Black History Month – A Dance History

Black History Month is a time where we can reflect on and honour the memory of the incredible impact black people and cultures have had on the world.

History of African Dance

Dance has been a huge part of various African cultures for centuries; many of the dances found in this region of the world are often related to the culture linked to the tribes that created them. Traditional African dances have been passed down through generations, and still remain as they were traditionally to this day.

African dance and rhythms have greatly influenced popular western dances that are still widely popular today, such as Salsa, Afro-Cuban, Jazz and Samba. There are also now many classes and performers who pay homage to these traditional African dances, which keeps the culture and heritage very much alive, and allows people to see the great impact it has had on the world.

Tap Dance

Tap was created in the early 19th century, when enslaved African people turned to this type of rhythmic dancing to creatively express themselves and preserve their culture and identities. Tap shoes were often created with soles made of wood, or even pennies. This style of dance grew massively in popularity after the civil war.

Eventually, tap dancers started to work with jazz musicians, and began to integrate the intricate and complex rhythms into their dances. Tap eventually made its way into Hollywood from the 1930’s – 1950’s and was featured in many major film and TV productions. Some notable black tap dancers that were a huge part of the growing evolution of this dance were Master Juba, Bill “Bojangles” Robinson, Jeni Le Gon, Clayton “Peg Leg” Bates and The Nicholas Brothers – all greats in their own right, and still a huge part of black history and the growth of tap dance.

Influential Dancers – a History

Asadata Dafora (1890-1965) brought West African culture and dance to the United States, as one of the first artists to showcase African forms of dance to new audiences, artists such as Pearl Primus were heavily influenced by Dafora.

John Bubbles (1902 – 1986) is known to be the first dancer to combine jazz with tap, with his creation of off-beats, altered accents, phrasing and timing of jazz-tap were changed forever. He became an inductee into the American Tap Dance Foundation’s International Tap Dance Hall of Fame in 2002.

Josephine Baker (1906-1975) was one of the first black women to greatly impact the dance world, she performed and choreographed in Europe for over 50 years, and though racism often held her back from gaining the recognition she deserved, Baker continuously fought against segregation.

Katherine Dunham (1909-2006) trained in modern and contemporary ballet, and also investigated the dance cultures of the Caribbean for 10 months, as she ultimately created a new and revolutionary dance style that combined cultural dances with aspects of Ballet.

Janet Collins (1917-2003) became a promiment figure in American ballet in the 1950’s, as she danced in New York alongside Katherine Dunham, she was noted for her precise and technical accuracy, and eventually was hired as a principal dancer at the Metropolitan Opera House.

This is only a very small handful of the incredible and noteworthy black artists that have had a great influence on the dance world, there are many more that have paved the way, and there are also many more yet to come.