AFRICAN AMERICAN JAZZ DANCES

AFRICAN AMERICAN JAZZ DANCES

The purpose of this page is to share videos of and information about selected African American originated jazz dances (from the 1920 through the 1940s).

This page is not meant to provide a review of all African American jazz dances. Which dances are featured on this page is partly limited to which dances have videos that have been posted on YouTube.

Note: This page was previously published on jambalayah's sister website http://www.cocojams.com

Some additional African American originated dance videos are found on other Jambalayah dance pages.

Some videos of early African American originated dances document how those dances were performed by White Americans. These revisions were often bland, simplified modifications of how those dances were performed by African Americans.

Sources Of The Videos That Are Featured On This Page

All of the videos on this page are from http://www.youtube.com/

Videos are posted in alphabetical order using the first letter of the name of the dance.

These examples are posted for folkloric, historical, and entertainment purposes.

Please note that links to YouTube videos or to other online resources may not remain viable. Please also be aware that comments posted on YouTube viewer comments threads may not be suitable for children or otherwise may not meet the standards of Cocojams.com

Disclaimer:

I'm not a dance historian. I'm an African American woman who likes sharing information about & video examples of African American culture and other Black cultures around the world.

This page heavily relies on information gleaned from several books, and websites (including YouTube video viewer comment threads, although I would be the first to caution people about totally relying on that information source). I'm fully aware that this page only showcases a few dances from African, Caribbean, or South American cultures. And I'm hoping that this page stimulates more discussion and more research in Black communities and elsewhere on the subject of African American originated jazz dances.

Contact Information

Please send in video links of & comments about African American jazz dances to cocojams17@yahoo.com

Your email address is never posted or shared.

Or, if you are on facebook, visit me at cocojams jambalayah, and befriend me or send me a private message!

Thanks to all those who send in links to videos of African American social dances.

Other Related Cocojams pages<.b>

Visit these related Cocojams.com pages:

http://www.cocojams.com/content/rock-roll-dance-videos

http://www.cocojams.com/content/new-orleans-social-aid-pleasure-club-par...

Related Jambalayah.com pages

Visit the Dance section of http://www.jambalayah.com/ and check out the videos posted under Jazz Dancing and Tape Dancing. Several of those videos are also reposted on this page.

Acknowledgment & Thanks

Thanks to all those who uploaded videos that are featured on this page. Also thanks to those commenters to those videos whose comments are quoted on this page,

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Ms. Azizi Powell,
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

last revision on 8/16/2011

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EXAMPLES OF AFRICAN AMERICAN JAZZ DANCES

Big Apple

Uploaded by 7roach on Aug 31, 2007

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Black Bottom

Uploaded by motorthings on Feb 28, 2007
http://www.blues-dance.com

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The Black Bottom

Uploaded by Aaron1912 on Oct 23, 2009
The Roaring Twenties

Editor:
Here's a summary statement from another sound clip with photographs http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mY3ouKf4nEI uploaded by pax41 on Apr 4, 2008 :

"Dancing began to actively involve the upper body for the first time as women began shaking their torsos in the Shimmy. Young people took to throwing their arms and legs in the air with reckless abandon and hopping or "toddling" every step in the Foxtrot, and soon every collegiate was doing a new dance; the Toddle. No dance epitomizes the spirit and exhuberance of the 20's for us more than the Charleston. The Charleston was introduced to the public in the Ziegfield Follies of 1923 by the all black cast of a show called "Runnin' Wild.", which was written by James P Johnson. From its theatrical origins the Charleston became immensely popular all across America. The overwhelming popularity of the Charleston inspired choreographers and dance teachers to fabricate and promote several new fad dances to a public hungry for novelty. On the heels of the Charleston followed the Black Bottom, which like many jazz era dances was adapted from black theater dance and the Varsity Drag which was introduced in the Broadway musical "Good News."

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The BlackSlide (The Moonwalk)

Bill Bailey is the real inventor of the moonwalk

Uploaded by theroamer on Jul 1, 2009

Editor:

Here's a comment from this video of the origins of the Moonwalk:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-r_WJCcBSAU&feature=related

This is MOONWALK...these ol timers were the masters and originals then came James Brown who funked it...then Jackson who made it his signature move & now owns the "moonwalk" while in fact it was these guys like Cab calloway who performed it first in 1932 calling it "the buzz" & Bill Bailey who perfected it in 55 known as the "backslide" when he exits the stage, these guys were more exciting & original than any dancers i've seen!
- kingofkingz1979 2 months ago 7

Several other Tap videos are found below.

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"Breakdance" 1940s

Uploaded by brilbarrett on Nov 5, 2007
breakdance 1940's. This is proof that hip hop and many of its elements have been around for a long time, long time

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Camel Walk

al & leon -- camel walk

Uploaded by 7roach on Aug 31, 2007

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Charleston

1920s Charleston

Uploaded by swingitshaz on Oct 19, 2009

-snip-

Here's information about the Charleston dance from the uploader of that video:

"The Charleston was the dance that captured the spirit of the 1920s. It was danced with wild abandon by a new generation of independent young Americans, to the new hot jazz that was flooding the country.

The dance began in Charleston, South Carolina, the city from which it takes its name. In 1923, The Charleston was featured in the Broadway show Runnin Wild, one of the biggest hits of the decade. The song from the show - James P. Johnsons tune The Charleston - spread the fad across the nation and onwards to the rest of the world. Josephine Baker became famous for performing the Charleston in Paris in the 1920s. The Charleston is both a solo and partnered dance, both wildly exuberant and exciting to watch. As the hot jazz of the 1920s gave way to the swingin jazz of the 1930s and 40s, the partnered version of Charleston evolved into Lindy Hop."

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Charleston -- Original Al & Leon Style!!

Uploaded by 7roach on Aug 31, 2007

Al Minns & Leon James from the Savoy Ballroom in Harlem
Filmed during the 50s
Danced by original jazz dancers from the 30s

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Flapper Dances (featuring Josephine Baker)

Joséphine Baker - Siren of the Tropics

Uploaded by Gusguy29 on Feb 27, 2010
"French Movie 1927 - Flapper style - Josephine Baker - La sirène des tropiques - Charleston Ginger Rogers Roxie Roaring twenties j'ai deux amours, la petite Tonkinoise, Paris, Folies Bergères, Moulin Rouge, la revue nègre. Zouzou Princesse Tam Tam Jean Gabin C'est Lui Haiti"

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Banana Dance (Josephine Baker)

Uploaded by nickwallacesmith on Mar 19, 2011

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Jigwalk

Uploaded by 7roach on Aug 31, 2007

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Jitterbug

Keep Punchin Jitterbug Contest

Uploaded by twobarbreak on Jan 25, 2007
Whitey's Lindy Hoppers

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Lindy Hop

whitey's lindyhoppers -- history

Uploaded by 7roach on Oct 15, 2007

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Whitey's Lindy Hoppers Radio City Revels 1938

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Harvest Moon Ball

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Early Lindy Hop*

Uploaded by RhythmJunkie on Nov 7, 2006

-snip-

* The title that the uploader gave this video is "Pre-Lindy Hop?". However, alexf1225 wrote " [the] lindy hop was in full swing in Harlem when this video was made".

Another commenter identified this as a Duke Ellington clip. There was also some confusion among this video's commenters as to the name of the lead for this dance. While a few commenters identified the lead as Scatman Crothers, a later commenter was definite that the man in this video was Earl Snake-Hips Tucker.

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Shim Sham

Uploaded by peterkickit on Apr 14, 2006
Demo of the classic line dance "Shim Sham", from the instructional video starring Frankie Manning

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Al and Leon's Shim Sham

Uploaded by twobarbreak on Mar 8, 2007

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Snake Hips

Earl "Snake Hips" Tucker

Uploaded by juanibadass on Jan 18, 2008

Earl "Snake Hips" Tucker doing his Eccentric Dance Act.

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Susie Q

al & leon -- suzie q

Uploaded by 7roach on Aug 31, 2007

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Tap Dancing

Jumpin Jive - Cab Calloway and the Nicholas Brothers

Posted by laughland
July 31, 2006

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The Nicholas Brothers -Down Argentine Way

The Nicholas Brothers

Posted by skndalo
November 12, 2006

"The best pair of acrobatic tap dancers in Hollywood last century"

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Berry Brothers Dance Act

Uploaded by wa6tkq on Jul 29, 2007
James, Warren, and Nyas Berry did a dance act with some amazing jumps and splits. See what they do after jumping off the balcony.

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Tranky Doo

Tranky Doo

Uploaded by 7roach on Aug 31, 2007

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Tranky Doo

Uploaded by juanibadass on Nov 27, 2007
Tranky Doo, from "Spirit Moves".
Al Minns, Pepsi Bethel and Leon James

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Various Dances

Spirit Moves

Uploaded by crackedoreo on Sep 15, 2008
The Tranky Doo ; The California Routine ; Frankie & Willamay Demo ; Big Apple ; Practice Footage inside The Savoy Ballroom ; Lindy Hop ; Jazz dance ; Al Minns ; leon james ; esther washington ; frankie manning

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Shimmy; Snake Hips, Lindy Hop & Other Dances

Al Minns and Leon James on DuPont Show of the Week

Uploaded by LindyCompound on Jan 17, 2007
Al Minns and Leon James demonstrate various dance styles including the Shimmy, Snakehips, and the Lindy Hop. Filmed November 1961.

-snip-

The uploader also wrote "I found it on an out-of-print videotape called "Chicago and All That Jazz."

Here are several other comments from this video's viewer comment thread:

Freaking awesome..it's got everything, tranky doo, snakehips, california routine. great quality, too! Thanks!
-EdenSwings; 2007

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at 1:25 he's skanking/two stepping, the origin of ska and punk rock dance as well perhaps. Totally awesome video. 5 stars :D.
-Honnis ; 2007

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kids call this the spongebob now. its the new hot dance search for it and see how history repeats itself
-Stylemasterr; 2007

Editor: For comparison's sake, here's a video of the Spongebob:

Uploaded by somethin2special on May 18, 2007
i was dancin to the tote it remix...

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The Big Apple

Uploaded by twobarbreak on Mar 8, 2007

-snip-

This video features the following dances. Here's the list of dances in the order of their performance (as per my hearing what the announcer said & as per a partial list posted by a commenter: The Black Bottom, The Charleston, Truckin; Suzy Q; Mooche; peckin'? ; Shag, and the Lindy Hop. I added a "?" because I wasn't sure that this was the dance name that was given.

Regarding the date of this film clip, gcrav, a commenter wrote "The Big Apple hit the national scene in late 1937. This might be a Billy Spivey's Big Apple Dancers show from around that time."

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Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/ to visit my blog.

Pancocojams is an eclectic mix of information, comments, and videos about the histories, cultures, and customs of African Americans & other People of Color. The name "pancocojams" reflects this site's wide range of topics. The name "pancocojams" also reflects this blog's connection to my http://www.cocojams.com website.

Please visit and comment on this blog!

-Ms. Azizi Powell,
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
latest revision September 5, 2011
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