Edited by Azizi Powell
[UPDATE: December 29, 2018- Revised title. The original title was "Here's A Fantastic Find! A 1928 Film Clip Of Black Children Playing A Ring Game With A Boy Dancing In The Center".]
This pancocojams post showcases a portion of a video of African American folklorist Zora Neale Hurston's anthropological films. The focus of this post is the portion from 3:24 to 4:50 of the YouTube video of that film that shows a ring game with a child dancing in the center of the circle.
This film clip is probably from Zora Neale Hurston's 1928 film Children's Games. However the background sound for that segment and for most of that particular film clip is Zora Neale Huston singing a version of the secular African American folk song "Mule On The Mount". People who want to focus on the children's ring game and the center child's dancing can mute the sound on this video.
I hope that someone publishes more content on YouTube from Zora Neale Hurtson's Children's Games, including text information about and lyrics of the games that are featured in that film. And I hope that someone publishes this specific section of the YouTube video entitled "Zora Neale Hurston Fieldwork 1928" without the background singing (or even with the background singing).
I apologize that I don't know how to edit a YouTube video and upload that edited video onto YouTube. I assume that it would be legal to do so as long as the source for the original source for that film clip and the YouTube video that is being edited are cited. But I'm not sure about any of that.
****
PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR
I found this video while searching for YouTube examples of children playing the ring game (circle game) "There Stands A Blue Bird". I played this game in Atlantic City, New Jersey in the 1950s with the title and first verse "Here Stands A Blue Bird".
The segment of this showcased film clip that shows children playing a ring game (with a boy in the middle dancing) is from 3:24 to 4:50 in that YouTube video.
I'm not sure which ring game the Black girls and boys are playing in this particular film clip. However, it's almost certainly an example of a "show me your motion" ring game (i.e. a circle game in which people take turns going into the center of the ring and performing a dance or some other movement/s).
The sound that is heard during that segment is Zora Neale Hurston singing the African American song "Mule On The Mount" and not the children singing the ring game.*
****
INFORMATION ABOUT ZORA NEALE HURSTON
From https://wfpp.cdrs.columbia.edu/pioneer/zora-neale-hurston-2/ "Profile - Zora Neale Hurston" by Aimee Dixon
..."Better known for her work as a novelist, Zora Neale Hurston could be, according to an essay by Gloria Gibson, the first African-American woman filmmaker. The film footage, which includes Children’s Games (1928), Logging (1928), and Baptism (1929), appears to be from her work as a student of anthropology under the tutelage of famed anthropologist, professor and mentor, Dr. Franz Boas. A graduate of Barnard College and a Guggenheim fellow, Hurston traveled to back to a South similar to her hometown of Eatonville, Florida to capture a variety of short takes of African-American life. Ethnographic in nature, the films reflect a focus of folklorists of that time period who believed that “…cultural performance and beliefs must be expeditiously collected and documented because they would soon be gone forever” (Gibson, 205)"...
-snip-
This comment is also quoted in the discussion thread for the flim clip that is showcased below in this pancocojams post.
**
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2017/05/two-early-20th-century-examples-of.html for a pancocojams post on "There Stands A Blue Bird"
****
SHOWCASE VIDEO: Zora Neale Hurston Fieldwork 1928
Andrew Rasmussen, Published on Aug 11, 2013
I do not claim anything original from this video.
The film was shot by Hurston in 1928 and I got it from here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqWH5b
The audio is Hurston herself, as recorded in the mid 1930's. You can these tunes and more here:
https://www.floridamemory.com/audio/hurston.php
In this video: "Wake Up Jacob", "Tampa," "Mule on the Mountain," and "Halimuhfack"
-snip-
Sound was first introduced in movies in October 1927, making Zora Hurston's films very early examples of sound films.
The segment of this showcased film clip that shows children playing a ring game (with a boy in the middle dancing) is from 3:24 to 4:50 in that YouTube video. "Mule On The Mount" is the song that Zora Neale Hurston is singing while the film shows the ring game. Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2017/03/african-american-folk-song-mule-on.html for the related pancocojams post "African American Folk Song "Mule On The Mount" (information, lyrics, & sound files)"
****
MY DESCRIPTION OF THE RING GAME IN THIS VIDEO
Girls and boys forming the ring (circle) hold hands with person at either side and skip counterclockwise at a fast pace around a boy who is standing in the middle of the circle.
When the boy begins to dance, the children stop moving around the circle. They drop hands and begin to clap their hands. It doesn't appear that the children are singing throughout this dance performance or even at any time during that dance performance. The film captures glimpses of the children forming the ring stamping their left foot (and some children moving both of their knees and feet) while they watch the boy dancing in the center of the ring.
The boy is doing fast foot work that is accompanied by a flip into a half split several times during his dance performance. (I wonder if this half-split is a precursor to the voguing dance move that is called a "death drop"). I'd label the type of dancing he's doing as "buck dancing" and/or "a jig", but I'll leave a more detailed description of this dance to those who can name it and describe it better than me.
-snip-
Here's one of very few comments from that YouTube video's discussion thread:
Andre Wilson, 2014
"Fantastic! Very important footage that documents the real lives of African Americans. I particularly love the footage of the children's game. Zora documents games in "Mules and Men" and included the lyrics and description of the game "There Stands a Blue Bird" which is probably what this film footage represents."
-snip-
Unless it is noted in that Hurston's 1928 Children's Game film clip, I don't think that there's any definitive way of knowing which game song the children are playing. However, "There Stands A Blue Bird is played this way.
****
Thanks to Zora Neale Hurston for her life's legacy. Thanks also to all those who are featured in this film clip and thanks to the publisher of this film clip on YouTube. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post.
The content of this post is presented for historical, folkloric, and cultural purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
Showing posts with label show me your motion games. Show all posts
Showing posts with label show me your motion games. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 7, 2017
Sunday, August 24, 2014
Bridesmaids' Line Dance At An African American Wedding Reception
Edited by Azizi Powell
SHOWCASE VIDEO: Johnson "Sirius" Wedding Reception
Lyarks, Uploaded on Aug 17, 2010
Produced by Lyarks Films International | www.lyarks.com | Johnson Wedding Reception featuring Championship introductions, choreographed dance numbers, and more...
-snip-
The Bridesmaids dance occurs from 3:41-7:20 in this video.
****
EDITOR'S COMMENT
I happened upon the Johnson "Sirius" Wedding Reception video while surfing YouTube for African American wedding ceremonies and recption dances. Although the focus of this post is the bridesmaids' group entrance and line dance [3:41-7:20], I also like the earlier segment where the groom's men one at a time are introduced to the reception guests as though they were athletes entering the playing field [the beginning of the video to 3:30]. A commenter explained the word "Sirius" in the title:
Juan two three, 2013
"google "alan parsons project sirius/eye in the sky" Also, the chicago bulls use this as their intro to starting lineup"
-snip-
That Chicago Bulls basketball team used that Sirius song explains the way the groom's men were introduced to the wedding reception guests.
From the Wikipedia page: ""Eye in the Sky" is a 1982 song by the British rock band The Alan Parsons Project from the album Eye in the Sky. It hit #3 on the Billboard charts in the U.S. in October 1982,[1] #1 in Canada, and #6 in New Zealand and was their most successful release. The instrumental piece entitled "Sirius" segues into "Eye in the Sky"' on the original recording." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eye_in_the_Sky_(song)
One other segment of this video that I like is the bride and groom's entrance and dance, and the group line dance of the entire bridal party [7:21 to thee end of the video.]
In a middle portion of the video a White man at this Black wedding is the only guest who is included in the video. He compliments the wedding and the reception and thanks the bride and groom for inviting him.
****
HOW THIS LINE DANCE WAS PERFORMED
The bridesmaids danced into the reception area in a vertical line to the DJ chanting [I can't decipher what he chanted. It may have been a portion of a record. ]
One group of groom's men stood behind the bridesmaids and one group of groom's men stood in front of the line that the bridesmaids created.
Each bridesmaid was introduced to the wedding guests by the DJ who started chanting:
Ebony* Step up, Step up. [*The bridesmaid's first name]
Ebony* Step up, Step up.
[At these words that bridesmaid danced forward into the space created between the bridesmaid line and the line of groom's men that the bridesmaids faced.]
[The DJ then chanted]
Get it, girl.
Get it, girl.
Get it, girl.
Get it. girl.
[That bridesmaid then did a dance. The other bridesmaids kept moving to the beat. Some bridesmaids waved their hand and shouted encouragement to the woman dancing. The groom's men and some wedding guests joined the DJ chanting "Get it girl!" or otherwise exhorted the bridesmaid to danceee well. ]
The DJ then chanted]
Ebony* Step back, Step back.
Ebony* Step back, Step back.
[While facing forward, that bridesmaid then dances back to her spot pace in the bridesmaid's line.
The DJ then immediately repeats this pattern by calling the name of another bridesmaid. The women are called in random order. Sometimes the woman standing next to a bridesmaid was called next, but that wasn't always the case.
Eeach bridesmaid did a different dance or did the same dance in their own way. But, instead of dancing, one bridesmaid named "Queen" walked regally to the center, posed, and then struted back to her spot in the line.
It's important to note that each of the bridesmaids were supposed to have equal time for their individual time in the center. However, one bridsmaid named "Angel" continued to dance in the center even when the DJ chanted "Angel step back step back. Finally, the DJ said "Angel, please step back" and then he called another dancer to "step up", even before Angel was back in the bridesmaid line.]
[One time the DJ changed up the chant by saying
Hey, girl
Get it, girl
Hey, girl
Get it girl]
[And one time the DJ said:]
"Turn around
Step back, Step back
Turn around
Step back, step back
[At 6:45 in the video, when everyone had a individual turn, the chant changed a little bit
DJ- Ladies,
Bridesmaids & the DJ - Ladies
DJ- Ladies,
Bridesmaids & the DJ -Ladies
DJ - Get it up. Get it up
Get it up. Get it up
[During this portion of that line dance, any bridesmaid who chose to danced in the center and then step back. In this segment there were usually several bridesmaids in the center at the same time.
[During this segment the DJ also chanted]
Get it up.
Get it up.
Get it up.
Then slow down.
Get it up.
Get it up.
Get it up.
Say ooh! Say ooh!
She’s sexy. She’s sexy.
Yeah yeah.
Get up. Get up.
Get up.
[The DJ could have a chanted other similar exhortions or interjections here if he had wanted to.
[The dance continues until the DJ stops chanting.]
-snip-
In this chant "Step up" means to "move forward" and "Step back" means to "step back into the line".
"Get up" and "Get it up" both probably mean to "dance well" (Raise [up] the energy).
****
A FOLKLORIC ANALYSIS OF THIS LINE DANCE
This bridesmaids line dance (which I've titled "Get Up, Step Back") was performed in the space that was created between the vertical line of the bridesmaids and the vertical line of the groom's men. The men didn't join in this dance, but they certainly could have done so if the DJ had chosen to call them by name.
This formation with a middle space is similar to the formation that is now known as "the Soul Train line". Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/02/soul-train-line-formation-video.html for a pancocojams post about the Soul Train line.)
That middle space is also the same space that is created in many African American children's vertical lines or horizontal line games. Usually these line games were and are only played by girls. However, sometimes, as in the case of the line game "Here we go Zoodio" (also given as "Zudio" , "Zodiac" and similar spellings) males and females of all ages play this game. Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/02/five-traditional-african-american-game.html for a pancocojams post of the game "Here We Go Zoodio".
A performance space is also created in the middle of the ring in [usually] children's circle games. In those games, the peeerson in the middle is asked to "show me your motion". And, like that bridesmaid line dance, preferably each middle person does her (or his) "own thing" (i.e. a different dancee or a different motion, or does the same dance in her (or his) own way. Click https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAOC8ObkRgc for an example of the ring game "Pizza Pizza Daddy-o" that was performed by African American girls in 1967 in Los Angeles school yard. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2YodFqZ7nQis is another clip from that same Bess Lomax Hawes produced DVD which features short clips of those girls performing various circle or lines games.
This same pattern of individual members of the group having an equal turn to shine in the spotlight "center stage" is found in the consecutive soloists turns for [usually girls] foot stomping cheers. Click this page of my cocojams website for more information about foot stomping cheers and for examples of those cheeers: http://cocojams.com/content/foot-stomping-cheers-0.
It's significant that that same middle of a circle performance space is found in the dance that a member of the Georgia Sea Island Singers demonstrates while other members of that group sing the very old African American religious song "Throw Me Anywhere Lord". Click https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dGamWaYcLg for a video of that song.
****
Related links:
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/02/wooble-other-line-dance-videos.html
for a video of another United States wedding party doing a line dance [Video #2 in that post.] That post also includes videeos of other African American line dances.
Also visit this link on another blog of mine that I rarely post to to find a post about wedding line dances from Southern Africa, where it is customary to have contemporary wedding reception line dances by the wedding bridesmaids, grooms, and sometimes also including the bride and groom: http://zumalayah.blogspot.com/2013/04/contemporary-southern-african-wedding.html
****
Thanks to the bride and groom, all the members of their wedding party, and thanks also to the DJ of this featured video. Thanks to the producer of this video on YouTube.
Thank you for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
SHOWCASE VIDEO: Johnson "Sirius" Wedding Reception
Lyarks, Uploaded on Aug 17, 2010
Produced by Lyarks Films International | www.lyarks.com | Johnson Wedding Reception featuring Championship introductions, choreographed dance numbers, and more...
-snip-
The Bridesmaids dance occurs from 3:41-7:20 in this video.
****
EDITOR'S COMMENT
I happened upon the Johnson "Sirius" Wedding Reception video while surfing YouTube for African American wedding ceremonies and recption dances. Although the focus of this post is the bridesmaids' group entrance and line dance [3:41-7:20], I also like the earlier segment where the groom's men one at a time are introduced to the reception guests as though they were athletes entering the playing field [the beginning of the video to 3:30]. A commenter explained the word "Sirius" in the title:
Juan two three, 2013
"google "alan parsons project sirius/eye in the sky" Also, the chicago bulls use this as their intro to starting lineup"
-snip-
That Chicago Bulls basketball team used that Sirius song explains the way the groom's men were introduced to the wedding reception guests.
From the Wikipedia page: ""Eye in the Sky" is a 1982 song by the British rock band The Alan Parsons Project from the album Eye in the Sky. It hit #3 on the Billboard charts in the U.S. in October 1982,[1] #1 in Canada, and #6 in New Zealand and was their most successful release. The instrumental piece entitled "Sirius" segues into "Eye in the Sky"' on the original recording." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eye_in_the_Sky_(song)
One other segment of this video that I like is the bride and groom's entrance and dance, and the group line dance of the entire bridal party [7:21 to thee end of the video.]
In a middle portion of the video a White man at this Black wedding is the only guest who is included in the video. He compliments the wedding and the reception and thanks the bride and groom for inviting him.
****
HOW THIS LINE DANCE WAS PERFORMED
The bridesmaids danced into the reception area in a vertical line to the DJ chanting [I can't decipher what he chanted. It may have been a portion of a record. ]
One group of groom's men stood behind the bridesmaids and one group of groom's men stood in front of the line that the bridesmaids created.
Each bridesmaid was introduced to the wedding guests by the DJ who started chanting:
Ebony* Step up, Step up. [*The bridesmaid's first name]
Ebony* Step up, Step up.
[At these words that bridesmaid danced forward into the space created between the bridesmaid line and the line of groom's men that the bridesmaids faced.]
[The DJ then chanted]
Get it, girl.
Get it, girl.
Get it, girl.
Get it. girl.
[That bridesmaid then did a dance. The other bridesmaids kept moving to the beat. Some bridesmaids waved their hand and shouted encouragement to the woman dancing. The groom's men and some wedding guests joined the DJ chanting "Get it girl!" or otherwise exhorted the bridesmaid to danceee well. ]
The DJ then chanted]
Ebony* Step back, Step back.
Ebony* Step back, Step back.
[While facing forward, that bridesmaid then dances back to her spot pace in the bridesmaid's line.
The DJ then immediately repeats this pattern by calling the name of another bridesmaid. The women are called in random order. Sometimes the woman standing next to a bridesmaid was called next, but that wasn't always the case.
Eeach bridesmaid did a different dance or did the same dance in their own way. But, instead of dancing, one bridesmaid named "Queen" walked regally to the center, posed, and then struted back to her spot in the line.
It's important to note that each of the bridesmaids were supposed to have equal time for their individual time in the center. However, one bridsmaid named "Angel" continued to dance in the center even when the DJ chanted "Angel step back step back. Finally, the DJ said "Angel, please step back" and then he called another dancer to "step up", even before Angel was back in the bridesmaid line.]
[One time the DJ changed up the chant by saying
Hey, girl
Get it, girl
Hey, girl
Get it girl]
[And one time the DJ said:]
"Turn around
Step back, Step back
Turn around
Step back, step back
[At 6:45 in the video, when everyone had a individual turn, the chant changed a little bit
DJ- Ladies,
Bridesmaids & the DJ - Ladies
DJ- Ladies,
Bridesmaids & the DJ -Ladies
DJ - Get it up. Get it up
Get it up. Get it up
[During this portion of that line dance, any bridesmaid who chose to danced in the center and then step back. In this segment there were usually several bridesmaids in the center at the same time.
[During this segment the DJ also chanted]
Get it up.
Get it up.
Get it up.
Then slow down.
Get it up.
Get it up.
Get it up.
Say ooh! Say ooh!
She’s sexy. She’s sexy.
Yeah yeah.
Get up. Get up.
Get up.
[The DJ could have a chanted other similar exhortions or interjections here if he had wanted to.
[The dance continues until the DJ stops chanting.]
-snip-
In this chant "Step up" means to "move forward" and "Step back" means to "step back into the line".
"Get up" and "Get it up" both probably mean to "dance well" (Raise [up] the energy).
****
A FOLKLORIC ANALYSIS OF THIS LINE DANCE
This bridesmaids line dance (which I've titled "Get Up, Step Back") was performed in the space that was created between the vertical line of the bridesmaids and the vertical line of the groom's men. The men didn't join in this dance, but they certainly could have done so if the DJ had chosen to call them by name.
This formation with a middle space is similar to the formation that is now known as "the Soul Train line". Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/02/soul-train-line-formation-video.html for a pancocojams post about the Soul Train line.)
That middle space is also the same space that is created in many African American children's vertical lines or horizontal line games. Usually these line games were and are only played by girls. However, sometimes, as in the case of the line game "Here we go Zoodio" (also given as "Zudio" , "Zodiac" and similar spellings) males and females of all ages play this game. Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/02/five-traditional-african-american-game.html for a pancocojams post of the game "Here We Go Zoodio".
A performance space is also created in the middle of the ring in [usually] children's circle games. In those games, the peeerson in the middle is asked to "show me your motion". And, like that bridesmaid line dance, preferably each middle person does her (or his) "own thing" (i.e. a different dancee or a different motion, or does the same dance in her (or his) own way. Click https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAOC8ObkRgc for an example of the ring game "Pizza Pizza Daddy-o" that was performed by African American girls in 1967 in Los Angeles school yard. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2YodFqZ7nQis is another clip from that same Bess Lomax Hawes produced DVD which features short clips of those girls performing various circle or lines games.
This same pattern of individual members of the group having an equal turn to shine in the spotlight "center stage" is found in the consecutive soloists turns for [usually girls] foot stomping cheers. Click this page of my cocojams website for more information about foot stomping cheers and for examples of those cheeers: http://cocojams.com/content/foot-stomping-cheers-0.
It's significant that that same middle of a circle performance space is found in the dance that a member of the Georgia Sea Island Singers demonstrates while other members of that group sing the very old African American religious song "Throw Me Anywhere Lord". Click https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dGamWaYcLg for a video of that song.
****
Related links:
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/02/wooble-other-line-dance-videos.html
for a video of another United States wedding party doing a line dance [Video #2 in that post.] That post also includes videeos of other African American line dances.
Also visit this link on another blog of mine that I rarely post to to find a post about wedding line dances from Southern Africa, where it is customary to have contemporary wedding reception line dances by the wedding bridesmaids, grooms, and sometimes also including the bride and groom: http://zumalayah.blogspot.com/2013/04/contemporary-southern-african-wedding.html
****
Thanks to the bride and groom, all the members of their wedding party, and thanks also to the DJ of this featured video. Thanks to the producer of this video on YouTube.
Thank you for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
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