pancocojams: Lindy Hop

Showing posts with label Lindy Hop. Show all posts

Wednesday, February 3, 2021

Jon Batiste: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert (with comments from the discussion thread of Jon Baptiste's I Need You" video)

NPR Music, May 11, 2020

This performance was recorded on Nov. 8, 2019. We will continue releasing Tiny Desk videos of shows that had already been taped. In light of current events, NPR is postponing new live tapings of Tiny Desk Concerts. In the meantime, check out Tiny Desk (home) concerts! They’re recorded by the artists in their home. It’s the same spirit — stripped-down sets, an intimate setting — just a different space.

May 4, 2020 | Bob Boilen -- Jon Batiste came to the Tiny Desk with some surprises back in November of 2019. Midway through his set, he stopped to say, "it's the first time we're ever playing these songs, and it's the first time we're playing together." The New Orleans musician came to the Tiny Desk not with his late-night house band, but with an all-new cast. His all-female collaborators — Endea Owens on acoustic bass, Negah Santos on percussion, Sarah Thawer on drums, and Celisse Henderson on guitar and vocals — were an inspiration.

As is often the case when musicians perform in Washington (and especially blocks from the Capitol) the banter hinted at the political. Jon Batiste stopped to tell the NPR crowd, "we're playing some music, and we're coping. The times are in an interesting place, but music is always that universal language that can bring people in a room together." Little did Jon know how those words would feel six months later.

Jon Batiste took us through some of the many sides of his rich musical history, from the soulful ballad titled "Cry," to the jazz and hip-hop inspired, "Coltrane" and a rocking Motown-inspired tune, "Tell The Truth," before ending with a bit of church with, "I Need You." In just over 15 minutes, Jon Batiste bounced from playing the Wurlitzer to the electric guitar to the piano and then a melodica, all the while singing and sharing his talents and bringing us joy in interesting times.

SET LIST

"Cry"

"Coltrane"

"Tell The Truth"

"I Need You"

MUSICIANS

Jon Batiste: vocals, piano, Wurlitzer, guitar; Endea Owens - acoustic bass; Negah Santos: percussion; Sarah Thawer: drums; Celisse Henderson: guitar, vocals

****
Edited by Azizi Powell

This is Part II of a two part pancocojams series on African American musician, singer Jon Baptiste and his song "Try Me".

This post showcases a video of Jon Baptiste's Nov. 2019 NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert which includes his song "Try Me". Selected comments from the discussion thread for the official YouTube video of "Try Me" are also included in that post.Selected comments from the discussion thread for that song's official video are also included in this post.

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2021/02/jon-batiste-i-need-you-video.html for Part I of this pancocojams series. Part I showcases the official YouTube video of Jon Baptiste's Jazz song "Try Me" and provides information abou that African American musician and singer.

The content of this post is presented for cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to Jon Baptiste for his music. Thanks also to the dancers and all those who are associated with the video that is embedded in this post. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post.

****
SELECTED COMMENTS FROM THE OFFICIAL YOUTUBE VIDEO FOR JON BAPTISTE'S

SONG "I NEED YOU"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXT00sWwuTQ&ab_channel=JonBatisteVEVO

All of these comments were posted between Jan 22, 2021 and Feb. 3, 2021 as of this post's publishing time . These comments are given in relative chronological order with the oldest comments given first, except for replies. Numbers have been added for referencing purposes only.

1. Linda
"A friend asks, Is Jon a musician? Singer? Dancer?

No.

Jon. Is. Music"

**
Reply
2. Kosine Palacios

"FACTS"

**
3. Sherry B.
"This is a bop. So much positive energy and I love the nod to 40's/50's Black culture and Swing music."

**
4. Morgan Day
"Dancers:

Nikki Marvin and Mikey Pedroza

Marielys Molina and Denzel Chisom

Tatiana Barber and Tislarm Bouie"

**
5. Laurie Ellington
"Who's the choreographer?"

**
Reply
6. brclyn
"@Laurie Ellington Choreographer: Jemel McWilliams (@jemelmcwilliams) it's in the original credits of the vid with the production crew."

**
7. DA Este
"Jon Batiste everybody... Can’t wait to hear it. When we settle down with this pandemic, I wanna see you perform. Love the positive attitude... stay happy."

**
8. Shim Novak
"For Jon Batiste and all the team: we love you!! Thanks for bringing so much joy to our lives."

**
9. Mike
"Loving this tune! Can I say fresh, wholesome and well....soulful! Optimism is the mantra for 2021: we will be dancing to this on the dancefloor and it receives the millions of views it deserves"

**
10. Chris Winkler
"I like how the security guard exited after telling them they'll be closing soon. Great stuff as always, Jon. Stay unique and awesome, friend =)"

**
11. Adriana
"The security officer literally made me laugh!"

**
Reply
12. George Mellen
"I love his "Exit Glide"! Does anybody know who he is?"

**
Reply
13. Adriana
"@George Mellen Yes, he was so graceful! I'd love to know who he is, as well, if anyone knows!"

**
Reply
14. Zuma Zuma
"I don't know who he is, but from the distance he looks a little like Frankie Manning (who is dead now). I wonder if that was on purpose."

**
Reply
15. Katie Spinner
"@Zuma Zuma I thought that too and even thought maybe it was chazz (his son) but the guard looks too young for it be chazz."

***
16. Marius Doru
"how cool is this song?? I can't even... "

**
17. David Mercer
"He started looking nerdy and ended up way cool. Shows you don’t know somebody til you
do."

**
19. Tahtahme's Diary
"What a beautiful lady with a beautiful afro! 😻😻😻💜"

**
Reply
20. Louai Hamadi
"she is amazing !! .. do you know her name ?"

**
Reply
21. Tahtahme's Diary
"@Louai Hamadi Shauna Harley....her info is in the bio with the other people involved 🤗💜"

**
22. Precious Brown
"Let me tell y’all why this is 🔥. I grew up in the 90’s all black or Afro Latina hair shop had music like this and pictures that looked like that photograph. I loved this so much I subscribed today, I’m just sad I just found out about this song 2 days late this artist I found in 2021 🤦🏾‍♀️"

**
Reply
23. Neel M.
"He plays everyday on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Been doing a great job for years"

**
24. Adam
"Such a bangin bop, even the cop did a lil drop"

**
25. Mr. Roybot
"I don't know if y'all ever saw the movie Idlewild starring OutKast but I'm getting those vibes from this song and I love it!"

**
26. Destiny Collins
"I see this song being in a lot of commercials and or advertisements

This is a bop

I wanna clean and dance to this"

**
27. Steel City Swing
"This song definitely put a smile on our faces today and we love seeing Lindy Hop and Vernacular Jazz being used more in the mainstream media <3"

**
28. Carol Miller
"That dance form needs to be restored but I'm guessing it's pretty hard."

**
Reply
29. Alanna Ranger
"@Carol Miller It never truly went away (though it wasn't in the public eye) and it's very much still on the go! :)"

**
Reply
30. Steel City Swing
"@Carol Miller It's actually not that difficult to learn! If you search your city and swing dance or lindy hop, you can find a near by scene and check out their beginner class (post pandemic of course). It may feel a little weird at first since it's new to you, but stick with it and soon you'll be able to do a lot of the moves in this video. Depending on the scene, you probably won't see any aerials though as those are mostly done for performances."

**
31. Michelle Fletcher
"I have had COVID for a week. Being kept away from family and the world is wearing on the soul... and it has only been a week. Those going through this for months are incredible testaments to human strength. Your song, so aptly named for this time and place in the world, brought much needed energy.

Music nourishes the soul and heals the mind. Thank you, for this much-needed medicine. 😘"

**
32. Pamelia M
"Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you! Man! I needed this!"

**
33. Just Want Results
"I'm still hoping for a collaboration of Jon Batiste and Esperanza Spaulding, jazz at it's finest"

**
34. r m
"Jon Batiste, that was an awesome video

Love that throw way back vibe ❤️💃🏽🕺🏾❤️"

**
35. Alicia Richardson
"This fed my soul."

**
36. bourge66
"Jon combined all my favorites, piano, art, swing dancing, golden vocal pipes and happy fine folks of color!"

**
37. Joshua Mack
"This song goes so hard."

**
38. Sue Dimarino
"I love love love this song! I have fallen in love with Jon Batiste over this last year as I watch Stephen Colbert every day and one of the highlights of his show is when Jon comes on. His spirit is so beautiful and his talent is amazing! He is a shining light for all!!"

**
39. Andrea Mendez
"I would love a collab of Jon Batiste and Janelle Monae. Maybe they've done one. This had "tip on the tightrope" and Outkast vibes. ♥️💕 And of course, good old fashioned swing."

**
40. Jessica Flamholz
"I've been listening to Jon Batiste for years, and I'm thrilled he's been getting his due. He is energy, he is light, he is music. This is the song I needed today."

**
41. Kesivan Naidoo
"Fresh yet old school... Jon Batiste what a Beautiful Soul!"

**
42. Amanda DEAR
"That sax is amazing 💖"

**
43. Erin Hafer
"This definitely had that Hellzapoppin feel to it! Even the security guard reminded me of a young Frankie Manning 🥰"

**
44. Ashleigh Orange
"I was not expecting that.... Omg woooooowwww yes king 😭🤣🙋‍♀️"

**
45. Maureen McClements
"Real music, real talent, real singing, real song, real video production, real dancing MORE PLEASE, this world needs this kind of quality and perfection in music. LOVED IT !!!!!! more please please please."

**
46. Chris M
"That 🎷 though. 🙌🏽"

**
47. JAP LLC
"I wish I could have just watched the dancers they were next level."

**
48. Merry Roman
"if you haven't yet already, look up his NPR tiny desk jam on YouTube; and man the backing band!!"

**
49. moony kash
"Seeing a lot of current dance trends (all good and nice)

But seeing moves like these, maaan black american has really got swag esp on dance styles like these. Just groovin and energy bursting everywhere 😍"

**
50. Samantha Rohr
"Cant wait for it to be safe to have social dances again!"

**
51. VulnerableMajesty
"The Jitterbug: an African American dance is on full display in this music video. My grandmother told me how she attended parties as a young girl and jitterbugged. Research Harlem Renaissance and breathtaking performers like The Nicholas Brothers (as one classic example) and you will see the greatness of African American dance❤️ This music video is a lovely tribute and I enjoyed watching"

**
52. nuber10
"If people did not know, this was the song theme for “WallStreetBets”. Many members have been able to reduce or eliminate their debts because of the movements.

Groove on Jon!!!"

**
53. L Mena
"Jon Batiste is on for seconds during Stephen Colbert. Too little for a man so extremely talented in all the arts and full of human grace and dignity that few others have. This video is so cute and creative."

**
54. Da Kid N U - Kids Songs & Nursery Pop
"Jon straight saucin' 💥🔥"

**
55. Sandra Bermúdez
"i didn't know i needed you until youtube suggested it!! hi from spain"

**
56. NativeGlamour
"My inner old lady is groovin. Love this! Reminds me of growing up with my grandparents and listening to their records. We needed this revival of good music."

**
57. Jennifer Lawson
"Loved the tribute to the origin of Lindy Hop"

**
58. julionightingale
"What a dope musician! Very cool."

**
59. Lamone Felder
"Go 'head !!! That's what I'm talkin" bout!!!"

**
60. don francoeur
"That's about as good as it gets, cool man!"

**
61. Nick Swings Out
"YEAH! Love seeing those dancers throw down! Can't top the Lindy Hop!"

**
62. Anna Brenner
"Like the best art, this builds on the past and points the way to the future!"

**
63. Tanya Pineda
"🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼💞💞💞💞💞

And the guard at the end, what a joyful experience watching & listening to that was. I've been watching old movie footage of astounding dance performances & this is the total vibe. ❤ Thank you. (Love those turned up jean cuffs too👖😍, you can keep your "skinny jeans"

**
64. E Mail
"The first 3 rules to a successful music video... 1. Location, 2. Location, 3. Location. In this case, Rennert's Gallery at 26 West 17th Street in Manhattan. I think this should be listed in the credits as well. Excellent choice to whom ever made it. This video could have easily been filmed in a studio, but making it in an actual vintage poster gallery really gave it that authentic vibe. Now you can go visit them and tell them how you found them from this video."

**
65. demetria duma
"Ahhh jazz gotta love it☺️"

**
66. Captain Blacksand
"Can the lindy hop be trendy now so I can learn it? I mean, once we're allowed to breathe in each other's faces again."

**
67. Trey Hatch
"You, sir, are bringing the SOUL!"

**
68. Angela Greenkiwi
"I came all the way from Aotearoa New Zealand to see this👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽💗💗💗👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

I am now following you on Spotify!"

**
69. 그냥그냥
"I'm a fan who lives in Korea.

I listened to Jon batiste's music after watching the soul movie.

I'm listening to Jon batiste while I'm using this. I've been listening to music all day long.

I fell in love with the sound of the piano once, and I fell in love with the voice once again. Please play a lot of good music.

I'll be rooting for you."

**
70. Holly Smith
"ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT!!! Can't watch it enough. You and Stephen are awesome! Thank you for getting us through the craziness - From Panama"

**
71. lolzjaykay
"THIS SONG JUST MAKES ME FEEL GOOD!"

**
72. bklynkat23
"I really am looking forward to rocking out to the entire album"

**
73. sognodiangeli
"Now this right here is soul!

Yes from the first note until the en straight 🔥"

**
74. Lilikoi 808
"Great vibe- what a fantastic musician and I love the Cajun vibe I get when I hear him play- 💕"

**
75. Laura Tabares
"I was craving brand-new music with this style!!! LOVE ITTTT.

Greetings from Colombia :D"

**
76. Sagine Guillard
"Jon Batiste - You’re killing it. Just what I needed to start my weekend right. Got that creole pumping in my blood. Thanks"

**
77. Bat Infaq
"Whew, I love a song that makes you want to dance. Thanks, Jon :)"

**
78. T Shoultz
"Jon Batiste goes to an art show and hears the music in the paintings. I love the way this man sees the world!!"

**
79. Olga M.
"I love Her afro <3 <3 <3"

**
80. BrovaLoww
"This is sooooo dope."

**
81. Abdulmajid Albloushi
"You got the BLUES man.

Greetings from Dubai 🇦🇪"

**
82. I'm Vincent Morales
"Old school, new school Blues Soul‼️💯💯💯"

**
83. drysilk
"Fantastic!! 😂 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾 Sending love from Brixton London UK SW9 🇯🇲 🇬🇧 🙏🏽 ❤️ "

**
84. Loran Doane
"I seriously love me some Batiste jazzzzzzzzzzz. Play it Sugar, PLAY IT!!!!!"

**
85. Marco O_M
"Exquisite! The whole production...... Bravo bravo bravo 👍🏼👏🏼👍🏼👏🏼"

**
86. Toussaint Julie
"AMAZING, HERE WE LOVE THIS SOUND LOVE LOVE FROM SWITZERLAND"

**
87. Mario Avila
"Lindy Hop was popular at The Savoy club in Harlem 30's 40's....Then had a resurgent in 97, 98 99.....When I was teaching Lindy..... My classes were always full & we had a different big band come through every weekend ......The dance was named after Charles Lindbergh solo flight across the Atlantic . ...YES Black people created this wonderful cultural expression of dance, now predominately dance by other ethnic groups....Would love 2 see it have another revival."

**
88. Daniela Cadena
"AHHH yess so much swag and delicious beats. So beautiful Jon! I am soo proud of you. All the best wishes and hope your creative journey keeps being an avenue for you to bring positivity to the world and love!"

**
89. Josiane
"I am loving this era of young black boys embracing blues and jazz"

**
90. Shervyse Smiles
"So we not gonna talk about how his shirt didn't reach his belt, but I loved it 🙌🏽❤️👏🏽 My New Jam and I will hurt myself attempting those moves...these are facts 👀👍🏽🤓"

**
91. -Clouds above us crying-
"I get the feeling that this is going to be the new "Happy" of 2021, I'm telling you!"

****
This concludes Part II of this two part pancocojams series.

Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

Jon Batiste - "I Need You" (video, information, & lyrics)

Jon Baptiste, Jan 22, 2021
-snip-
Statistics (as of Feb 3, 2021 at 3:10 PM ET.
Total # of views - 1,734,180
Total # of likes - 91K
Total # of dislikes -724
Total # of comments- 2,535

****
Edited by Azizi Powell

This is Part I of a two part pancocojams series on African American musician, singer Jon Baptiste and his song "Try Me".

This post showcases the official YouTube video of Jon Baptiste's Jazz song "Try Me" and provides information about that African American musician and singer.

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2021/02/jon-batiste-npr-music-tiny-desk-concert.html for Part II of this pancocojams series. That post showcases a video of Jon Baptiste's Nov. 2019 NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert which includes his song "Try Me". Selected comments from the discussion thread for the official YouTube video of "Try Me" are also included in that post.

The content of this post is presented for cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to Jon Baptiste for his musical creativity. Thanks also to the dancers and all those who are associated with the video that is embedded in this post. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post.

****
INFORMATION ABOUT JON BAPTISTE
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jon_Batiste
"Jonathan Michael Batiste (born November 11, 1986)[2] is an American musician, bandleader, and television personality.[3] He has recorded and performed with artists in various genres of music (Stevie Wonder, Prince, Willie Nelson, Lenny Kravitz, Ed Sheeran, and Mavis Staples), released his own recordings, and performed in more than 40 countries. Batiste regularly tours with his band Stay Human,[4] and appears with them nightly as bandleader and musical director on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.[5] Batiste also serves as the Music Director of The Atlantic and the Creative Director of the National Jazz Museum in Harlem.

Early life and education

Jon Batiste was born in Metairie, Louisiana, one of seven brothers in a Catholic family.[1][6][7] He grew up in Kenner, Louisiana.[2] His parents, Estella and Jean Batiste, were owners of a grocery store and a hardware store in the 9th Ward of New Orleans.[6] Batiste is a member of a New Orleans musical dynasty, the Batiste family, that includes Lionel Batiste of the Treme Brass Band, Milton Batiste of the Olympia Brass Band, composer and arranger Harold Battiste, and Russell Batiste Jr.[6][8] At the age of 8, he played percussion and drums with his family's band, the Batiste Brothers Band. At the age of 11, he switched to piano at his mother's suggestion. Batiste developed his piano skills by taking classical music lessons and transcribing songs from video games such as Street Fighter Alpha, Final Fantasy VII and Sonic the Hedgehog.[9]

At 17, Batiste released his debut album Times in New Orleans. He attended St. Augustine High School and New Orleans Center for Creative Arts with Trombone Shorty in New Orleans and graduated in 2004. He then went on to attend the Juilliard School, receiving a Bachelor of Music in 2011 and a Master of Music in 2013.[10] While at Juilliard, he released his second album, Live in New York: At the Rubin Museum of Art. By the end of 2006, Batiste had been a featured performer in South Africa, London, Lisbon, Spain, Paris and the United States.[11]

[...]

Awards and honors

Batiste was included in the 2016 Forbes 30 Under 30 music list[20] and was named Grand Marshal of Endymion Parade in New Orleans in 2018. He has been awarded the American Jazz Museum Lifetime Achievement Award, the Harry Chapin ASCAP Humanitarian Award and the Movado Future Legend Award. In May 2017, Batiste received an honorary degree from Salve Regina University for his musical achievements and contributions to Newport's 2014 International Jazz Day.[21]

In 2018, he was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best American Roots Performance for "Saint James Infirmary Blues".[22] In 2020, he received two Grammy nominations: his album Chronology of a Dream: Live at the Village Vanguard was nominated for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album, and Meditations (with Cory Wong) was nominated for Best New Age Album.[22]"...

****
LYRICS: I NEED YOU

(Jon Baptiste)

[Chorus]
We done a lot of living
We working overtime
Don't need another million
You got that gold mine
I love the way you're livin'
'Cause you so genuine
You got that something special
Didn't you know?
I just need you, you, you

[Verse 1]
Met you when I was a lil' nappy head boy
And I never put down my alto saxophone, yeah
Buckjumpin' down on the boulevard
I couldn't wait to blow my own horn (Woo)
It ain't wrong for you to play along
Playing this song 'til you die, come on

[Pre-Chorus]
In this world with a lot of problems
All we need is a little loving
Thank you, thank you, oh, you make me
Thank you, thank you for your love

[Chorus]
We done a lot of living
We working overtime
Don't need another million
You got that gold mine
I love the way you're livin' (Hey)
'Cause you're so genuine (Genuine)
You got that something special
Didn't you know?
I just need you, you, you (Come on, now)

[Verse 2]
And I never put down that pork chop and salt
Then we fell in love on the boulevard
If you was Jenny, I guess I was Forrest (Run)
Nah, it ain't wrong for you to sing along
Singing this song 'til you die

[Pre-Chorus]
In this world with a lot of problems
All we need is a little loving
Thank you, thank you, oh, you make me
Thank you, thank you for your love

[Chorus]
We done a lot of living (Whole lotta)
We working overtime (Overtime)
Don't need another million
You got that gold mine (Gold mine)
I love the way you're livin'
'Cause you're so genuine (Genuine)
You got that something special
Didn't you know?
I just need you, you, you
You, you, you, you
Met you when I was a lil' country boy

Source: https://genius.com/Jon-batiste-i-need-you-lyrics

****
This concludes Part I of this two part pancocojams series.

Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

Wednesday, April 8, 2020

Pancocojams Reprint: "The Breakdown" & "The Breakaway" (Information About Two 19th Century African American Originated Dances)

Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post provides information about the 19th century & early 20th century African American "Breakdown" dances and the 1920s African American originated "Breakaway" dance moves.

This post also includes a YouTube film clip that alleges to be a performance of a "breakdown" or "pseudo-"breakdown". A film clip of an early "breakaway" dance moves is also included in this post.

The content of this post is presented for historical, folkloric, and cultural purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. Thanks also to all those who are featured in these film clips and thanks to the publishers of those film clips on YouTube.
-snip-
This pancocojams post was originally published in 2017. There are no comments in that post's discussion thread.

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2017/02/what-breakdowns-mean-in-context-of-19th.html for a 2017 pancocojams post & comments about the meanings of the term "breakdowns" in the context of 19th century and early 20th century Old Time Music/Fiddle Music American music. That 2017 pancocojams post has 11 comments.

Also, click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2017/02/a-few-hip-hop-examples-of-what-break-it.html for a 2017 post entitled "What "Break It Down" & "Break It On Down" Mean In 20th & 21st Cultures (including Hip Hop cultures)". There are no comments in that post's discussion thread.

****
INFORMATION ABOUT THE BREAKDOWN (DANCE) IN THE UNITED STATES
Excerpt #1 [various quotes]
From Black Dance From 1619 to Today (2nd revised edition) by Lynne Fauley Emery (Princeton Book Company, 1988, originally published in 1972) [given without foot notes numbers or citations]

page 90 [quote added Feb.26. 2017]
"Pigeon wing

The pigeon wing appears to have been performed over a large geographical area. Reference were made to the Pigeon Wing from South Carolina to Texas, and from Indiana to Mississippi. Horace Overstreet of Beaumont, Texas remembered the dance by another name. Overstreet stated that on Christmas and July 4 a big dance would be held on their plantation

".... Just a reg'lar breakdown dance. Some was dancin' Swing De Corner and some in de middle de floor cuttin de chicken wing."...

-snip-
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/05/the-pigeon-wing-buck-wing-and-buck.html. for a longer version of this quote, and for one pancocojams post on "The Pigeon Wing, The Buck & Wing, and Buck Dancing"

**
page 139
"While the Breakdowns, the Cake-Walk, fiddle playing, and patting Juba were taking place on the plantations there were Afro-American dances in other places as well."
-snip-
Notice the plural for the word "Breakdown", which indicates that there were different types of dances that were referred to as "Breakdowns".

**
pages 186, 188
"On July 1, 1848, the (Illustrated London) News stated that "The most brilliant assemblage of rank and fashion have honoured the Gardens to witness the unparalleled PERFORMANCES of JUBA, immortalised by Boz in his American Notes...

Boz's description" was, of course, that of Charles Dickens in his book, American Notes, written shortly after his visit to the United States in 1842. While Dickens did not name the young Negro dancer he saw at Five Points in New York city, his description closely resembles later observations of Juba's dancing and is therefore included here. Dickens advised his readers that the dance he saw was a regular Breakdown, which began with five or six couples moving onto the floor and

....marshalled by a lively young negro, who is the wit of the assembly, and the greatest dancer ever known.

But the dance commences. Every gentleman sets as long as he likes to the opposite lady, and the opposite lady to him, and all are so long about it that the sport begins to languish, when suddenly the lively hero dashes in to the rescue. Instantly the fiddler grins, and goes at it tooth and nail: there is new energy in the tambourine...Single shuffle, double shuffle, cut and crisscut: snapping his fingers, rolling his eyes, turning in his knees, presenting the backs of his legs in front, spinning about on his toes and heels like nothing but the man's fingers on the tambourines; dancing with two left legs, two right legs, two wooden legs, two wire legs, two spring legs-all sorts of legs and no legs-what is this to him? And in what walk of life, or dance of life, does man ever get such stimulating applause as thunders about him, when having danced his partner off her feet, and himself too, he finishes by leaping gloriously on the bar counter, and calling for something to drink."...

-snip-
Notice that this description indicates that the male dancer (probably the famous dancer called "Juba") was dancing with a female partner.

On page 188, the same critic writing in that London newspaper mentions the "Virginny Breakdown".

**
page 192, 193
"Part One in the traditional minstrel show always ended with a dance, called the Walk-Around, done by the entire cast. Sometimes this was repeated as the finale of Part Three also. Discussing the Walk-Around, Nathan said in 1943 that this dance was still well remembered-borrowed from and modelled after the dances of the present day."

The Walk-Around was mentioned usually in connection with the Breakdown or old fashioned Hoe-Down. The Walk Around was derived from the Ring-Shout and the Breakdown from the old challenge dances such as the Juba....

Charles Sherlock described the format of the Walk-Around and continued with a description of a Breakdown which sounds similar to that of the Juba.

The walk-around was always made the finale of the first part, and was usually repeated at the end of the show as a spectacle on which to drip the curtain. It was intended to be written in march-time, and to its spirited strains the whole company would circumnavigate the stage, in a dance-step that was little more than a jerky elevation of the legs below the knees, much like the "buck and wing" dances of the present day. It was as long ago as this-the walk-around being in highest state with the Bryant's Minstrels in the sixties- that the spatting of dance-time with the outspread palms on the knees was invented. To this manual accompaniment the breakdowns were often done. Cleverly executed, this tattoo will set the saltatorial nerves in motion as quickly as the catchiest tune."

****
Excerpt #2:
From http://www.streetswing.com/histmain/z3brkdwn.htm
"The Breakdown
The Break-Down was an African-American Slave dance that was popular around the Reconstruction-era of the 1880-90's. There are different versions of the breakdown and variations from one era to the next such as the Birmingham and Cincinnati breakdowns. The Breakdown was later mixed with other dances such as tap, Jazz and Swing dances. The dance has its roots in the Hornpipes, jigs, Strathspeys, and reels, Hoe-downs, Clogs etc.

In the Notebook "Jig, Clog and Breakdown Made Easy" by Wm. F. Bacon he states the "Plantation breakdown" as thus:
1st Breakdown STEP: "Jump on both feet crossed, then throw right foot as high as possible, at the same time hop on the left foot, (2 motions). Repeat it, leaving the right foot up in front. Then hop on left foot, bring the right down, tap it and carry it behind. Hop on left foot, (3 motions). Then make five taps quick, commencing with the right foot, which is crossed behind the left. This is the first part of the Breakdown step, and is repeated on the other foot, reversed. Then done again same as first time. Then make a Cross and five taps quick, moving forward and commencing with the right foot.

2nd Breakdown STEP: Shuffle right foot, hop on left, carry right foot behind and tap it firm (3 motions). Then hop on right foot, lift up left high and bring it down solid, (2 motions). Repeat it. Then hop on both feet together, jump up and strike the ankles together, bringing down the left foot first, then the right solid. Tap left foot, then spring, bringing the right foot down first, then the left. Then repeat all, commencing on the other foot, and reversing everything.

3rd Breakdown STEP: Tap left foot. Tap right, carrying it high in front, hop on left foot. Tap right, carrying it behind, hop on left foot, tap right, carrying it high in front, hop on left foot (7 motions). Shuffle right, hop on left, tap right, carrying behind.

Hop on left, tap right, hop on left, tap right, hop on left, tap right. Now repeat the whole, commencing on the other foot and reversing it. Then do it again same as first time, make a cross and three very firm taps, commencing with the right foot, with the feet wide apart.

The following Breakdown steps are to be done all together directly after the third step:-- Do the cross four times, reversing it each time, then bring the toes together with heels apart (1 motion). Then turn the left toe out, and at the same time carry the right far behind and across the left foot (2d motion). Then repeat it 3 or 7 times (reversing it each time), at the option of the performer. Tap left foot, shuffle right, tap right, tap left, slide back slightly on both feet (5 motions). Then repeat it a number of times, optional with the performer. Turn around on left foot, describing a circle with the right foot. Tap right, tap left, shuffle right.

Tap right foot, tap left. Then loop on left foot, at the same time slide the right in front and across the left foot. Then repeat it, commencing with the right foot, and reversing it all through. Then retire, jumping on both feet, with cap in hand, or any way that may suggest itself" (end notebook).

Basic Step for: The "Cincinnati Breakdown" (9/1927- Dance Magazine.) ...
Feet apart, Hop up and come down with one knee bent. Come up with short jerks. It is optional as to whether one or both knees are bent on coming down. This can be mixed with other movement to lengthen the dance.

Basic Step for: The "Down East Breakdown" (Music: Clog Dance.) ... Form as for Spanish Dance, except two couples face each other up and down the room. Eight hands round, all right and left--ladies chain--all forward and back, forward again and pass onto next couples (every other couple raise their hands while the others stoop and pass through then turn around at each end of the set."

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Excerpt #3
From http://www.dictionary.com/browse/break-dancing

[Added Feb. 26, 2017; italics added to highlight that sentence]

"Word Origin and History for break dancing
n.
1982, but the style itself evolved late 1970s in South Bronx. The reference is to the rhythmic break in a pop-dance song (see break (n.)), which the DJs isolated and the dancers performed to. Breakdown "a riotous dance, in the style of the negroes" is recorded from 1864".

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SHOWCASE VIDEO: Vintage Breakdown / Buck dance (Pickaninnys Edison 1903)

Sonny Watson Uploaded on Feb 22, 2013

an old Edison video short of three dancers doing a kinda pseudo Breakdown / Buck dance.
-snip-
The term "pickaninnys" is a referent for Black children and - in the case of this YouTube video-a referent for Black people in general. In both cases, I consider that word to be offensive whether intentionally or not.

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BREAKAWAY DANCE STEP
From https://prezi.com/3sjohe1aepzz/history-of-dance/ History of Dance by Mary Caldarella on 21 December 2012 1
"The Breakaway dance originated in the mid to late 1920s in Harlem by primarily African American communities. The Breakaway was danced to jazz and developed from the Texas Tommy and the Charleston. This style of dance got its name because while dancing you literally must break away from your partner and improvise your own dance moves."
-snip-
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2016/10/the-texas-tommy-early-20th-century.html for a pancocojams post on the Texas Tommy.

****
From http://www.streetswing.com/histmain/z3brkawy.htm
"The Break-A-Way ... (a Swing Dance) was originally a syncopated Two-step. The dancing couple would split or "breakaway" from each other still holding hands (open position) and perform a solo impromptu of the same rhythm/beat of the music and come back together again (closed position). The Break-Away was the name of swing before being named the Lindy Hop by Shorty George in 1927. The Breakaway was a cross between the "Texas Tommy, Two-step, Apache Dance, Turkey Trot, Cakewalk and Grizzly Bear.

Prior dances, with the exception of the Apache and Texas Tommy did not have sections that you "Broke-away" from your partner (or Danced in open position), they mainly danced in closed position...

The Break-Away was only danced by African-Americans at the time. Whites were just starting to find entertainment in Harlem and were not very fond of "Race Music" (the blues), they just were not quite ready to dance those "Negro Dances" of those (unfortunate) racially segregated times. It was mainly danced to slow to medium Ragtime music and Blues. Shorty George Snowden was the "King" of the Break-A-Way in the mid 1920's.

When the Charleston became popular in the 1920's, the Breakaway and Charleston merged, as Harlem grew, it to grew. The "Break-A-Way" was now ready to be called the "Lindy Hop" but would take a Newspaper, a Dance Contest (marathon dance actually,) a man named "Shorty George" Snowden and the "Savoy Ballroom" to do so in 1927/28.The Breakaway quickly lost a lot of the Turkey Trot and Grizzly bear, however the Texas Tommy, Charleston, Cakewalk and Apache remain in the Lindy Hop to this day!. The breakaway as a dance is no longer done today however. The Landler Dance of the 1720's also used a breakaway/ freestyle basic as a variation to the dance, it was almost described as a "solo Jam", done by the man.

Spellings used are Breakaway (most common), Break-away, Break-A-Way"

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SHOWCASE VIDEO: Legend Shorty George Snowden dances the Charleston & Breakaway in After Seben (1929)

JazzMAD London, Published on Jan 20, 2016

Learn to dance like this with JazzMAD, the authentic swing and jazz dance academy in North London. Sign up for workshops and courses at:
www.jazzmad.co.uk

In this clip: George Snowden aka Shorty George, and his dancers from the Savoy Ballroom (Harlem, New York), dance in a faux contest to music by Chick Webb And His Orchestra, in the 1929 film "After Seben." The announcer, James Barton, also dances in an eccentric style.

George Snowden is the third leader to dance, the couple is announced as "Shorty Stumps & Liza Underdunk". No resources seem to list the real name of his partner. I'm always troubled by the way swing dance history remembers leaders and forgets followers. From my research, I believe this is Mattie Purnell, Shorty's partner during this period. There are references to George & Mattie being "the smallest pair on the floor", and Liza Underdunk certainly matches that description in this clip. Please comment if you have information otherwise!

This clip represents a transitional moment in the history of partnered jazz dancing. You can see each couple dancing the Charleston on its way in evolution to the Lindy Hop, with what we call the "Breakaway" in between (being the moment the dancers begin to break away from closed position, to Lindy Hop's signature open position). These are early "swingouts".

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Visitor comments are welcome.

Saturday, February 25, 2017

"The Breakdown" & "The Breakaway" (Information About Two 19th Century African American Originated Dances)

Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post provides information about the 19th century & early 20th century African American "Breakdown" dances and the 1920s African American originated "Breakaway" dance moves.

This post also includes a YouTube film clip that alleges to be a performance of a "breakdown" or "pseudo-"breakdown". A film clip of an early "breakaway" dance moves is also included in this post.

The content of this post is presented for historical, folkloric, and cultural purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. Thanks also to all those who are featured in these film clips and thanks to the publishers of those film clips on YouTube.
-snip-
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2017/02/what-breakdowns-mean-in-context-of-19th.html for a 2017 pancocojams post & comments about the meanings of the term "breakdowns" in the context of 19th century and early 20th century Old Time Music/Fiddle Music American music.

Also, click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2017/02/a-few-hip-hop-examples-of-what-break-it.html for a 2017 post entitled "What "Break It Down" & "Break It On Down" Mean In 20th & 21st Cultures (including Hip Hop cultures)"

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE BREAKDOWN (DANCE) IN THE UNITED STATES
Excerpt #1
From Black Dance From 1619 to Today (2nd revised edition) by Lynne Fauley Emery (Princeton Book Company, 1988, originally published in 1972) [given without foot notes numbers or citations]

page 90 [quote added Feb.26. 2017]
"Pigeon wing

The pigeon wing appears to have been performed over a large geographical area. Reference were made to the Pigeon Wing from South Carolina to Texas, and from Indiana to Mississippi. Horace Overstreet of Beaumont, Texas remembered the dance by another name. Overstreet stated that on Christmas and July 4 a big dance would be held on their plantation

".... Just a reg'lar breakdown dance. Some was dancin' Swing De Corner and some in de middle de floor cuttin de chicken wing."...

"
-snip-
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/05/the-pigeon-wing-buck-wing-and-buck.html. for a longer version of this quote, and for one pancocojams post on "The Pigeon Wing, The Buck & Wing, and Buck Dancing"

**
page 139
"While the Breakdowns, the Cake-Walk, fiddle playing, and patting Juba were taking place on the plantations there were Afro-American dances in other places as well."
-snip-
Notice the plural for the word "Breakdown", which indicates that there were different types of dances that were referred to as "Breakdowns".

**
pages 186, 188
"On July 1, 1848, the (Illustrated London) News stated that "The most brilliant assemblage of rank and fashion have honoured the Gardens to witness the unparalleled PERFORMANCES of JUBA, immortalised by Boz in his American Notes...

Boz's description" was, of course, that of Charles Dickens in his book, American Notes, written shortly after his visit to the United States in 1842. While Dickens did not name the young Negro dancer he saw at Five Points in New York city, his description closely resembles later observations of Juba's dancing and is therefore included here. Dickens advised his readers that the dance he saw was a regular Breakdown, which began with five or six couples moving onto the floor and

....marshalled by a lively young negro, who is the wit of the assembly, and the greatest dancer ever known.

But the dance commences. Every gentleman sets as long as he likes to the opposite lady, and the opposite lady to him, and all are so long about it that the sport begins to languish, when suddenly the lively hero dashes in to the rescue. Instantly the fiddler grins, and goes at it tooth and nail: there is new energy in the tambourine...Single shuffle, double shuffle, cut and crisscut: snapping his fingers, rolling his eyes, turning in his knees, presenting the backs of his legs in front, spinning about on his toes and heels like nothing but the man's fingers on the tambourines; dancing with two left legs, two right legs, two wooden legs, two wire legs, two spring legs-all sorts of legs and no legs-what is this to him? And in what walk of life, or dance of life, does man ever get such stimulating applause as thunders about him, when having danced his partner off her feet, and himself too, he finishes by leaping gloriously on the bar counter, and calling for something to drink."...

-snip-
Notice that this description indicates that the male dancer (probably the famous dancer called "Juba") was dancing with a female partner.

On page 188, the same critic writing in that London newspaper mentions the "Virginny Breakdown".

**
page 192, 193
"Part One in the traditional minstrel show always ended with a dance, called the Walk-Around, done by the entire cast. Sometimes this was repeated as the finale of Part Three also. Discussing the Walk=Around, Nathan said in 1943 that this dance was still well remembered-borrowed from and modelled after the dances of the present day."

The Walk-Around was mentioned usually in connection with the Breakdown or old fashioned Hoe-Down. The Walk Around was derived from the Ring-Shout and the Breakdown from the old challenge dances such as the Juba....

Charles Sherlock described the format of the Walk-Around and continued with a description of a Breakdown which sounds similar to that of the Juba.

The walk-around was always made the finale of the first part, and was usually repeated at the end of the show as a spectacle on which to drip the curtain. It was intended to be written in march-time, and to its spirited strains the whole company would circumnavigate the stage, in a dance-step that was little more than a jerky elevation of the legs below the knees, much like the "buck and wing" dances of the present day. It was as long ago as this-the walk-around being in highest state with the Bryant's Minstrels in the sixties- that the spatting of dance-time with the outspread palms on the knees was invented. To this manual accompaniment the breakdowns were often done. Cleverly executed, this tattoo will set the saltatorial nerves in motion as quickly as the catchiest tune."

Wednesday, October 12, 2016

How The 1920s/1930s African American Jazz Dance "The Lindy Hop" Influence/d Omega Psi Phi Fraternity's Hopping

Edited by Azizi Powell

Latest Revision - April 29, 2023

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.

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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

and
http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/11/military-influences-on-fraternity.html Military Influences On Fraternity & Sorority Steppin

and
http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2015/04/when-did-historically-black-greek.html
When Did Historically Black Greek Letter Fraternity & Sorority Stepping Begin?

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COMMENTS ABOUT THE LINDY HOP AND 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

**
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

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Visitor comments are welcome.

Sunday, October 9, 2016

Black Stereotypes In The 1937 Movie "A Day At The Races - Part II: Comments

Edited by Azizi Powell

This is Part II of a two part series about stereotypical images in the 1937 "A Day At The Races" movie's Lindy Hop dance scene.

Part II provides an excerpt of a 2011 thesocietypages.org/socimages.com blog post entitled "Race, Appropriation, & Lindy Hop: How to Honor our Heroes" as well as selected comments from that article's discussion thread. With the exception of two comments, the comments that are quoted in that post were written by me.

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2016/10/black-stereotypes-in-1937-movie-day-at.html for Part I of this series. Part I presents information about the American movie "A Day At The Races" and showcases three film clips (videos) from that 1937 movie.

The content of this post is presented for historical, cultural, sociological, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks also to the Lisa Wade, the editor/moderator of the socimages blog post that is quoted here, and thanks to all others (besides myself) who are quoted in this post.

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PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR COMMENTS
As mentioned above, this post provides excerpts of a sociological blog post entitled "Race, Appropriation, & Lindy Hop: How to Honor our Heroes". The post showcases the "All God's Chillum As Rhythm" film clip from the 1937 "A Day At The Races" movie. That post also showcases two 2011 Lindy Hop videos of White dancers from the European Swing Dance Championships (ESDC), as well as several other YouTube videos that are unrelated to Lindy Hop dancing. Unfortunately, (with the exception of the "A Day At The Races" film clip), the titles for those other videos aren't given in that blog post and those embedded videos can no longer be seen in that post.

The "A Day At The Races" movie and the two contemporary Lindy Hop videos are crucial to the blog post's discussion about race and about cultural appropriation. The "All God's Chillum As Rhythm" film clip is showcased in Part I of this series, but unfortunately, I've not been able to find those two Lindy Hop videos on YouTube.

The comments that are featured in this pancocojams blog post are given "as is" with no editorial changes or spelling corrections. All of these featured comments are from 2011.* These comments are given in chronological order with the oldest comment given first. However, these comments aren't in consecutive order.
I've assigned numbers to these selected comments for referencing purposes only.I limited quotes in this blog post to the comments that I wrote (under my no longer active facebook page name "Cocojams Jambalayah") and two other quotes- one from that blog editor and one from another commenter.

I encourage pancocojams readers who are interested in these topics to read this entire discussion. The link for that blog post is found immediately below.

*There are a total of 67 comments in that socimages.com discussion. One comment from that discussion thread that isn't included in this compilation is from 2015. All of the other comments in that discussion are from 2011 and 2012.

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POST EXCERPT AND SELECTED COMMENTS
From https://thesocietypages.org/socimages/2011/07/05/race-appropriation-lindy-hop-how-to-honor-our-heroes/ "Race, Appropriation, & Lindy Hop: How to Honor our Heroes" by Lisa Wade, PhD on July 5, 2011
"Though lindy hop was invented by African Americans, lindy hoppers today are primarily white. These contemporary dancers look to old movie clips of famous black dancers as inspiration. And this is where things get interesting: The old clips feature profoundly talented black dancers, but the context in which they are dancing is important. Professional black musicians, choreographers, and dancers had to make the same concessions that other black entertainers at the time made. That is, they were required to capitulate to white producers and directors who presented black people to white audiences. These movies portrayed black people in ways that white people were comfortable with: blacks were musical, entertaining, athletic (even animalistic), outrageous (even wild), not-so-smart, happy-go-lucky, etc.

So what we see in the old clips that contemporary lindy hoppers idolize is not a pure manifestation of lindy hop, but a manifestation of the dance infused by racism. While lindy hoppers today look at those old clips with nothing short of reverance, they are mostly naive to the fact that the dancing they are emulating was a product made to confirm white people’s beliefs about black people.

....

So we have a set of (mostly) white dancers who (mostly) naively and (always) wholeheartedly emulate a set of black dancers whose performances, now 70 to 80 years old, were produced for mostly white audiences and adjusted according to the racial ethos of the time. On the one hand, it’s neat that the dance is still alive; it’s wonderful to see it embodied, and with so much enthusiasm, so many years later. And certainly no ill will can be fairly attributed to today’s dancers. On the other hand, it’s troubling that the dance was appropriated then (for white audiences) and that it is that appropriation that lives on (for mostly white dancers). Then again, without those dancers, there would likely be no revival at all. And without those clips, however imperfect, the dance might have remained in obscurity, lost with the bodies of the original dancers....

I leave this as an open question for discussion, and one that extends far beyond lindy hop to jazz, blues, rap, and hip hop music; other forms of dance, like break dancing and pop and locking; and even the American obsession with spectating sports that are currently dominated by black athletes. It also extends far past the relationship between blacks and whites, as Adrienne Keene well illustrates in her blog, Native Appropriations.

How do white people, especially when they’re more or less on their racial own, honor art forms invented by oppressed racial groups without “stealing” them from those that invented them, misrepresenting them, or honoring them in ways that reproduce racism? You tell me… ’cause I’d like to know."

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Comments:
1. Cocojams Jambalayah (Azizi Powell)
"Firstly, as an African American whose maiden name is Manning, I've wish I could claim blood kinship with the great Frankie Manning. But no such kinship has been proven.

Lisa, I'm concerned that racism is so deeply rooted that even people like you who genuinely seem to love a Black cultural product, and genuinely admire those Black people associated with its creation/early years, end up using what I consider to be racist,stereotypical, offensive language to describe that creative product. I'm specifically referring to this quote:

Professional black musicians, choreographers, and dancers had to make the same concessions that other black entertainers at the time made. That is, they were required to capitulate to white producers and directors who presented black people to white audiences. These movies portrayed black people in ways that white people were comfortable with: blacks were musical, entertaining, athletic (even animalistic), outrageous (even wild), not-so-smart, happy-go-lucky, etc.

And this quote from a commenter two years ago which you agreed to:

A couple commenters asked how, exactly, the dance was changed in order to appeal to white audiences. This is actually really difficult to say, since few films of social dancing (black dancers dancing only for other black dancers) exist. But we have some theories. Evan, in the comments, had this suggestion:

For white audiences of the time, Jazz was Hot Black jungle music – Black people were sex crazy hedonists, and you can see it in the moves, the exaggerated body undulation. the speed. the sweat. the rhythmical drum.

It was like watching a tribe around a fire.

I’m with Evan.

However, in that post from two years ago whose link you provided above*, you did write that "I see incredibly effective technique. Unbelievable strength and precision. It’s fantastic. (By the way, Frankie explained that, by the time they got to the take you see in the Hellzapoppin’ clip, they’d performed that routine more
than 20 times in a row… they were amazing athletes.)". But this observation seems to be minimized by your other comments that I quoted and by your theory about Black dancers in those movies "wild-ing" their dancing.I'm particularly bothered by the use of the adjective "animalistic". There's a difference between performing dances that are imitative of animals, reptiles, and birds and being animalistic. The adjective "animalistic" feeds into racist images of Black people. Yet you used it two years ago and quote it now seemingly without any concern for its negative connotations.

Furthermore, instead of calling White people who produced, reviewed, or watched these movies out on their racism, you soft-pedaled that racism by writing that those movies "portrayed Black people in ways that white people were comfortable with".

For 5 1/2 years I blogged on another forum where some White bloggers were very knowledgable about Black Spirituals and other old-time music, and also were very knowledgeable about Blues, and Jazz music. There was no question that they knew and loved these genres of music. But after numerous comments posted by them, I concluded that they very much cared about that art for that arts sake, but cared very little for the people who created that art and even less for the descendants of those people.

I'm not saying that you fall into that category, Lisa. But this is what disturbs me so much about some non-Black people who are "in to" Black creative products."
-snip-
Comment added: Here's the link to that socimages post that I referred to in my comment: https://thesocietypages.org/socimages/2009/04/27/race-entertainment-and-trans-racial-historical-borrowing-the-case-of-lindy-hop/ Race, Entertainment, And Historical Borrowing: The Case Of Lindy Hop, Lisa Wade, PhD on April 27, 2009

**
Reply
2. Lisa_Wade Moderator to Cocojams Jambalayah
"Hi Cocojams,

I hear you, I do. Racism runs so deeply in the culture I am a part of, talking about race is so fraught, and our audiences so diverse in their knowledges and experiences... I am not sure that there's any statement I can make about race that is 100% good, only because of the many layers of ideas that must all be talked about simultaneously and the fact that different people will hear different things. So I try to make statements that are mostly good, and I accept that I will make mistakes, and I try to be humble when those mistakes are pointed out to me."
-snip-
This comment is given in full. The ellipsis (...) are part of that original comment.

**
3. Cocojams Jambalayah
"Some observations about the Day of The Races video provided above:* It seems to me that the only racist depictions in that particular dance scene were the wide eyed wide smiling look that the "heavy set" man makes at .046 and the same wide eyed wide smiling expression at 1:05 and 1.06 made by the showcased young woman and young man. The woman and man also make a "hidey hidey ho" movement which I consider to be stereotypical and offensive in combination with the fake wide eyed, widely smiley look.

Looking at that video again, I'd also add the crowd's "ho ho hey hey" refrain with arms swung up and down (.045).

I think those are the types of facial expressions and gestures that were added to the movie to fit White folks stereotypes of Black people. I doubt that they were part of the repertoire of dance moves in all Black venues, and hope that they are not replicated by contemporary White swing dancers. Also, I think that the heavy set man is featured in the dance scene for comic relief but he's an excellent, skillfull dancer notwithstanding his weight.
-snip-
*Comment added: The time stamps given above are probably incorrect as I'm referring to a video that is no longer available on YouTube. I believe that the video given as Example #1 and the video given as Example #3 in Part I of this pancocojams series comprise that complete dance scene.

**
4. Cocojams Jambalayah
"For the sake of those who may happen upon this discussion, here's a link to a longer version of this Day At The Races dance scene:

[video embedded but in 2011 no longer available on YouTube due to copyright infringement]

The scene begins with a White pied piper figure [one of the Marx brothers who were stars of the movie] playing his flute for a White couple who ignore him. He then moves on to the barnyard where he interrupts Black girls jumping rope, and Black children otherwise at play-the longest focus is of boys engaged in the lower class pastime of shooting dice. The children ask "Who dat man?" and answer "It's Gabriel!' (as in the Biblical archangel) singing a Gospel tinged song and following behind the pied piper.

Unlike the White couple who brush the pied piper off, the Black children and adults quickly drop what they are doing, form a circle and dance for the pied piper, and supposedly for themselves.

This clip further displays and reinforces a prevailing White view at that time of Black people as coons-immature, happy, non-threatening, superstitous people who have rhythm."

**
5. Cocojams Jambalayah
"I revisited this discussion because of this journal article about Lindy hop that Lisa wrote which she cited in her blog post for August 1, 2011:

[Comment added: The link that is given in that blog post is no longer active. The journal article is entitled "The emancipatory promise of the habitus: Lindy hop, the body, and social change". This may be the same article: http://www.slideshare.net/lisawadephd/wade-talk-the-emancipatory-promise-of-the-habitus.]

Noëlle Gray, I appreciate all of your comments. I particularly appreciate your comments about how all musicians/artists build on art/music that came before them or was/is around them. Given that the United States is supposedly post-racial (ha!), I think it's telling that your Black co-worker was reluctant to attend a lindy hop class with you because she "couldn't believe that she could be in a room full of white people without feeling uncomfortable." However, I think that it's possible that rather than your Black co-worker realizing "that she wasn't black and the other students weren't white. "We were all just dancers", she may have realized that race wasn't all that important in the context of that particular experience.

I believe that it's almost impossible for Black people (and other People of Color) to turn off and on being Black (or another race/ethnicity). But sometimes race/ethnicity matters more than other times.

Furthermore, Noëlle, I believe that if there were more Black people who were lindy hoppers now, it's likely that the Lindy Hop dance would sometimes be performed differently than it's now performed by non-Black people.

I also believe that a person's race, and beliefs-such as being a feminist- can and often does influence her or his interpretation of the history, meaning, and performance of social dances such as the lindy hop.

One example of how I think a White, feminist template can color the description and interpretation of the Lindy hop is this quote from Lisa Wade's journal article:

"Lindy hop is directly derived from the Charleston (Malone,1996). Emerging during the first wave of modern feminism, the Charleston challenged the notion that women must be fragile or immobile and was characterized by angular and awkward movements (all knees and elbows), high-tempo movements, short hair, and boyish fashions.

Lindy hop retains elements of the Charleston and also its liberatory aesthetic.”

-snip-

Another comment from that same article that I believe reflects a White, feminist belief is

[Beginning female lindy hoppers] “come to dance with a feminine habitus that emphasizes grace and fragility instead of power and strength”.

-snip-

Perhaps that statement is true for most young Anglo-American females. After all, the overwhelming majority of Lindy hoppers in the United States are White. But given that demographical fact, I believe that it's very problematic when researchers such as Lisa Wade focus on gender and give barely a nod to how race, class, and age influence and inform the contemporary performances of the Lindy hop.

**
6. Cocojams Jambalayah
"I understand that Lisa was describing the views of White people who made or watched these movies when she wrote "These movies portrayed black people in ways that white people were comfortable with: blacks were musical, entertaining, athletic (even animalistic), outrageous (even wild), not-so-smart, happy-go-lucky". However, I don't have a clear sense if Lisa agrees with those descriptors as she didn't clearly decry those descriptors nor did she cite alternative descriptors except in the statement in her post two years ago (which she didn't include in this year's post) in which she writes "I see incredibly effective technique. Unbelievable strength and precision.It’s fantastic"..

Also, Lisa indicated that she agreed with Evan's statement that I quoted above. So, yes. I would have liked more clarification of Lisa's perceptions of those talented, skillful,creative jazz dancers and their talented. skillful, creative choreographers. I also would have liked a clearer statement from Lisa which acknowledged the racism of those White people who "portrayed Black people in ways that they were comfortable with".

**
7. Cocojams Jambalayah
"The wide eyed wide smiling facial expression is one characteristic of the "coon caricature". Click http://www.ferris.edu/jimcrow/ for more information about this stereotype.

Here's one excerpt from that article:

"The coon caricature is one of the most insulting of all anti-Black caricatures. The name itself, an abbreviation of raccoon, is dehumanizing. As with Sambo, the coon was portrayed as a lazy, easily frightened, chronically idle, inarticulate, buffoon. The coon differed from the Sambo in subtle but important ways. Sambo was depicted as a perpetual child, not capable of living as an independent adult. The coon acted childish, but he was an adult; albeit a good-for-little adult."

-snip-
[end of quote from http://www.ferris.edu/jimcrow/]
"One way this coon caricature was expressed was the wide eyed "seen a ghost" scared look that was popularized by Mantan Moreland, though that form of that facial expression isn't found in that Day At The Races scene. But I think it's important to note that the comedic focus on the fat Black man in the Day Of The Races scene alludes to more than a "jolly fat man", as he is meant to be an expression of the coon character."

**
8. Kayle to Cocojams Jambalayah
"I disagree. The jolly fat man is not evenly applied in cross-racial contexts. fat and jolly tends to e applied specifically in response to removing the stereotypical violent threat of the black male when read across cultures. White men can br fat and jolly and still have other white men represented as simply human in the same sphere. I'd say Black men in a racialized context tend to be presented in diametric contrast or alone (implied contrast), much like effeminate blackness is presented."

**
9. Reply
Cocojams Jambalayah to Kayle
"Kayle, if I understand you correctly, I agree with your comment. I believe that in the United States and in other "Western" nations , the fat man trope is an emasculating trope. A fat man is viewed as non-threatening, non-masculine, non-virile. However, another layer is added to this fat man trope by having that man dance-because the overall cultural assumption in the USA and in other Western nations is that fat people can't dance. Regrettable, having a fat person dance (whether male or female) was and still is usually automatically considered to be funny. That the fat man in that Day At The Races movie scene could dance so well -including doing a split-adds a surprise wow! factor to this scene. However, that surprise factor doesn't remove the cultural mesages that "a fat man dancing is funny" and a fat man dancing is non-threatening in a masculine way".

The laughter heard in the ESDC video shown above (presumably when the male dancer appears on stage in his fat suit) reinforces/recreates the meme that seeing a fat person dance is funny.

Adding in the race factor to this meme, the fat man dancing in that Day At The Races scene may also reinforce the meme that all (any) Black person can dance-a meme that is of course not true.*

My earlier comment about the coon aspect of the heavy set ("fat man") and other characters in the Day At The Races scene referred specifically to their wide eyed, wide grinning facial expressions. That coon expression and the coon trope further serve to present these Black people as child-like and non-threatening.

*All Black individuals aren't good dancers, and some non-Black individuals can dance better than some Black individuals. But, in general, many Black people are good dancers (according to my aesthetic definition of what "dancing good" means) because dancing, and in particular percussive rhythmic movement is highly valued and rewarded (by attention, and approval if nothing else) within Black cultures from an early age and throughout life."
-snip-
The asterisk and its comment are part of the 2011 discussion.

**
10. Cocojams Jambalayah
"I want to be clear that I definitely don't agree that the sight of fat people should automatically be considered funny (or seeing fat people doing certain things like dancing should automatically be considered funny). Nor do I agree that all men who are overweight aren't masculine (or all women who are overweight aren't feminine.)"

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This concludes Part II of this two part series.

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