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The historical influence of jazz in America
Nature and history of dance
Nature and history of dance
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Legendary jazz artist, Nina Simone, once said, “To most white people, jazz means black and jazz means dirt, and that 's not what I play. I play black classical music.” This quote perfectly embodies how the Cakewalk dance was treated during its dawning in the late 19th century. The dance was both praised and criticized by its observers. The Cakewalk started out as a way for African-American slaves to mock their masters and live in autonomy. But, quickly enough, the Cakewalk gained popularity and began to evolve into formal dance competitions where the winning couple would be awarded a large and ornate cake. The Cakewalk’s popularity was also a result of minstrel shows where white actors in blackface and poor black actors and actresses would …show more content…
A newspaper from 1899 refers to a Negro paper that said, “There is nothing elevating or ennobling about ‘coon songs’ and ‘rag-time music’ and the cakewalk is positively degrading”. This critique is interesting because it is not only by African Americans, but it scorns African Americans. Even though it is odd to say, one could understand where some Cakewalk critics come from if they stay open-minded. Another colored critic from 1897 shared his feelings about a cakewalk in a newspaper that said, “He thinks the exhibition vulgar and degrading to its participants.” and “All the quaint charm of the old negro who did these things for their own sake is lost by these people who do them as a matter of show. Their self-consciousness spoils their naturalness.” The critic’s accusations of the dancers only performing to put on a show rather than “the purpose of keeping alive a characteristic custom of the negro” are comprehensible. While it is certain that some dancers performed honorably, the critic seems to have been justified in his opinion that dancing without a meaningful purpose is rather shameful. White critics had similar things to say about the Cakewalk, and another way that whites degraded African Americans was through sheet music covers filled with stereotypes and
Detrimental stereotypes of minorities affect everyone today as they did during the antebellum period. Walker’s subject matter reminds people of this, as does her symbolic use of stark black and white. Her work shocks. It disgusts. The important part is: her work elicits a reaction from the viewer; it reminds them of a dark time in history and represents that time in the most fantastically nightmarish way possible. In her own words, Walker has said, “I didn’t want a completely passive viewer, I wanted to make work where the viewer wouldn’t walk away; he would either giggle nervously, get pulled into history, into fiction, into something totally demeaning and possibly very beautiful”. Certainly, her usage of controversial cultural signifiers serve not only to remind the viewer of the way blacks were viewed, but that they were cast in that image by people like the viewer. Thus, the viewer is implicated in the injustices within her work. In a way, the scenes she creates are a subversive display of the slim power of slave over owner, of woman over man, of viewed over
George Schuyler’s article “The Negro Art Hokum” argues that the notion of African-American culture as separate from national American culture is nonsense. To Schuyler, all seemingly distinct elements of African-American culture and artistic endeavors from such are influenced by the dominant white American culture, and therefore, only American. The merit of Schuyler’s argument stems from the fact that it is practically impossible for one culture to exist within the confines of another without absorbing certain characteristics. The problem with Schuyler’s argument that Langston Hughes notes in his response article, “The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain,” is that it assumes complete assimilation of African-Americans by a singular national culture. Fundamental to Hughes’ rebuttal is the allowance of a unique African-American culture extant of the standards of a singular American cultural identity. For Hughes, this unique culture lies within the working-class, out of sight of the American national culture. This culture, while neither completely African nor American, maintains the vibrant and unique roots of the African-American experience. Schuyler advocates cultural assimilation, while Hughes promotes cultural pluralism, in which minority cultures maintain their distinctive qualities in the face of a dominant national identity.
While the 13th and 15th Amendments depict a step towards racial equality, additional laws were passed that ultimately prevented African Americans from achieving the opportunities and acknowledgement the deserved. From the convict leasing system, to the exclusively white government, white Americans were able to maintain their superiority, restraining African Americans from progressing. August Wilson’s Piano Lesson symbolizes the de facto aspect of an African American life by illustrating the discrimination African American faced due to racism. To achieve true racial equality America needs to see more development from those with less power. In order for this to happen, it is imperative for the people of America to rid of all their prior stereotypical judgements, and overcome their habit of treating people based on their appearance. By then, all pedestrians in any sidewalk would rush over to anyone, even if they were all dressed in battered
This passage’s comedic tone engages with the stereotypes of Black and White Americans in an attempt to forgo convention. Following the tempo of “one, two, three, four, --, six, seven, eight,” Ross pokes fun at the traditional stereotype of White people and their inability to dance while simultaneously mocking the Blacks inability to imitate a simple pattern. Through poking fun at the conventional stereotypes, the passage unveils the subtext of racism. Ross states, “Ninety percent of those caught by the one, two, three, four, --, six, seven, eight were white. They just couldn’t get the hang of it.” Ross critiques the underlining racism apparent within society through the manipulation of comical prejudices. Ross infers that White people and their inability to maintain a simple beat. This grand statement categorizes the White demographic. Conversely, Black people find it outlandish that they could not learn the simple beat. They “couldn’t believe it.” Playing with the African-American stereotype of dancing and movement makes the reader consider if this is an accurate portrayal of the entire population. Furthermore, the syncopation is too simple and they get “caught by the normal, unsyncopated, one, two, one, two.” Stereotypes attempt to generalize the appearance of a minority or majority. This passage appears
Many people played significant roles in the story of Washington's black community in the early 20th century, but no one better personified the elegance, the dynamism and the spirit of that society than Duke Ellington. He embodied the powerful connection between cultural success and economic achievement among African-Americans. And he was a creature of the fertile, talented, secure middle-class society that nurtured him. As musical historians Marc Tucker and John Hasse have observed, the Duke was shaped by Washington's black community - by its schools and churches; by the elegance and etiquette his father learned as a butler and caterer to some of Washington's most prominent families; and by the confident aspirations of his elders.
An Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man tells the story of a man’s journey living as a biracial person in the time of legal racial segregation in the United States. The novel not only describes the life of the narrator, but also emphasizes his journey into becoming a proficient pianist. The story describes his upbringing, family history, and adulthood experiences. As a child, the narrator was not aware of the concept of race. This, in a sense, led him on a journey of discovering African-American culture. Growing up in a privileged household, he wasn’t aware of the typical African-American’s experience. As a child, he thought he was “white”. For example, he talks about one occasion where his elementary school teacher asked, “’I wish all of the white scholars to stand for a moment (11).’” Since the narrator was not aware of his race, he stood up with his white classmates. This experience led him on the road to discovery of race, racial segregation, and the differences between white and African-American people. This journey brought him to the South and...
Over the course of approximately one-hundred years there has been a discernible metamorphosis within the realm of African-American cinema. African-Americans have overcome the heavy weight of oppression in forms such as of politics, citizenship and most importantly equal human rights. One of the most evident forms that were withheld from African-Americans came in the structure of the performing arts; specifically film. The common population did not allow blacks to drink from the same water fountain let alone share the same television waves or stage. But over time the strength of the expectant black actors and actresses overwhelmed the majority force to stop blacks from appearing on film. For the longest time the performing arts were the only way for African-Americans to express the deep pain that the white population placed in front of them. Singing, dancing and acting took many African-Americans to a place that no oppressor could reach; considering the exploitation of their character during the 1930's-1960's acting' was an essential technique to African American survival.
It maybe hard to believe but during the turn of the 19th century, dance competitors were content in winning a CAKE! The Cakewalk dance as how it came to be known in history initially drew in American black slaves as participants “often in the presence of their masters.” It has been said that “some of the better plantation owners would bake a special cake called a hoecake wrapped in cabbage leaf on Sundays and invite the neighbors over and have a contest of the slaves,” according to the popular dance website, streetswing.com. “Different prizes were given but originally it was a Hoecake for the males and molasses pulled candy for the ladies and whichever slave(s) won, would get the cake!”
By the end of World War I, Black Americans were facing their lowest point in history since slavery. Most of the blacks migrated to the northern states such as New York and Chicago. It was in New York where the “Harlem Renaissance” was born. This movement with jazz was used to rid of the restraints held against African Americans. One of the main reasons that jazz was so popular was that it allowed the performer to create the rhythm. With This in Mind performers realized that there could no...
As Martin Van Peebles describes, “Outside of being required to mug it up, the Negro entertainers were encouraged to do their routines, strut their stuff, to sing and dance their hearts out.” Many early Hollywood films included music that had its roots
Krasner, David. Resistance, Parody, and Double Consciousness in African American Theatre: 1895-1910. Basingstoke: MacMillan, 1997. Print.
During the 1940’s, the world found itself dealing with World War II and in the United States ,a huge African culture movement swept throughout the north-eastern states. One specific artist that captivated the “Nightlife” of African Americans during that era was Archibald Motley Jr. He painted a series of paintings that involved African Americans and their culture. In the painting, “Nightlife” we see a group of African Americans dancing at a club/bar, enjoying life, and swaying their hips to the music. Perhaps, in this painting, Motley wanted his public to notice the breakthrough, blacks had during the 1940’s and wanted to show how music took their mind on a different stroll apart from the troubling issues the world was dealing with. Archibald wanted the world to notice the dynamic and exciting Negro culture.
African American dancers not only struggle with the racism of society in general. They also struggle with the divisions within the African American community, based on skin color. Historically the African American community has experienced racism based on how dark or how fair their skin is, beginning with the division of labor during slavery, continuing in theatre, then film, and extending to academia with fair-skinned African Americans being given additional access to mainstream education, employment, and social activities. Although colorism focuses on skin color, the concept includes facial expressions and hair texture. The embodiment of a Eurocentric aesthetic is an understood goal for many within the dance
Jazz music broke the rules in American Culture African American experience over White American experience. In addition, the article called ‘History of Black Dance’ said “Harlem during the twenties became the ‘in place’ to be for both black and white New Yorkers.”3 (“History of Black” par. 2). Breaking the rules of the 1920s American culture has not been done before, both men and women, both black and white, together in one place to enjoy music. In Carter’s article, “The Devils Music: 1920s Jazz” as jazz music grew in popularity, so did political and social campaigns to censor what the older generation considered to be the devils music, also known as jazz music.4 The older generation of the 1920s, believed that jazz music was made by the devil and by the end of the twenties,
When Africans were brought to North and Latin America in the 18th and 19th centuries, they brought their music with them. At that time, slave owners and colonial authorities were largely against allowing slaves to partake in song and dance. Many considered it “heathen” music that was akin to religious blasphemy. Their efforts, however, did not dissuade Africans from protecting their music and clinging to their heritage. For the most part, their heritage was all the slaves had to hold onto. Their existence was often as unbearable as their future was bleak. Song and dance was their only way to express themselves and hold on to some semblance of cultura...