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African-American social dances started as a way for enslaved Africans to keep cultural traditions alive and retain a sense of inner freedom. They remain an affirmation of identity and...
- 5 min
- 779.7K
- TED-Ed
In the 1920s African-American dancers like Broadway choreographer Elida Webb and musicians like James P. Johnson launched the Charleston to a national level.
- 3 min
- 9.1K
- Christian Frommelt
Famed choreographer, dancer, tap dancer and dance historian Chester Whitmore discusses how he met Fayard Nicholas and how that relationship led him to learn ...
- 13 min
- 17.6K
- SwingingInTheHood
Feb 14, 2017 · Along with the emergence of hip-hop, African-American social dance took on even more visibility, borrowing from its long past, shaping culture and being shaped by it. Today, these dances continue to evolve, grow and spread.
- 5 min
- Lisa LaBracio,Camille A. Brown
- Getting Into The Swing of Things
- If The Shoe Taps, Wear It
- New Guitars. New Grooves.
- Self-Love & Street Dances
- An Era of Icons
- From House Parties to Hit Pop Songs
- Black Dance Takes Center Stage
When the media reflects on the 1920s, we’re often met with images of pale-faced flapper girls doing dances assumed to be “theirs.” In reality, the 20s dance movement was born in Black communities like Harlem, New York, where famous Black dancers were inventing partnered dances to pair with their style of music – Jazz. Out of informal Black parties ...
When it comes to famous Broadway musicals and American musical films, a Tap Dance number is often considered a staple if not a requirement. However, Tap existed long before the White-dominated Broadway scene. Tap Dance, like many dances, was fueled by the lived experiences shared by African dancers and Black Americans. What we recognize as Tap toda...
By the 1950s, Black musicians began swapping horns and traditional string instruments for Electric guitars. These guitars acted as the ideal sound for mixing Freeform Jazz, Blues, Gospel, and Country into one art form – Rock and Roll. While Elvis is indisputably known as the King of Rock and Roll, his style of music and dance existed years before h...
During the 1970s, American Bandstand was eclipsed by Soul Train, a national show that featured Black music artists and dancers who grooved their way down lines of onlookers. Lockingbecame a popular style on the show, as it centered heavily around self-love and pride that Black Americans were beyond ready to express. Black Americans living on the We...
In 1981, the launch of MTV brought dance styles and moves pioneered by the Black community into homes through highly produced videos from music icons such as: Michael Jackson Fun fact! MJ learned many of his iconic moves from members of the famed Popping crew, The Electric Boogaloos. You can catch The Electric Boogaloos executing MJ’s favorite move...
While Breaking was the original dance style pioneered by Hip Hop culture, young black Hip Hop dancers began incorporating easier-to-learn party moves like The Prep and the Running Man into their sessions in the early 1980s. Dancers like Buddha Stretch (who’s often referred to as a key dancer who bridged the Ol’ Skool and New Skool Hip Hop eras) s...
By the time the new millennium rolled around, Hip Hop and Rap accounted for 90% of the music played at parties and school dances around the country. Who remembers... Crank That? Pop, Lock, and Drop It? The Stanky Legg? The Jerk? But it wasn’t just moves that came out of the culture at this time. Black dancers were still iterating entirely new style...
African-American social dances started as a way for enslaved Africans to keep cultural traditions alive and retain a sense of inner freedom. They remain an affirmation of identity and independence. In this electric demonstration, packed with live performances, choreographer, educator and TED Fellow Camille A. Brown explores what happens when ...
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African-American social dances started as a way for enslaved Africans to keep cultural traditions alive and retain a sense of inner freedom. They remain an affirmation of identity and independence.
