in show business'. Their act often included a soft shoe dance to "Tea for Two", a clog dance to "Three O'Clock in the Morning", and a fast challenge style dance to "June Night".

King and King broke up in 1929 and Olivera began dancing with his two brothers as "King, King, and King". Frank began dancing with his own brother Nick as "The Condos Brothers" When Frank decided to become a solo dancer, Steve Condos replaced him as a Condos Brother.

In the 1940's Frank Condos worked as a dance director and in the 1950's he worked as a shipyard welder. He is believed to have remained in that job until he retired.

Condos Brothers Tap Ensemble
Frank Condos danced with his brothers Nick, Harry, and Steve as "The Condos Brothers", usually as a duo, but ocasionally as a trio.