THE BIRTH OF AFRICAN- AMERICAN CULTURE AND DANCE

What is CULTURE? The the totality of socially transmitted patterns, arts, beliefs, institutions, and all other products of human work. AESTHETICS- what is considered artistically valuable and/ or beautiful

AFRICAN DANCE CHARACTERISTICS

ORIENTATION TO THE EARTH Torso slightly bent forward Knees bent Wide, solid stance Feet flat on the ground Reflection of many traditional work postures Honors the earth Honors the world of the ancestors

MOVEMENT VOCABULARY Polycentric: All parts of the body are moving. Angular bending of arms, legs, and torso Shoulder, torso, and hip movement Scuffing, stamping, and hopping steps Asymmetrical use of the body Fluidity in movement

IMPROVISATION Within the pattern and tradition of age-old dance forms, the individual is free to be creative and make their own artistic statement This has been key to the adaptation and survival of African dance aesthetics in the New World

POLYRHYTHM African musical rhythms consist of several rhythms being performed at the same time Dancers move the hips to one, shoulders to another, and feet to another rhythm at the same time

PERCUSSION In much of Africa, percussion dominates the music. This is often in the form of a drum, but many other percussion instruments exist. Music is often led by the lead or master drummer with the ensemble musicians playing additional rhythms around that beat.

PANTOMIME Many African dances reflect the motions of life in a stylized fashion: Imitation of animal behavior Human tasks like pounding rice Express the power of spirits in whirling and strong movements

SPECIAL OBJECTS Many ritual dances include holding something in the hand, masks and costumes, staffs, whisks, pieces of cloth, and other items

COMPETITION Competition between dancers Competition between the dancers and drummers

AFRICAN DANCE PROVERBS A woman is never old when it comes to the dance she knows. If you can't dance well, you'd better not get up. If you are ugly you must either learn to dance or make love. If you can walk you can dance, if you can talk you can sing.

TRANSATLANTIC SLAVE TRADE An estimated 12 million enslaved Africans were transported by force to the Western Hemisphere between 1520 and 1860 Many more were captured in the interior of the continent, but a large number died before reaching the coast About 9-10 million survived the horrors of the Middle Passage and went on to endure a life of enslavement and forced labor

People of many different ethnic groups were captured and enslaved The slaveholders purposely divided communities to suppress any chance of uprising When captive Africans were brought to North America, they came without possessions, but not without culture.

BIRTH OF AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURE Although enslaved Africans were taken from over 50 different cultural groups, commonalities in language, religion, customs, world view, music and dance traditions existed. These commonalities along with the shared experience of enslavement served as a basis for the development of African American culture.

Stono Rebellion The largest slave uprising in an American colony before the American Revolution September 9, 1739 hundreds of slaves gathered along the banks of SC Stono River Drum beats and cries for “Liberty” were heard as slaves marched along the river, freeing fellow slaves, killing slave masters, and torching plantations

25 slave holders and their families were killed 20-100 white soldiers arrived that evening and most of the slaves were recaptured Some were returned to their plantations but most were executed

Negro Act of 1740 In response to the Stono Rebellion, South Carolina officials tried to reduce the provocation for insurrection Such measures included stricter rules on fredoom of movement, the right to assemble, the right to raise food, the right to earn money, and the right to learn to read. One of the most definitive measures of the law led to the abolition of the “talking drum.”

RING SHOUT The ring shout is the oldest continuously practiced African-derived dance in the United States and is still performed in the Georgia Sea Islands today. Most likely an amalgamation of several African circle dances, it is also the oldest African American religious dance that is still practiced today.

FORM OF THE RING SHOUT The Shout is danced in a counterclockwise circle and the feet are kept on the floor. Participants sing their own improvised hymns, called Shouts, in a call and response format, often pantomiming the action described by the song. Some songs comment on Biblical figures or events; others recall slavery.

FUNCTIONS OF THE RING SHOUT The Ring Shout is a form of religious worship. Through its African ritual and communal characteristics, it provided a rich and nurturing experience for both enslaved and free African Americans. It functioned as a way for African Americans to continue to worship in a traditional African way even as they converted to Christianity. The Shout is a dynamic folk tradition, reflecting the lives, history, and culture of African Americans while constantly adapting to cultural change.

BUZZARD LOPE Like the Ring Shout, is very old and also bears the markers of African origin. The dance pantomimes the action of a buzzard finding and eating carrion. Similar dances are found among the Ashanti-Fon people of the Gold Coast (present day Ghana) as well as in Surinam (South America) among descendants of enslaved Africans.

FORM OF BUZZARD LOPE A white handkerchief is placed in the center of the dance area, representing the body of a dead slave who has been denied burial. “The “Buzzard” tiptoes around the body, advancing and retreating to make sure it is truly dead, and finally fulfills the ancient African role of messenger by carrying the sacrifice back to the Lord.” (Bess Lomax Hawes)

FUNCTION OF THE BUZZARD LOPE This form is a Christian commentary on the cruelty of slavery. It also reflects the value placed on burial rites in African and African American cultures. Through the dance and song, singers transcend the brutality of slavery, triumphing in God’s love and salvation.

VERNACULAR DANCE Dance of the People Participatory dances Often serve social functions- to have a good time Transmitted informally Sometimes called “Folk Dance”

POPULAR DANCES/ FORMS Cake Walk-a take-off on high manners of the white folks in the big house- dancers would imitate Buck and Wing- soft shoe- early form of tap Patting Juba

MINSTREL SHOWS Most popular form of entertainment from 1845-1900 Emerged from preindustrial European traditions of masking and carnival. But in the US they began in the 1830s, with working class white men dressing up as plantation slaves. These men imitated black musical and dance forms in black face, combining savage parody of black Americans with genuine fondness for African American cultural forms.

PATTING JUBA The Juba dance or hambone, originally known as Pattin' Juba (Giouba, Haiti: Djouba), is an American style of dance that involves stomping as well as slapping and patting the arms, legs, chest, and cheeks. "Pattin' Juba" would be used to keep time for other dances during a walkaround.

HISTORY The Juba dance was originally from West Africa. It became an African-American plantation dance that was performed by slaves during their gatherings when no rhythm instruments were allowed due to fear of secret codes hidden in the drumming. The sounds were also used just as Yoruba and Haitian talking drums were used to communicate.[2] The dance was performed in Dutch Guiana, the Caribbean, and the southern United States.[3] Later in the mid-19th century, music and lyrics were added, and there were public performances of the dance. Its popularization may have indirectly influenced the development of modern Tap dance[citation needed]. The most famous Juba dancer was William Henry Lane, or Master Juba, one of the first black performers in the United States. It was often danced in minstrel shows, and is mentioned in songs such as "Christy's New Song" and "Juba",[4] the latter by Nathaniel Dett.[5]

FORM OF PATTING JUBA counter-clockwise turning, often with one leg raised stomping and slapping steps such as "the Jubal Jew," "Yaller Cat," "Pigeon Wing" and "Blow That Candle Out."

LYRICS Juba dis and Juba dat,and Juba killed da yellow cat Juba up and Juba down and Juba runnin all around You grind the corn and gimme the husk, you bake the bread and ya gimme the crust, you eat the meat and ya gimme the skin, and that's the way, my mama's troubles begin