Beta Sigma - Southern University National Step Show
Champions!!!!! (2002)
**** Edited by Azizi Powell
This pancocojams post showcases seven YouTube videos of stepping performances by members of Beta Sigma chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. These YouTube video performances are from 2002, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2013, 2019, & 2024.
The content of these videos are presented for historical, cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.
I'm particularly interested in showing the ways that stepping has changed or remained the same in this chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. I am also interested in documenting that body patting (body percussion) is an important element of these stepping performances.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to all past and present members of the Beta Sigma chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Thanks to all those who are featured in these showcased videos and thanks to all the publisher of these videos on YouTube.
**** GENERAL INFORMATION From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_University "Southern University and A&M College (Southern
University, Southern, SUBR or SU) is a public historically black land-grant
university in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States. It is the largest
historically black college or university (HBCU) in Louisiana..."...
**** From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpha_Phi_Alpha "Alpha Phi Alpha is the oldest intercollegiate historically African American fraternity. It was initially a literary and social studies club organized in the 1905–1906 school year at Cornell University but later evolved into a fraternity with a founding date of December 4, 1906"... -snip- Click the Alpha Phi Alpha tag below for more pancocojams posts about this fraternity.
"CHAPTER OF THE YEAR" a total 4 times. 1956, 1959, 1983, and 1986.
[...]
The
history and legacy of the 61st chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha and one of the oldest
chapters in the state of Louisiana is one that begins with the hard work and
intense drive of the charter members.
The interested men of Southern University, at that time, had many
hurdles to overcome in order to bring Alpha Phi Alpha to the deeply racist
south, but more importantly, to the deepest and most racist state in the
south. During that time the granting of
charters was a complicated process...
This is why the introduction of Beta Sigma chapter to Southern University was so important, not
only to Alpha Phi Alpha, but to the campus of Southern University. It showed the nation that Southern was not
only one of the premier colleges in the south, but in the nation and a bastion
of black academia.
These 10 visionary young men were:
James P. Christy
George A. Davis
John D. Davis
Henry A. Dumouil
Charles C. Guthrie
James S. Peters (last living charter member)
Othneil R. Thompson
Hugh J. Thornton
Edgar T. Thornton
Earl L. Walters
On December 11, 1936, in a ceremony conducted by Brother
H.B. Evans, the hard work paid off and their dreams came to be when these men
chartered the Beta Sigma chapter at Southern University."...
**** ADDITIONAL SHOWCASE VIDEOS Except for showcase video #1, these videos are presented in chronological order based on their publishing date, with the oldest videos given first. Numbers are added for referencing purposes only.
**** SHOWCASE VIDEO #5 - Beta Sigma Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Homecoming 2012 Greek
Show
Human Jukebox Media, Oct 13, 2012
Southern University Homecoming 2012 Greek Show. Sorority's
First Place Deltas, Second Place AKA's. Fraternity's First Place Alpha's,
Second Place Kappa's
**** SHOWCASE VIDEO #6 - Alpha Phi Alpha | Beta Sigma Chapter | Yard Show Fall 2019
Marvin Price, Oct 23, 2019
Beta Sigma Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha
**** SHOWCASE VIDEO #7 - Alpha Phi Alpha | Beta Sigma Chapter | Homecoming Step Show
2024
While reading a discussion thread for a video about choreographer Petit Afro from Holland, I came across this comment:
"I Love to see how afrikan dance is not only about dancing but interpretation and facial expressions are so important as body movements."
-Tacio daSilva, September 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sueuOezi8FQ
Petit Afro - Afro Dance, published by Petit Afro Official on Oct 26, 2017
That observation started me wondering which contemporary African American group movement arts performers use facial expressions (other than smiling) as a major part of those performances.
Here's my list (given in no particular order) :
foot stomping cheers
stomp and shake cheerleading
historically Black Greek letter fraternity and sorority stepping/strolling Hip Hop majorette dance lines*
and majorette dance lines that are auxiliaries to university football teams
*This term refers to community (usually girls') majorette lines.
The performance styles of the majorette dance lines which are affiliated with historically Black colleges & universities' marching bands are very different from the performance styles of community (Hip Hop) majorette dance lines and gay communities' j-sette troupes which also were/are heavily influenced by the marching band dance lines.
Click the "J-setting" tag found below for pancocojams posts on the university marching band dance lines and the gay communities' j-setting troupes.
****
In 2011 when I curated my cultural website cocojams.com, for one of that site's pages, visitors were invited to send in examples of school and community cheers that they performed or remembered performing or hearing. One woman (Joi;( Birmingham, Alabama; 1990s) identified herself as a coach of a predominately Black Catholic high school cheerleading squad, posted several examples of cheers and added "When you say these cheers, remember to say them with attitude!". [Read "Angels Go Swinging" on http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2016/09/foot-stomping-cheers-alphabetical-list.html for one of those cheers).
I thought of that quote as I compiled that list of movement arts that include facial expressions as part of their performances. And it also occurred to me that, in addition to facial expressions, groups that perform those contemporary Black movement arts also focus on expressing "attitude" through the ways that words are spoken (intonation), and through the performance of particular body stances and movements.
In particular, I'm thinking about the types of "attitude" that members of African American originated movement arts groups are said to have when they make certain facial expressions (such as "grittin"/mean mugging) and/or perform certain aggressive or near aggressive actions such as cheerleaders leaning towards their opponent's squad. These facial expressions and actions convey self-confidence, strength, being assertive, being determined, having "swag", "being hard", being "hyped" ("gettin crunked"), being pumped [up]), being fierce, being very serious [about what they are doing], and/or being for real (even though doing so may largely be part of a dramatic performance).
This pancocojams post showcases some video and text examples of "attitude" in contemporary African American group movement arts*. In the context of these examples, "giving attitude" or "having attitude" [not "having an attitude"] is something that is highly regarded. Although it's not included in this post, "attitude" is also an important part of some individual Black originated/adapted dance styles.
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The content of this post is presented for cultural purposes.
Thanks to all those who are featured in these videos and all those who are quoted in this post. Thanks also to the publishers of these videos on YouTube.
-snip-
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2018/10/facial-expressions-other-aspects-of.html for the previous pancocojams post on this subject. In addition to six videos, that post also includes an excerpt about the vernacular meaning of "attitude" from the Oxford English Dictionary (OED).
*A pancocojams post that showcases videos of foot stomping cheers will be published ASAP and its link will be added to this post.
****
PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTE [Added October 26, 2018] Here's an observation that I included in a 2013 pancocojams post on foot stomping cheers:
Drama (role playing) is supposed to be an important part of chanting insult/bragging foot stomping cheers. These cheer performances fail if the stompers/chanters don't have "attitude" (i.e. How they say the cheer (intonation), their facial expressions, their moves and body gestures are supposed to support and reinforce the word of the cheer. For instance, in confrontational (insult, bragging) cheers the girls are pretending to have disdain for and aggressive stance toward their (imaginary, unnamed) opponent. http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/05/an-overview-of-foot-stomping-cheers.html An Overview Of Foot Stomping Cheers (Part I- Characteristic & Sources).
I believe that this observation also applies to the performance of some historically Black Greek letter fraternity/sorority stepping chants and to the performance of some stomp and shake cheers.
Example #1: SEHS vs Booker Cheer Battle part 2 [stomp and shake cheerleading]
Tish Jones, Published on Oct 28, 2016
-snip-
From reading most of the discussion thread for this video, I figured out that "SEHS" means "South East High School" but I still don't know where that high school or its competitor Booker High School are located.
Here's one comment from that video's discussion thread:
Anne Laura, 2017
"I don't really get what this at all but DAMN i wouldn't have the patience to not smack the attitude off some gals"
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Example #2: Blade vs. Flowers Battle Part 2
Dimples1luv, Published on Sep 19, 2016[stomp and shake cheerleading]
Here's the words that were posted for the last cheer in the video:
"your moves are whack get them off my track you can't be a jet cause you look like that"
-posted by Dayshav ft. Fvat v Fox, 2017
-snip-
*The commenter misspelled "wack" as "whack". "Wack" means ""crazy", stupid", "worthless", "uncool" etc.
**"Jag" is an abbreviation of the team name "Jaguar". The commenter misheard this name as "jets". I corrected that abbreviation in that transcription.
Click https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-A548lw3r0&t=1s for Part I of this high school cheer battle: Bladensburg vs. Flowers Cheer Battle 2015. Both of these high schools are in Prince George's County, Maryland.
Click the stomp and shake tag below for pancocojams posts on stomp and shake cheerleading.
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Example #3: Virginia State University; Spring 2018 Phi Beta Sigma Probate - Tri Alpha Chapter[historically Black Greek letter sorority stepping]
Deserae Johnson, Published on Mar 31, 2018
Spring 2018 Tri Alpha Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Incorporated
VSU
-snip-
A probate is a show that introduces new members of a fraternity or sorority to other members of their organization and to the general public. I don't believe this term is used in historically White fraternities and sororities.
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Example #4: 5TH ANNUAL CALI GREEK PICNIC STROLL-OFF : Sigma Gamma Rho [historically Black Greek letter fraternity stepping/strolling]
California Greek Picnic 2018, June 16, 2018 at USC
-snip-
Notice how the woman in the front row on the right of the stage hangs out her tongue while grimacing [making a grit face/mean mugging]. I've seen that feature in a number of "mean mugging" videos of the Black originated movement arts listed above. I've also noticed that "tongue hanging out" in dance certain videos of Holland's Petit Afro.
Click Petit Afro tag for videos of this Black choreographer.
New Zealand's rugby team (whose name is the All Blacks for their black colored uniforms) perform a pre-game Maori ritual called "haka". As part of that custom, some players stick their tongue out. Here's one video of the All Black's haka: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiKFYTFJ_kw.
I don't know what that tongue hanging out custom means whenever it's combined with the grit faces/mean mugging grimaces during fraternity or sorority stepping, during afro-fusion dancing such as Holland's Petit Afro's dance group, during Maori haka, or otherwise.
Click the Black fraternity and sorority tags for additional pancocojams post on fraternity and sorority steppin[[g].
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Example #5: Bring It!: Street Battle Part 2: Stinky Diva (Season 1, Episode 6) | Lifetime [Hip Hop majorette dance line; j-setting]
Lifetime, Published on Apr 10, 2014
Watch part 2 of the street battle where the Dancing Dolls respond to the Divas of Olive Branch with "Stinky Diva," in this scene from Episode 6 (Street Battle) of Bring It!
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Example #6: 2017 Battle At The Capitol Dynamic Angels vs Kreations Captain's Battle [Hip Hop majorette dance line; j-setting]
Silver Starlets Dance Team, Published on Jul 18, 2017
2017 Battle At The Capitol..Infamous Captain's Battle between Dynamic Angels and Kreations. Dynamic Angels takes the win!!!
-snip-
Click the "Hip Hop majorette" or "J-Setting" tag below for pancocojams posts on this performance genre.
This pancocojams post presents some comments about facial expressions and other aspects of "showing/giving attitude" in certain contemporary African American movement arts.
Some videos that include these facial expressions are included in this post.
The content of this post is presented for cultural purposes.
Also, click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2018/10/how-petit-afros-youtube-dance-videos_23.html for a related pancocojams post entitled "How Petit Afro's YouTube Dance Videos Express Being Afro-Dutch & Promote African Culture, Part III (Comments About Facial Expressions As Part Of Dance Performances)". That post includes three videos of Petit Afro's dancers in Holland.
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PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTE [revised Feb. 16, 2026]
In 2011, a visitor named Joi sent several children's recreational cheers* to my no longer active cocojams cultural website, Joi identified herself as a coach of a predominately Black Catholic high school cheerleading squad. Along with those cheers Joi wrote "When you say these cheers, remember to say them with attitude!".
I thought of that quote as I compiled this list of movement arts that include facial expressions such as "grittin"/" mean mugging" as part of their performances. In addition to facial expressions, groups that perform those contemporary Black movement arts also focus on expressing "attitude" through the ways that words are spoken (intonation), and through the performance of particular body stances and movements such as leaning towards their opponent's squad or flipping their hip at the other squad while they turn their backs on them.
These facial expressions and actions convey self-confidence, strength, being assertive, being determined, having "swag", "being hard", being "for real", being "hyped" ("gettin crunked"), being pumped [up]), being fierce, being very serious [about what they are doing], and/or being for real (even though doing so may largely be part of a dramatic performance).
Here's an observation that I made that I included in a 2013 pancocojams post on foot stomping cheers: "Drama (role playing) is supposed to be an important part of chanting insult/bragging foot stomping cheers. These cheer performances fail if the stompers/chanters don't have "attitude" (i.e. How they say the cheer (intonation), their facial expressions, their moves and body gestures are supposed to support and reinforce the word of the cheer. For instance, in confrontational (insult, bragging) cheers the girls are pretending to have disrespect, disdain for and anger towards their (imaginary, unnamed) opponent/s/competitor/s." http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/05/an-overview-of-foot-stomping-cheers.html An Overview Of Foot Stomping Cheers (Part I- Characteristic & Sources).
I believe that this observation also applies to the performance of historically Black Greek letter fraternity/sorority stepping chants and to the performance except that the group/s that they are confronting/dissing aren't imaginery.
"In my opinion, one of the main difference between the chanting that's done in stomp cheers [mostly non-Black performances of African American originated stomp and shake cheers and other African American originated cheer performances) is whether or not those performers convey "attitude".
In most of the stomp cheer videos I've seen, when they are chanting confrontational/bragging cheers, the (usually White) stomp cheerleaders in those videos don't have the super-confident, aggressive, "don't mess with me 'cause we come to battle" demeanor (dramatized or otherwise) that is integral to those cheers.
Furthermore, the foot stomping movements often seem too mechanical to me. By "mechanical" I mean that not only are the stomps and other movements in the stomp routine not "crisp" ("tight", "sharp","precise", "on point"), but it often seems as though the cheerleaders are performing the movements machine like, from memory, without any spirit or energy.
a. Aggressive or uncooperative behaviour; a resentful or antagonistic manner. In phrs. to cop an attitude , to give attitude , etc., to assume such a manner. slang (orig. U.S.).
1985 N.Y. Times 26 Oct. 31/4 If I'm out there for months with everybody yelling at me, I'm going to cop an attitude.
1990 L. Lane & N. L. Andrews Malibu 90265 ii. 18 No wonder the saleswoman had an attitude... A zero had just dropped off the end of her commission.
1991 Athlon's Baseball '91 IV. 25/1 Bonds developed what is called an attitude. Underneath it all he is a nice kid.
b. Hence, any highly independent or individual outlook, approach, appearance, etc.; self-possession; style, swagger, front; esp. in with (an) attitude . slang (orig. U.S.).
... 1990 Police Rev. 28 Sept. 1916/1 In this job, you gotta have attitude, hang loose, ready for anything.
1992 Face Feb. 44/1 The not-entirely-unattractive cast—spearheaded by Jason Priestley and Luke Perry as hunks with not much attitude Brandon and Dylan—set a good few pulses racing and hogged the covers of the nation's teen press.
You have the uncomplimentary assessment (sense a: uncooperative behaviour), which gave rise to the positive assessment (sense b: self-possession). Both are in use, and context is crucial, although my sense is that we are more likely to say 'an attitude' for sense a.
answered Jul 4 '14 at 5:18
Peter".
-snip-
In the context of this post, both definitions of "having attitude" or "giving attitude" could be relevant. However, in the context of this post, with the exception of the "uncooperative" aspect of definition "a", both of these definitions would be considered positively.
Example #1: "WSSU CHEERLEADERS GETTIN' CRUNK" [stomp and shake cheerleading]
ORIGINALCHEERPHI, Published on Feb 22, 2008
WSSU CHEERLEADERS SHOWING U HOW IT SHOULD BE DONE AT THE ULTIMATE CHEER & DANCE EXPERIENCE TRIAD HIGH SCHOOL CHEERLEADING COMPETITION 2007
-snip-
"WSSU" is Winston Salem State University.
A 2011 video example of WSSU's cheerleaders performing this same cheer can be found at WSSU CHEERLEADERS 2010-11 Basketball BATTLE , published by cavettaj on Jun 11, 2011
My online research strongly suggests that WSSU is one of the originators of stomp and shake cheerleading in the late 1970s/early 1980s. Another originator of a different style of stomp and shake cheerleading is Virginia State University. A video of that cheerleading squad is given as Example #2.
The publisher of that 2008 "WSSU Cheerleaders Gettin' Crunk" video wrote in that video's discussion thread that "You Get No Respect In Here" was composed by WSSU cheerleaders in 2003. A commenter in another video's discussion thread* shared that same information. And another commenter wrote that "You Get No Respect In Here" is the cheer that started a cheerleading revolution. While this certainly isn't the earliest stomp and shake cheer, it may be the most popular, judging from the number of commenters writing on these YouTube video discussion threads that their middle school or their high school does this cheer.
*This comment [from the 2008 discussion thread cited above] was written in response to a commenter who wrote “when you mess with the Cowboys]
CheerPhi93, 2008
"I Coached in 2003 and remember when the cheer was made up...It has been revised..and never never ever ever...Did it say Cowboys...lol...it's When you are messing with the Rams you are bound to get Krushed...
Great Job Cheer Phi
WSSU ALUM
CHEER PHI 93 (POPPA-RA)"
**Tahvyea Rains, 2014, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkpOiVssR0s
"WSSU Original!!!!! Shout out to the 2003-2004 Varsity for making that one! I still remember the 1st time they did it at the Fayetteville State bball game that year. Crushed the competition!!!!!!" WSSU CHEERLEADERS 2010-11 Basketball BATTLE", published by Cavettaj on Jun 11, 2011
"RAMS BACK IN THE CIAA... taking names!
:::: finishing off Livingstone in a friendly battle::::
WSSU vs Livingstone 2010-11"
Here are the words to that cheer as transcribed a number of times in that 2008 discussion thread:
you gets no respect in here (No Respect Hey Hey) (No Respect Hey Heyy)
we see our moves in all your cheers (In All Your Cheers) (In All Your Cheers)
we know you think you are the best ( You Think You Are) (You Think You Are)
Su will Put You To The Test ( Put You To The Test) (Put You To The Test)
So Dont Start No Stuff Wont Be No Stuff
Dont Start No Stuff Wont Be No Stuff
Cause When You Messing With The Rams You Bound To Get ( Ahhh Say What) CRUSHED
-posted by Jalise Cobia, 2011
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Example #2: VSU Woo Woos (Work It...) [stomp and shake cheerleading]
GoTrojans, Published on Sep 11, 2008
VSU vs. NSU Labor Day Classic August 30, 2008
-snip-
"VSU"= Virginia State University.
Here's the words to this cheer:
V-S-U let's work it
ayeee yee yee
work it
ayyeee yee yee
trojans you know how we do
get out ya seats and work big blue
ahhhhh work it
ayeeee yee yee
(repeat)
-Virginia State University Cheerleaders (Woo Woos)
*transcription by Azizi Powell from this video.
Click the stomp and shake tag below for pancocojams posts on stomp and shake cheerleading.
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Example #3: Omega Psi Phi Que Doggs [historically Black Greek letter fraternity stepping]
mrchangeurlife, Published on Jul 18, 2008
Gamma Sig Ques Settin' It Out 75th Conclave 2008
-snip-
Here's a comment from the discussion thread of another Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. video: "Omega Psi Phi Stepping on the Steve Harvey Show"
"They KILLED it love this grit faces"
-lmanley11, 2009
-snip-
"Killed it" means to do something very well.
Another term for having a "grit face" is "mean mug". Making a "grit face" is called "mean mugging".
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Example #4: Spelman Freshman Step Team Alum Battle [historically Black Greek letter sorority stepping]
LookOut504, Published on Oct 11, 2008
The former freshman step team members of some of Morehouse and Spelmans finest teams have some fun. CAU was in attendance but we missed their performance
This comment was posted in that video's discussion thread in response to a number of comments criticizing the faces made by the step team in the beginning of this video:
"- Ok , let's diminish the ignorance a little. The faces they are making are called "GRIT FACES". When stepping many organizations put on "GRIT FACES" to show how serious & how hard they go for their org. Lol it's a SOUTHERN thing. #DirtySouth"
-Minelly Deme, 2013
**
There are far more YouTube video example of men "mean mugging" while they are "pledging" a historically Black fraternity" than of women "mean mugging" while they are "pledging" historically Black sororities. Note: Pledging ("hazing") has been illegal in The National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) organizations (the Divine Nine) since 1990, but probates [new members of these organizations] stepping and strolling in shows isn't considered pledging or hazing.
Click the Black fraternity and sorority tags for additional pancocojams post on fraternity and sorority steppin[[g]. Also, click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2016/08/branding-mean-mugging-grittin-in-omega.html for the pancocojams post entitled "Branding & Mean Mugging (Grittin) In Omega Psi Phi, Inc. & In Some Other Historically Black Greek Letter Organizations".
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Example #5: Bring It!: Call-Out Battle: Jackson Dolls vs. Birmingham Dolls (Season 4, Episode 7) | Lifetime [Hip Hop majorette dance line; j-setting]
Lifetime, Published on Feb 25, 2017
Watch the baby Dolls from Birmingham face off against their big sisters from Jackson in a call-out showdown from Season 4 Episode 7, "A Tale of Two Dollhouses". #BringIt
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Example #6: Majorette Kids Battle Final Phaze Vs The Empire(Dance n Out Chicago) [Hip Hop majorette dance line; j-setting]
Dance N Out Chicago, Published on Jul 12, 2018
Show some luv for these kids. They doing their thing.
We back, more 2 come yall....
-snip-
Click the "Hip Hop majorette" or "J-Setting" tag below for pancocojams posts on this performance genre.
This post is part of an ongoing pancocojams series that explores the influences on the performance of historically Black (African American) Greek letter stepping.
This post provides some information about the history of tap dance and soft shoe dancing and showcases The Berry Brothers (soft shoe dancers who were famous from 1929-1951 for their soft shoe dance routines with canes).
Three YouTube videos of The Berry Brothers are included in this post along with a few selected comments from the discussion thread of two of these videos.
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The content of this post is presented for historical, cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to The Berry Brothers for their dance legacy. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to the publishers of these videos on YouTube.
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PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S COMMENT [revised September 6, 2018]
My interest in this subject was recently whetted by reading several comments in discussion threads for historically (predominately) Black Greek letter organizations [BGLO} that stepping, the custom of carrying canes (or staffs) and cane tapping/cane twirling during step performances came from African cultures.
My position is that African cultures weren't the direct source for BGLO stepping with or without carrying canes. That is to say, I don't believe that stepping was created as a result of historically Black Greek letter fraternities and sororities learning about or being taught one or more forms of African dance such as South African gumboot dancing. Stepping is a performance art that has evolved over time and continues to change within different organizations and different chapters and regions of those organizations.
For instance, what is now called stepping has changed since I first pledged a historically Black Greek letter organization in 1967 (Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Gamma Zeta chapter). I don't recall ever using the term "stepping" or hearing that term used, but I do recall doing a dance routine in a vertical line and/or a horizontal line while singing adapted R&B songs that praised that organization.
That said, I believe that certain African dance forms -such as South African gumboot dancing- may have eventually influenced the performance BGLO stepping, but that performance style was probably influenced more by American military drills and Black drum major parade stances. It's obvious that some elements of certain African dance forms are quite similar to stepping, but I think that this can be attributed to the similar aesthetic preferences of Africans and of African Americans and other people in the African Diaspora.
More specifically, while it's true that a number of African ethnic groups have traditional dances that are performed with men and women holding sticks*, I believe that customs of tapping and/or twirling canes that are part of the stepping routines of certain historically Black Greek letter organizations [particularly Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc., and Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc.] can be more directly attributed to Haitian rara cane twirling customs, New Orleans (and other) African American parade traditions, and heavily African American influenced soft shoe and/or tap dancing with a cane performances.
*Some examples of African ethnic groups who have dances holding sticks are South Africans' Xhosa, Zulu, and Mpondo.
-snip-
I hold this opinion in spite of comments from some members of some BGLO organizations that stepping and/or strolling came from African cultures, and that stepping and/or strolling came from Africans who became members of their organizations.
Additional posts on this subject can be found by clicking the tags that are found at the end of this post.
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Disclaimer:
The statement that The Berry Brothers had/have a tremendous influence on historically Black Greek letter stepping with canes is the conclusion that I reached after watching videos of those performers and as a result of reading books and online comments about the early history (particularly the pre 1980s) history of predominately Black Greek Letter organizations (BGLO) stepping.
I want to be clear that I've never read or heard that any BGLO credits tap dancing or soft shoe dancing with or without canes as a contributor to the performance of stepping. Nevertheless, I strongly believe that stepping was influenced and continues to be influenced by these tap/soft shoe dancing. It appears to me that The Berry Brothers' cool, acrobatic style of soft shoe dancing with a cane particularly heavily influenced Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.'s style of stepping,* kane twirling, and other kane work.
That said, this influence absolutely doesn't include The Berry Brothers' big eye facial expressions that are shown in the video given as Example #3 below. That big eye expression was a ubiquitous racist staple of blackfaced minstrelsy and vaudeville that lasted long after those types of entertainments had officially ended.
I'd love to know if any historically Black Greek letter organization recognizes and acknowledges the influence that tap dancing/soft shoe dancing (with or without canes) has had on stepping traditions. Please share any information that you may have about this subject in the comment section below. Thanks!
*For comparison, a 2008 stepping video of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. is found in the Addendum to this post.
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SOME HISTORY OF TAP DANCING
Excerpt #1:
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tap_dance
"Tap dance is a form of dance characterized by using the sounds of tap shoes striking the floor as a form of percussion. The sound is made by shoes that have a metal "tap" on the heel and toe. There are several major variations on tap dance including: rhythm (jazz) tap, classical tap, Broadway tap, and post-modern tap....
There are different brands of shoes which sometimes differ in the way they sound. "Soft-shoe" is a rhythm form of tap dancing that does not require special shoes, and though rhythm is generated by tapping of the feet, it also uses sliding of the feet (even sometimes using scattered sand on the stage to enhance the sound of sliding feet) more often than modern rhythm tap. It preceded what is currently considered to be modern tap, but has since declined in popularity."...
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Excerpt #2:
From https://www.britannica.com/art/tap-dance
"Tap originated in the United States through the fusion of several ethnic percussive dances, primarily African tribal dances and Scottish, Irish, and English clog dances, hornpipes, and jigs. Until the last few decades of the 20th century, it was believed that African slaves and Irish indentured servants had observed each other’s dances on Southern plantations and that tap dancing was born from this contact. In the late 20th century, however, researchers suggested that tap instead was nurtured in such urban environments as the Five Points District in New York City, where a variety of ethnic groups lived side by side under crowded conditions and in constant contact with the distinctly urban rhythms and syncopations of the machine age.
In the mid- to late 1800s, dance competitions were a common form of entertainment. Later called “cutting contests,” these intense challenges between dancers were an excellent breeding ground for new talent. (One of the earliest recorded such challenges took place in 1844 between black dancer William Henry Lane, known as Master Juba, and Irish dancer John Diamond.) Dancers matured by learning each other’s techniques and rhythmic innovations. The primary showcase for tap of this era was the minstrel show, which was at its peak from approximately 1850 to 1870.
During the following decades, styles of tap dancing evolved and merged. Among the ingredients that went into the mix were buck dancing (a dance similar to but older than the clog dance), soft-shoe dancing (a relaxed, graceful dance done in soft-soled shoes and made popular in vaudeville), and buck-and-wing dancing (a fast and flashy dance usually done in wooden-soled shoes and combining Irish clogging styles, high kicks, and complex African rhythms and steps such as the shuffle and slide; it is the forerunner of rhythm tap). Tap dance as it is known today did not emerge until roughly the 1920s, when “taps,” nailed or screwed onto shoe soles at the toes and heels, became popular. During this time entire chorus lines in shows such as Shuffle Along (1921) first appeared on stage with “tap shoes,” and the dance they did became known as tap dancing.
[...]
According to the producer Leonard Reed, throughout the 1920s “there wasn’t a show that didn’t feature tap dancing. If you couldn’t dance, you couldn’t get a job!” Nightclubs, vaudeville, and musicals all featured tap dancers, whose names often appeared on the many marquees that illuminated New York’s Broadway. Stars of the day, including Fred Astaire and his sister, Adele, brought yet more light to the “Great White Way” with their elegant dancing. Bill Robinson, known for dancing on the balls of his feet (the toe taps) and for his exquisite “stair dance,” was the first black tap dancer to break through the Broadway colour line, becoming one the best-loved and highest-paid performers of his day.
Because this was an era when tap dancing was a common skill among performers, a tap dancer had to create something unique to be noticed. The Berry Brothers’ act, for example, included rhythmic, synchronized cane twirling and dazzling acrobatics. Cook and Brown had one of the finest knockabout acts. King, King, and King danced in convict outfits, chained together doing close-to-the-floor fast tap work. Buster West tap-danced in “slap shoes”—oversized clown-style shoes that, because of their extended length, slapped audibly on the floor during a routine—and did break dancing decades before it had a name. Will Mahoney tap-danced on a giant xylophone.
The “challenge”—in which tap dancers challenged one another to a dancing “duel”—had been a major part of the tap dancer’s education from the beginning. It filtered into many theatrical acts. Possibly the finest exponents of the challenge were the Four Step Brothers, whose act consisted of furious, flying steps, then a moment when each attempted to top the others.
From the outset, tap dancers have stretched the art form, dancing to a wide variety of music and improvising new styles. Among these innovative styles were flash (dance movements that incorporated acrobatics and were often used to finish a dance); novelty (the incorporation into a routine of specialty props, such as jump ropes, suitcases, and stairs); eccentric, legomania, and comedy (each of which used the body in eccentric and comic ways to fool the eye and characteristically involved wild and wiggly leg movements); swing tap, also known as classical tap (combining the upper body movement found in 20th-century ballet and jazz with percussive, syncopated footwork, a style used extensively in the movies); class (precision dancing performed by impeccably dressed dancers); military (the use of military marching and drum rhythms); and rhythm, close floor, and paddle and roll (each of which emphasized footwork using heel and toe taps, typically of a rapid and rhythmic nature).”...
-snip-
I added italics to highlight this sentence.
****
INFORMATION ABOUT THE BERRY BROTHERS
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berry_Brothers
The Berry Brothers were an African-American "exotic, acrobatic soft shoe dance" trio, active in the entertainment business for over 30 years.[1] The trio was composed of Ananias (Nyas, "King of the Strut"), James and Warren Berry.
Biography
Ananias "Nyas" Berry and James Berry were born in New Orleans, in 1913 and 1915 respectively. As early as 1919 the two brothers already performed in Chicago and then in Denver where the family settled and the younger Warren was born in 1922.[2]
In 1924 the family moved to Los Angeles where as child actors Nyas, James and then Warren appeared in several films.
In 1929 Nyas and James formed the dance duo "The Berry Brothers" and began performing in vaudeville, in New York (at the Cotton Club) and London.
Around 1935 Warren joined his brothers and the duo became a very successful trio of dancers.
In 1938, at the Cotton Club there was a face-off dance competition between the Nicholas Brothers and the Berry Brothers. It has become a legendary confrontation, a sort of dance-fight for supremacy. By some accounts the Berry Brothers were more athletic but the Nicholas Brothers were better overall performers – better at pleasing the crowd.[3]
At the peak of their success, in the 1940s, the Berry Brothers also performed their routines in some Hollywood movies.
The experience of the Berry Brothers came to a sudden end when Nyas died in 1951 of heart failure.[4] James and Warren continued to perform together or individually for a few more years. James died in 1969, and Warren in 1996 after working for over 15 years as a film editor.[5]”...
This video is from the motion picture 'Panama Hattie' (1942). The clip is probably most famous because of the 'balcony scene'. Remember The Berry Brothers is the only dance act who could rival... the Nicholas Brothers!
****
Example #2: The Berry Brothers
docludi2, Published on Feb 7, 2012
The amazing Berry Brothers dance trio.
-snip-
Here are selected comments from this video's discussion thread (with numbers added for referencing purposes only)
1. Trevor Dance, 2015
"Style, skill, stamina, superb !!!"
**
2. thebes50, 2017
"These guys were so cool!"
**
3. Oran Payne, 2017
"somebody said Nicholas brothers WHO? The Berry Brothers could out dance the Nicholas brothers Fred astaire and Gene Kelly put together. I have never in my life seen a better dance rotine than this one. this is better than the Nicholas brothers on stormy weather. please rolling with canes hitting flips and splits altogether. just mind blowing."
**
4. PlainJaneDoe, 2018
"They are very good but The Nicholos brothers are outstanding!"
**
5. Fuzzyscarfandmittens, 2017
"It's a shame that groups like this and the Nicholas Brothers are virtually forgotten nowadays.
These guys were legitimate performers and they did it in tudexos as well which couldn't have been easy."
**
6. lonnietta duhon, 2018
"The cane throwers had to be just as precise."
-snip-
Here's an excerpt from the Wikipedia page for The Nicholas Brothers: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicholas_Brothers
"The Nicholas Brothers were a team of dancing brothers, Fayard (1914–2006) and Harold (1921–2000), who performed a highly acrobatic technique known as "flash dancing". With a high level of artistry and daring innovations, they were considered by many to be the greatest tap dancers of their day. Their performance in the musical number "Jumpin' Jive" (with Cab Calloway and his orchestra) featured in the movie Stormy Weather is considered by many to be the most virtuosic dance display of all time.
Growing up surrounded by vaudeville acts as children, they became stars of the jazz circuit during the heyday of the Harlem Renaissance and went on to have successful careers performing on stage, film, and television well into the 1990s."...
-snip-
The Nicolas Brothers didn't dance with canes.
****
Example #3: The Berry Brothers tap dance trio.
docludi2, Published on Feb 7, 2012
'Bilko' introduces the Berry Brothers.
--snip-
Here's one comment from this video's discussion thread
Dee Wilson, 2017
"There are no taps on their shoes. It's called soft shoe dancing."
****
ADDENDUM-
For comparison's sake, here's a Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. video:
KAPPA ALPHA PSI Step Show Stomp The Yard
UnitOneMedia, Published on Jan 6, 2008
The VISION of the Kappa Alpha Psi Foundation:
To become the premier Greek letter Foundation in its resources and services to the community.
The MISSION of the Kappa Alpha Psi Foundation:
To provide support for Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Incorporated members and others in service to communities with particular emphasis on African-American communities.
The Kappa Alpha Psi Foundation, Incorporated exists as the philanthropic arm of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Incorporated. The Fraternity was founded in 1911 with the motto of "Achievement in every field of human endeavor." The Foundation was established in 1981 as a non-profit, tax exempt, publicly supported organization as described in Section 501 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Service Code. Its purpose is to assist the community service efforts of the more than 600 active undergraduate and alumni chapters of Kappa Alpha Psi. The Foundation currently supports scholarships, after-school programs and national projects such as Habitat for Humanity
-snip-
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2018/08/information-about-kappa-alpha-psi.html for a 2018 pancocojams post entitled "Information About Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc's History Of Stepping With Kanes & Videos Of Kappa Kane Masters".
This pancocojams post showcases eight examples of traditional African dances that feature dancers holding a stick (including a fly whisk).
In alphabetical order, these examples are from Nigeria, South Africa, and Rwanda.
An Addendum to this post (added on August 30, 2018) includes information about Egyptian saida dancing (dancing with a one or two sticks/canes). One video of that style of dancing is also included in the Addendum. "Saida" may not be "traditional" African dancing, but it is African and it is dancing.
The content of this post is presented for folkloric, cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to all those who are featured in these videos and all publishers of these videos on YouTube. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post.
-snip-
This is only a small sample of YouTube videos of traditional African dances that feature holding a stick (including a fly whisk).
****
PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S COMMENT [revised September 6, 2018]
Article Excerpts Of African & Haitian Rara Sources Of Baton Twirling & Other Twirling Performances".
****
PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S COMMENT [revised September 6, 2018]
My interest in this subject was recently whetted by reading several comments in discussion threads for historically (predominately) Black Greek letter organizations [BGLO} that stepping, the custom of carrying canes (or staffs) and cane tapping/cane twirling during step performances came from African cultures.
My position is that African cultures weren't the direct source for BGLO stepping with or without carrying canes. That is to say, I don't believe that stepping was created as a result of historically Black Greek letter fraternities and sororities learning about or being taught one or more forms of African dance such as South African gumboot dancing. Stepping is a performance art that has evolved over time and continues to change within different organizations and different chapters and regions of those organizations.
For instance, what is now called stepping has changed since I first pledged a historically Black Greek letter organization in 1967 (Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Gamma Zeta chapter). I don't recall ever using the term "stepping" or hearing that term used, but I do recall doing a dance routine in a vertical line and/or a horizontal line while singing adapted R&B songs that praised that organization.
That said, I believe that certain African dance forms -such as South African gumboot dancing- may have eventually influenced the performance BGLO stepping, but that performance style was probably influenced more by American military drills and Black drum major parade stances. It's obvious that some elements of certain African dance forms are quite similar to stepping, but I think that this can be attributed to the similar aesthetic preferences of Africans and of African Americans and other people in the African Diaspora.
More specifically, while it's true that a number of African ethnic groups have traditional dances that are performed with men and women holding sticks*, I believe that customs of tapping and/or twirling canes that are part of the stepping routines of certain historically Black Greek letter organizations [particularly Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc., and Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc.] can be more directly attributed to Haitian rara cane twirling customs, New Orleans (and other) African American parade traditions, and heavily African American influenced soft shoe and/or tap dancing with a cane performances.
*Some examples of African ethnic groups who have dances holding sticks are South Africans' Xhosa, Zulu, and Mpondo.
-snip-
I hold this opinion in spite of comments from some members of some BGLO organizations that stepping and/or strolling came from African cultures, and that stepping and/or strolling came from Africans who became members of their organizations.
**
Here's a comment exchange from the discussion thread for the video given as Example #5 below. This exchange can serve as an example of (probably) African Americans attributing stepping and other elements of African American culture to Africans:
jafairar collins, 2016
"I see alot of historical black colleges band moves in this well for drum majors...I see we really never lost our touch"
**
REPLY
gmail user, 2017
"Only thing is they put the "greek" on it...smh"
**
REPLY
1judahisrael, 2018
"It's in the DNA"
**
Amza, 2018
"jafairar collins EXACTLY what I was thinking! Drum majors, marching bands, and Greek step shows❤"
-snip-
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2018/08/was-south-african-gumboot-dancing.html a pancocojams post entitled Was South African Gumboot Dancing REALLY The Main Source Of The Movements For Historically Black Greek Letter Fraternity & Sorority Stepping?
****
SHOWCASE VIDEOS
These videos are given in chronological order based on their publishing date on YouTube with the oldest dated video given first.
Example #1: Oma Lore 6.6 [Yoruba culture, Nigeria (West Africa)
jensbraun, Published on Dec 23, 2008
Erin ogho, orin Yoruba lati Owo (Muibat Aladeniyi)
-snip-
"Fly whisks" are wooden sticks decorated with horse hair (and possibly other items such as colored beads). Here's an excerpt from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fly-whisk for information about the symbolic meanings of fly whisks in Africa:
"A fly-whisk is a tool to swat or disturb flies. A similar gadget is used as a hand fan in hot tropical climates, sometimes used as part of regalia, and called chowrie, chāmara or prakirnaka in South Asia and Tibet.[1][2]
[...]
Fly-whisks appear frequently in the traditional regales of monarchs and nobility in many parts of the African continent. This use has sometimes carried on into modern contexts: Kenyan leader Jomo Kenyatta carried a fly-whisk, a mark of authority in Maasai society,[5] as did Malawian leader Hastings Banda, while South African jazz musician Jabu Khanyile also used a Maasai fly-whisk as a trademark when on stage.[6]"
****
Example #2: Botswana Cultural Night - Tokyo October 19th 2010
Dancing4kids, Published on Oct 19, 2010
Traditional Dance Troup Performance - Dipela tsa ga Kobokwe Cultural Troupe.
In support of the children of Botswana Dancing4Kids attended this extraordinary event which featured a traditional dance troupe, Dipela tsa ga Kobokwe (apparently translates as "The Rock Rabbits") as well as contemporary band Banjo Mosele & Veterans. Banjo was one of the original founding members of the Kalahari Band that recorded with Hugh Masekela in the 1980's and is active on the European jazz scene, so this should be fun! President Khama was also in attendance.
-snip-
According to several commenters, this is the tsutsube dance, the traditional dance of the San. In 2012 a commenter named avidave wrote that "they are slow , ahh , Tsutsube is nicer when at a higher tempo"
****
Example #3: Botswana Tribe (Bushmen) Dancers In the Athletes Village Welcome Centre. Tsutsube Dance
Andrew Medlock, Published on Feb 11, 2013
Botswana Tribe (Bushmen) Dancers In the Olympic Athletes Village Welcome Centre
-snip-
Here's a comment from this video's discussion thread.
Steven Mmape, 2016
"Stop calling our people "bushmen" there's no such thing as you say. Would you just be respectful and enjoy the video."
-snip-
Here's information about the referent "San" from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_people
"Sān or Saan peoples (also, Sākhoen, Sonqua, and in Afrikaans: Boesmans, or in English: Bushmen,[1] after Dutch Boschjesmens; and Saake in the Nǁng language) are members of various Khoesān-speaking indigenous hunter-gatherer groups representing the first nation of Southern Africa, whose territories span Botswana, Namibia, Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Lesotho[2] and South Africa.
[...]
by the late 1990s, the term San was in general use by the people themselves.[23] The adoption of the term was preceded by a number of meetings held in the 1990s where delegates debated on the adoption of a collective term."...
****
Example #4: Dance performance in Belgian Congo 1956 [This title is incorrect. This is actually the Tutsi dance from Rwanda (Central/Eastern Africa)
MichaelRogge, Published on Jul 29, 2013
From a 16mm Kodachrome film when the Congo was not yet named The Democratic Republic of the Congo
-snip-
Here's a comment from this video's discussion thread:
btflWorld, 2014
"Hi, thanks for sharing this video. a shame though, the music you put in (drums etc) don't correspond to the dance itself at all, it is like to put a rock music on a classic dance. and the music on the video is certainly not from there. Probably from Congo.This dance is from Intore (Rwanda), that still exist till now(recent can be found type "intore dance" in youtube). Normally with this dance, there is no music with it. Dancers have small bells on their feet and the noise the bells make when they dance constitutes the rythm. sometimes there is a drum. for whoever knows this culture, sound matters a lot, I had to remove the sound to fully appreciate the video. But anyways thanks for sharing."
-snip-
Click https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Rwanda about the colonization history of Rwanda.
for information about the history of German and Belgian colonization of Rwanda.
****
Example #5: INDLONDLO ZULU DANCERS SA
Indlondlo Zulu Dancers, Published on Dec 9, 2014
Ushaka Marine Zulu Dance Finals at Ushaka Marine World in Durban South Africa on 30 November 2014.
****
Example #6: Imfene Traditional Dance [South Africa]
Nkanyiso Mathamba, Published on Nov 28, 2016
Kusile - Song by Nkunz'Emdaka from Bizana, Eastern Cape
#MpondoFestival2017 #Ntabankulu #MpondoKingdom
-snip-
Another example of the Mpondo's Imfene (baboon) dance is given as #8 below.
****
Example #7: TOP 10 IGBO CULTURAL DANCE. (OFUOBI CULTURAL DANCE GROUP UDI 2) [Nigeria, West Africa]
UGWUMBA TV, Published on Jun 29, 2017
Dancing with fly whisk in hand
-snip-
Dances with fly whisks are shown at 10:14-11:34 and 17:39-19:23
****
Example #8: Mpondo Culture and Heritage Festival 2017 Thuluzobona perfromance
Princess Stella Sigcau, Published on Oct 10, 2017
Performance by Thuluzobona Traditional group which specializes in Mfene Mpondo Dance. Recipients of the Nkosi Ntsikayezwe Sigcau Memorial Award (traditional youth, category)#MpondoFestival2017 #Ntabankulu #MpondoKingdom #EasternCapeProvince #RepublicofSouthAfrica
-snip-
Here's information about the Mpondo [ethnic group]. I've added this information because this ethnic group isn't as well known [in the United States] as the other African ethnic groups that are featured in this post.
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mpondo_people
"The Mpondo people, also called AmaMpondo and Pondo, are a Southern African ethnic group.[3] Their traditional homeland has been in the contemporary era Eastern Cape province of South Africa, more specifically what used to be the Transkei region.[2] They speak a Nguni / Mbo language called isiMpondo which is grammatically similar to both isiXhosa and isiZulu."...
****
ADDENDUM August 30, 2018
Click https://www.worldbellydance.com/belly-dancing-with-canes/ for information about Egyptian belly dancing with a stick. Here's an brief excerpt of that article:
The idea of belly dancing with canes originates from Egyptian folkloric dances, in particular from the Saiidi region in Upper Egypt. The traditional male dance is called tahtib (also transliterated tahteeb) and it is a martial art, accompanied by music, in which the two fighters use a stick, called assaya in Arabic, to hit and fence each other’s hits. Tahtib as a martial art must have ancient roots as images of men fighting with sticks have been found depicted on ancient Egyptian stones.
[...]
Later, (from the 1960s and 70s) Tahteeb was adapted for the stage by Mahmoud Reda, an Egyptian dancer and choreographer who travelled across Egypt observing traditional dances, which inspired his choreographies that were adaptations of these dances for the stage.
Women incorporated the stick as a belly dance prop, and used it to imitate this typically masculine dance in a flirtatious and cheeky way. Nowadays, dancing with an assaya is often part of raqs sharqi shows. This dance is called in Arabic raqs al assaya, literally cane dance.
The stick used by women is usually a bamboo cane (thinner comparing to the one used for tahtib), which may have a hooked end, and it can be decorated with sequins. If the dance is folkloric, usually the assaya will be a plain bamboo cane; otherwise, for raqs sharqi performances, it can be sequinned. The performer usually wears a long tunic (also called in Arabic galabeya), a hip scarf with coins and a head scarf, which is traditional but it is also useful to keep the assaya in place when balancing it on the dancer’s head.
Saidi Rhythm
The rhythm that usually accompanies raqs al assaya is the saidi rhythm (read more on saiidi on our Arabic rhythms page), which is also used for tahtib. This is why, belly dancing with the cane is often referred to as saidi dance. Saiidi is a strong and earthy rhythm; hence, the movements associated with it must also be strong, very well grounded, with a proud posture and movements pointing to the earth (for example, movements are often performed on flat or semi flat feet rather the standing on feet balls)."...
-snip-
Here's a video of Saida dancing:
This pancocojams post showcases two 2015 videos of Crispus Attacks High School (Indianapolis, Indiana) cheerleaders from 1955-1956 singing a rendition of that school's cheerleader song entitled "The Crazy Song". I believe the song's performance by cheerleaders and its lyrics are precursors to African American originated fraternity sorority stepping chants, foot stomping cheers, and stomp & shake cheers.
The content of this post is presented for folkloric, historical, and cultural purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to the composer of this song and thanks to the women who are featured in this video. Thanks also to the publisher of this video on YouTube.
Hat tip to Dan Robinson, the publisher of this 2016 Crispus Attucks cheerleading video : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SpqF9kj7-4 for alerting me to "The Crazy Song" video.
****
SHOWCASE VIDEOS
Example #1: Crispus Attucks Crazy Song
19nine, Published on Feb 25, 2015
Butler University honored the 1955 and 1956 Crispus Attucks basketball teams at Hinkle Fieldhouse on February 25, 2015. Their cheerleaders celebrated by singing the Crazy Song once again.
-snip-
Another slightly shorter YouTube video of this same rendition of "The Crazy Song" can be found on YouTube.
****
Example #2: Attucks Crazy Song
Anthony Beverly, Published on Jan 31, 2015
-snip-
This January 2015 video of Attucks High School (Indianapolis, Indiana) cheerleaders singing "The Crazy Song" shows some younger cheerleaders dressed in uniforms are shown singing this song at a program (and not an actual athletic game) in an auditorium/gym. The cheerleaders sing while standing in place, shaking their hips a little bit, moving from one foot to another, and waving their arms to the song's beat.
****
SONG LYRICS: THE CRAZY SONG
One woman- Stop
All others- Stop
One woman- Look
All others- Look
All – and take it slow
They can beat everybody
But they can’t beat us.
Hi-de hi-de hi-de-hi
Hi-di hi-di hi-de ho-o
Boh skip bop beat-um
That’s the crazy song.
We’re gonna pull them boys
Right over the line
But they never did mind
They were so far behind
Hi-de hi-de hi-de-hi
Hi-di hi-di hi-de ho-o
Boh skip bop beat-um
That’s the crazy song.
That’s the crazy song!
-snip-
Transcription by Azizi Powell. (Please correct any mistakes that I made in this transcription. Thanks!)
**** COMMENT EXCHANGE ABOUT THE "CRAZY SONG"
As indicated above, I learned about Crispus Attucks High School cheerleader's "The Crazy Song" from Dana Robinson, the publisher of a 2016 stomp & shake video of the Indianapolis, Indiana Criptus Attucks High School cheerleaders. Dana Robinson wrote that these cheerleaders sung "TheCrazy Song" in the 1950s and that song was like the Stomp & Shake cheerleaders. We exchanged some comments and I finally understood that he meant the insult/bragging lyrics to the song were like Stomp & Shake cheerleading and not the movements that the cheerleaders did.
You know we got it. If you want it, come and get it!, posted by Dana Robinson, Jan 24, 2016 Azizi Powell, July 6, 2016
"Dana, the Facebook comments* about the Attucks cheerleaders were very interesting. I'm assuming from those comments that this stomp & shake style of cheerleading isn't common in Indianapolis.
Some commenters mentioned that this style is common in the South (I'm assuming that those commenters meant among a number of African American cheerleading squads in parts of the south. -Note One person on that Facebook thread from Miami wrote that this is the way cheerleaders cheer in that city. But I've read comments from people in Texas who were unfamiliar with this cheerleading style.) ....
**
Here's Dana Robinson's reply to that comment:
Dana Robinson, July 6, 2017
"Azizi Powell This style of cheerleading isn't very common in the USA. The Attucks cheerleaders from even the 1950's did some cheers like this. Look up "The Crazy Song" on YouTube. I think there is an interview of some of those cheerleaders singing it. The song was written by one of the students from Attucks back then.
As you mentioned, only the southeastern states mention cheering in this manner. It may stem from sorority /fraternity stepping but, it being that there is a history dating back to the 1950's of some form of this, I don't know. However, looking at some of the African styles of dance, I think it may have come out of those."
** Here's Dana Robinson's reply to my comment that the movements for "The Crazy Song" aren't like Stomp & Shake cheerleading chants: Dana Robinson, 2016 "Azizi Powell no school from the 1950's would allow the
movements of stomp and shake cheering that goes on today. But the bragging and
insulting were definitely a part of what went on then."
*** Pancocojams Editor's Notes:
The type of song:
Crispus Attucks High School's mid 1950s cheerleading song entitled "The Crazy Song" and the way that it is sung remind me more than anything of the singing traditions of historically White (University based) Greek letter fraternities and sororities*. Those singing traditions also influenced the past and present day singing customs of historically Black (university based) Greek letter fraternities and sororities.
Note: One widely known example of a PWI* (predominately White Institutions) fraternity song is "The Sweetheart Of Sigma Chi". Like BGLOs (Black Greek Letter Organizations), PWI have self-bragging and competitor organizations' insult chants. However, I'm not that familiar with the history of PWI songs/chants and therefore I don't know whether their songs also included/include competitor organization insults, and if so how long that content has been included in PWI songs.
*"PWI" (predominately White institutions) is an acronym that I've often seen online for historically White Greek letter fraternities and sororities, particularly in online discussions among members of historically BGLOs (Black Greek letter organizations)
The singing style
From the two different videos* that I watched of Attucks High School cheerleaders singing "The Crazy Song" it appears that the cheerleaders sung/sing that song while standing in place, clapping their own hands in accompaniment, and moving side to side or from one foot to another to the song's rhythm/beat. This singing style- and particularly the swaying back and forth while accompanying the singing with individual hand claps-is the same way that I recall seeing PWI fraternities and sororities sing their songs in the "quad" during their "Sing Outs" at the predominately White college that I attended in the mid 1960s. That said, one difference between the PWI fraternity and sorority "sings" that I recall and the second "The Crazy Song" video in which the cheerleaders sing at an actual game is that the cheerleaders appear to sometimes move their hips to the beat of that song, and moving one's hips wasn't something that PWI sororities (let alone fraternities) did. Also, moving one's hips was -and largely still is- considered anathema to many proponents of mainstream cheerleading.
It should also be noted that historically Black [university based] fraternity and sorority chanting and stepping evolved from those groups' singing while standing in place and also (perhaps later in the evolution of this performance art) while marching around the university campus.
*My guess is that the January 2015 video of the Attucks High School cheerleaders singing "The Crazy Song" during a program may have been done as a tribute to that school's 1950s cheerleaders and not a usual part of the contemporary cheer repertoire of that high school. The cheerleaders who were shown appeared to be standing relatively in place and (it seems mostly unsuccessfully) directing or encouraging people in attendance at the game to sing and/or clap along with them.
While an Attucks cheerleader in that second video at auditorium/gym program is shown moving from one foot to another to the beat of that "Crazy Song", that movement isn't the synchronized, metronome-like percussive, bass sounding stomps that characterized foot stomping cheers, not to mention that this movement activity isn't done in a group as is the case with foot stomping cheers.
**
With regard to the subject of stomp & shake cheerleading, I agree with Dana Robinson that stomp & shake cheerleading movement performances were/are greatly influenced by BGLO stepping, and other African American/African/Caribbean dramatic elements such as pattin juba (rhythmically alternating hand clapping with knee or chest patting), and leaning forward in an aggressive stance toward your opponents. But I think the words of many stomp & shake cheers were/are more directly influenced by girls' self-bragging and opponent insulting foot stomping cheers. Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/05/an-overview-of-foot-stomping-cheers.html for a pancocojams post on foot stomping cheers.
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THOUGHTS ABOUT "THE CRAZY SONG"'S LYRICS
The Attucks High School (Indianapolis, Indiana) mid 1950s cheerleader song entitled "The Crazy Song" and most stomp & shake cheerleader cheers have different focuses. The cheerleaders singing "The Crazy Song" mildly* brag about their basketball sports team by mildly* putting down (insulting, dissing) the opponent's team. Also, unlike stomp & shake cheerleader cheers (and foot stomping cheers, and historically Black Greek letter organization stepping chants), even the title of "The Crazy Song" mildly self-deprecates the cheerleaders who are singing it (and/or their athletic team players).
In contrast, in many stomp & shake cheerleading cheers, the focus isn't on the athletic game being played or on the cheerleader's athletic team or their opponent's athletic team. Instead, in many stomp & shake cheers the focus is on the cheerleading squad and/or their opponent's cheerleading squad.
Furthermore, although the cheerleaders sing this song, they use the "voice" of the basketball (or football?) players: i.e. "We’re gonna pull them boys/Right over the line".
*These brags and insults are "mild" given in comparison with later self-bragging and insulting songs, chants, and cheers. Yet the very fact that this song includes self-brags and opponent insults distinguishes it from many mainstream cheerleader cheers of the 1950s, and aligns it closer to the African American originated chants and cheers that I've mentioned.
To clarify, I believe that stomp & shake cheerleading appears to have begun (in Virginia and North Carolina) in the early to mid 1970s or the early 1980s as the latest beginning date.
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Note also that the "hi di hi" chorus in this song is a form of scatting. The "hi di hi" vocalizations were popularized by Cab Calloway's 1934/1935 "Hi di Hi" song. Click https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-kJqM7he9o for a vintage film clip of that now classic Cab Calloway "hi Di Hi" song.
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THOUGHTS ABOUT 'THE CRAZY SONGS" STRUCTURE & TEMPO
I believe the video starts with one woman saying the word "Stop" and then everyone else saying the word "stop" and the same woman saying the word "look" and everyone else saying "look". If that's correct, then that brief call & response pattern may be significant in that a lot of contemporary cheers (including a lot of stomp & shake cheers) begin with a captain or lead caller starting the cheer and then the entire squad chanting and performing the cheers.
The song has a moderate tempo which isn't very percussive (using today's criteria). The women clap own hands to the beat and maintain that same beat throughout the entire song. This is similar to the metronome-like way that girls doing foot stomping cheers alternate (individual) hand claps with their own foot stomps. However, in this mid 1950s cheerleading song, the woman stay standing in place and sway back and forth while singing this song and there don’t appear to be any foot stomps.
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Any additional information and comments about this cheerleader song or cheerleader songs like it would be greatly appreciated.
This pancocojams post presents information about the 1920s and 1930s African American originated dance called the "Lindy Hop" was one of the early sources of the African American originated performance art which is now known as stepping.
This post particularly focuses on Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.'s "hopping", "marching", and "bop". The Omega bop, Omega marching and Omega hopping are performed during fraternity step shows and fraternity strolls, and are the earliest precursor of what is now called historically Black Greek letter fraternity and sorority stepping and strolling.
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The content of this post is presented for historical and cultural purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to all those who are featured in these videos. Thanks also to all those who published these videos on YouTube.
**** PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTE The conventional wisdom is that the earliest source for (or the only early source for) the performance art known as "stepping" ("steppin'") is South African boot dancing. I've published other posts on this blog that question these assumptions and point to other early sources for fraternity and sorority stepping. Among those posts are: http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2016/10/correcting-record-south-african-boot.html Correcting The Record - South African Boot Dancing Isn't The Direct Source Of Fraternity & Sorority Stepping
Here's a comment from Elizabeth F. Fine, SoulStepping: African American Step Shows (University of Illinois Press, 2003; Page 162)
“Stepping in Omega Psi Phi fraternity may have been influenced by the lindy hop. According to Stephon D. Henderson (interview 25 May 1995), stepping began “at the Rho Chi chapter at Tennessee State –anywhere between 1941 and 1956” and was called “hopping” here. Brothers at Tennessee State and in that middle Tennessee area still refer to it as hopping, because it was first referred to as hopping.” A photograph captioned the “Omega Bop” in the 1969 Bison (221) shows Omega brothers standing on their right legs and kicking to the side in a movement reminiscent of the kicks done in the lindy hop."...
These comments refer to Tennessee State University Omega brothers hopping, but don't include any mention of the Lindy Hop:
From https://hbcustory.wordpress.com/2015/05/22/this-is-why-we-step-a-history-of-stepping-in-black-greek-lettered-life-culture/ This is Why We “Step” | A History of Stepping in Black Greek-Lettered Life + Culture, Posted on May 22, 2015 by CRYSTAL A. DEGREGORY, PH.D.
Comments:
MARTEZ MOORE says:
May 25, 2015
"The hop was first done with perfection at Tennessee State University, an ROTC student on line for Omega Psi Phi “Mighty” Rho Psi Chapter combined words and a military style March to create the first hop. This was in the early 50’s as your time line indicates. Stepping is different from hopping and not practiced by Omega’s, however hopping was the origin of this practice among greek letter organizations."
Reply
CRYSTAL A. GREGORY, PH.D. says:
May 26, 2015
"Dear Martez,
I received similar claims from members of the Omega’s Eta Psi chapter at Fisk, from much older members than you. I thought it important to begin a substantive conversation about BGLO traditions as a reminder that they have history meaning and should continue to have contemporary value. I invite you to make such definitive contributions with sources if possible–we’d certainly publish it–as well as the specificity of “hopping” as an form separate and apart from “stepping.”"
-snip-
These comments from Elizabeth F. Fine, SoulStepping book raises the possibility that South Africans incorporateding Lindy Hop movements into early performances of the boot dance as a result of observing touring Black American companies in South Africa and/or as a result of South African studying in the United States in the 1930s:
[Veit] "Erlmann suggest that isicathulo dancers “frequently indulge in sophisticated solo stepping, prototypes of which had been available to migrant workers, from the mid-1920s through Charlie Chaplin and Fred Astaire movies as well as touring black tap dance groups.” Indeed, South Africans were exposed to African American music and dance traditions as early as 1890, when Orpheus M. McAdoo and the Virginia Jubilee Singers spent almost five years touring South Africa. In subsequent years, black South Africans came to the United States. One, the famous “ragtime composer Reuben T. Caluza, renowned “as a skilled isicathulo dancer”, enrolled in Virginia’s Hampton Institute in 1930 to earn a B.A. in music. Caluza and three other students from Africa formed the African Quartette performing both songs and dances along the East Coast.
... Caluza went on to earn a masters degree at Columbia University in 1935, where again he could have shared gumboot dancing with students.
[Jacqui] Malone notes that during the 1970s and 1980s gumboot dancing “was introduced in North American urban areas and showcased by many of the dance companies that performed styles of traditional African dances.” Evidence from Erlmann, however, suggest the possibility if a much earlier exposure to gumboot dancing and, conversely, the incorporation of African American influences into South African dances. Caluza’s story is only one small example of the continuous interactions among Africans and African Americans that created a complex interaction between music and dance forms on both continents. The founding director of the Soweto Dance
p. 79
Theatre, Jackie Semela, explains that just as South Africans were influenced in their music and dance by touring performers from the United States such as Duke Ellington, so too, did South African display their own dances..."
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LINDY HOP VIDEOS
Editor's note: I'm particularly interested in the side kicking that is performed by these dancers. Note also the split that the dancer performs in this first video.
Example #2: Lindy Hop - Marx Brothers Day at the Races 1937
Savoy Hop Published on Jan 30, 2014
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Example #2: After Seben Early Lindy Hop
Savoy Hop, Published on Sep 25, 2014
-snip-
Here's information about this film clip from http://www.savoystyle.com/after_seben.html
"An early sound short set in a Harlem nightclub, featuring white vaudeville comic and eccentric dancer James Barton performing in blackface. He had a long career in film and tv, and is best remembered as "Kit" Carson in 'The Time of Your Life' (1948). Three Savoy Ballroom couples perform the latest dance styles, primarily Charleston. The last couple is Shorty Snowden and his partner. They are just terrific, although their style clearly looks dated to us.
Note how Snowden introduces Breakaway steps, to the closed-form Charleston and you'll feel like you are witnessing the birth of the Lindy Hop, which, in fact, was the name that Snowden gave to the dance he was doing. The couple exit exuberantly with a Cake Walk.
Music by the Savoy Ballroom house band, Chick Webb and his Orchestra."
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OMEGA PSI PHI FRATERNITY VIDEOS
Note: These videos illustrate the "standing on their right legs and kicking to the side in a movement reminiscent of the kicks done in the lindy hop" that is mentioned in Elizabeth F. Fine, SoulStepping book. Also notice that splits are also sometimes included in Omega Psi Phi Fraternity "marching", "hopping" or "bopping" routines.
Example #1: Omega Psi Phi Que Doggs
Where thinkin' aint illegal yet, Uploaded on Jul 18, 2008
Gamma Sig Ques Settin' It Out 75th Conclave 2008
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Example #2: Omega Psi Phi Stepping on the Steve Harvey Show
KingUdobot's channel, Uploaded on Mar 26, 2009
-snip-
Here's a comment from this video's discussion thread about Steve Harvey's association with Omega Psi Phi:
MIckey F'in Mouse, 2014
"Steve pledged grad chapter. Started at Psi Gamma Kent State."
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Example #3: Beta Sigma Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Yard Show Fall 2013
Human Jukebox Media, Published on Aug 21, 2013
The Ques doing their thing on the first Wednesday of School
