This was 100% of all the recorded jubas in the usa. The juba dance was supposedly the indirect creation of tap dance in america as an theatrical art form and american jazz dance. The juba dance or hambone, originally known as pattin juba giouba, haiti. Dickens writings, a smattering of newspaper articles and images, and jubas death certificate. Oct, 2015 based on a real person, this novel starts in new york city in 1842. Juba dance from in the bottoms by r nathaniel dett 1941. Master juba performed in minstrel shows, which were popular from 1840 until 1890. Boz was a name du plume that dickens sometimes used when writing articles for the papers. Sep 18, 2018 the first black dancer to perform onstage for white audiences in the united states was known as master juba his real name was william henry lane. Master juba was in a few dance contests held at vauxhall gardens as well as a few other locations and he beat all comers, including the famous white dancer john diamond, who was the previous worlds clog champion, not. An interactive arts approachprovides an indepth look at dance from the dawn of time through the 20th century.
In new york times bestselling author walter dean myerss last novel, he delivers a gripping story based on the life of a real dancer known as master juba, who lived in the nineteenth century. New york had the highest population of juba families in 1840. Dickens described this even in his 1842 book american notes. Dance has a ceremonial and social function, celebrating and marking rites of passage, sex, the seasons, recreation and weddings. The dance was performed in dutch guiana, the caribbean, and the southern.
Very good historical fiction novel about william henry lane, better known as master juba or bozs juba, set in the early 1800s. The history of tap dancing from master juba to savion glover tapping is an american treasure. Juba dance katrina woods dance history i becky valls juba. Juba dance aka giouba, the martinique, hambone, djouba. Juba, robert battles first work for the alvin ailey american dance theater, is frenetic and electrifying, a terse, powerful explosion of transformative energy. Search the history of over 424 billion web pages on the internet. It was danced by a circle of men around two men who performed various steps e. The book closes with the stock market crashs devastating effects on the harlem renaissance. Many times the slaves would be involved in an impromptu gathering and had no instruments to dance, so they would pat there own rhythms as well as use their feet.
Lane competed in many local dance contests and defeated all comers including the best white jig dancer of all time jack john diamond at the chatham theatre, and won again at the bowery. Stubby loves to cook and does well with assisting jack in going door to door to sell fish, but juba just wants to dance. Tap dance evolved from the oral traditions and expressive cultures. He played the banjo and the tambourine and could imitate the moves of all of the best dancers of his time. Walter dean myers hardcover harpercollins publishers.
In new york times bestselling author walter dean myerss final novel, he delivers a gripping story based on the life of a real dancer known as master juba, who lived in the nineteenth century this engaging historical novel follows the meteoric rise of an immensely talented young black dancer, william henry lane, who influenced todays tap, jazz dance, and step. Our understanding of the african roots of american vernacular rhythm dancebuck dancing, flat footing, and tap danceis complicated by the extraordinary popularity of blackface minstrelsy through much of the 19th century. Master juba and the african roots of american step dance by. The capital of south sudan, in the southern part of the country on the white nile river. Juba dis an juba dat african american childrens songs. Discuss the word juba, explaining that it is a nonsense word in this song, and could be a person juba killed a yellow cat or. He was a critical favorite and the most written about performer of the 1848 season. Fuhrer editor in chief, dance spirit magazine provides a historic overview of american dance illustrated by photos.
Slaves continued to dance when they arrived in the west indies. Canadian sheet music collection, university of toronto music library, olnick rare book room medium piano ocr abbyy finereader 11. Former dancer jacqui malone throws a fresh spotlight on the cultural history of black dance, the. Master juba, known as the father of tap dance and the first african american to get top billing over a white performer in a minstrel show. On the evening of the thirtyninth annual grammy awards that was broadcast on national television on february 27, 1997, colin dunn and savion glover faced off in the fiercest tap dance challenge of their lives. While the name juba passed into dance history, for many decades the man himself did not. William henry lane, who calls himself juba, lives in a room rented to him and stubby by elderly irish fishmonger jack. Dance history explores the intersection of the collective narrative with the human body. Katrina woods dance history i becky valls juba and american mistrelsy summary paper juba and american minstrelsy written by marian winter is an article which highlights the importance of african dance and music that has been so smoothly integrated into american society. This was 100% of all the recorded juba s in the usa. Juba and diamond were then matched against each other in a series of staged tap dance competitions throughout the united states. This is the first comprehensive, fully documented, intercultural history of tap dance, a uniquely american art form, that explores all aspects of the intricate musical and social exchange that evolved from afroirish percussive step dances like the jig, gioube, buckandwing, and juba to the work of contemporary tap luminaries.
Magisterial, revelatory, andmost suitablyentertaining, what the eye hears offers an authoritative account of the great american art of tap dancing. Master juba was wont to delight the rounders and others who came to new york to see a elephant in the five points district, known as dickens dance house. Juba, dance of afroamerican slaves, found as late as the 19th century from dutch guiana to the caribbean and the southern united states. William henry lane, also known as master juba, was a famous dancer in america and england in the 1840s. As of 20, the citys population was growing at a rate of 4.
The history of tap dance covers the modern evolution of dance, starting with the mid1800s when africanamerican influence started changing the modern scene of dance to eventually managing to reach incredible heights of popularity. Colin dunn, the star of riverdancethe musical, was challenging savion glover, the choreographer and star of bring in da noise, bring in da funk, to a battle of the feet. With meticulous and intensive research, walter dean myers has brought to life jubas story. When charles dickens sees juba dance he is so taken he writes about juba when he returns to england. Juba definition is a dance of southern plantation blacks accompanied by complexly rhythmic hand clapping and slapping of the knees and thighs. This new collection of essays surveys the history of dance in an innovative and wideranging fashion. Editors dils and albright address the current dearth of comprehensive teaching material in the dance history field through the creation of a multifaceted, nonlinear, yet wellstructured and comprehensive survey of select moments in the development of both american and world dance.
In 1848 bozs juba traveled to london with the ethiopian serenaders, an otherwise white minstrel troupe. Brian seibert, a dance critic for the new york times, begins by exploring taps origins as a hybrid of the jig and clog dancing from the british isles and dances brought from africa by slaves. History of juba dance enslaved africans brought it from the kongo to charleston, south carolina, as the juba dance, which then slowly evolved into. On the surface, nothing seemed to be happening as three men and a woman jumped up and down virtually nonstop while regrouping into various patterns. Juba has finally gained the appreciation of historians and musicians as viable folk music, but the dance form s history serves as a reminder of that music as a way to stereotype african american traditions. Charles dickens saw master juba dance in new yorks notorious five points neighborhood on a trip to america. He invented new techniques of creating rhythm by combining elements of african american vernacular dance, irish jigs, and clogging. It involves slapping various parts of the body especially the hips, thighs, chest and arms and also stomping. Tribes or ethnic groups from every african country have their own individual dances. While master juba was responsible for the initial spreading of tap dance, the true mainstream acceptance came during the life of bill bojangles. Master juba competed in many dance contests and defeated all comers including an irishman named jack diamond, who was considered the best white dancer. Oct, 2015 with meticulous and intensive research, walter dean myers has brought to life juba s story. He sadly fell away from the limelight after his return to the united states and remained mostly forgotten until modern historians began promoting his contribution to the history of jazz and tap dance.
The juba family name was found in the usa, the uk, and canada between 1840 and 1920. Walter dean myers, in his last book before his death, told the story of william henry lane jubas real name using just a few resources. The dance of african slaves in american plantations duration. The two main origins of black dance are african dance and the slave dances from the plantations of the west indies. It became an africanamerican plantation dance that was performed by slaves during their gatherings when no rhythm instruments were allowed due. Juba is a sort of dance described as a thigh slapping art form. That helps pave the way when juba joins an otherwise allwhite traveling troupe. In so doing, this text provides a number of ways to create, perceive, and respond. In 1840 there was 1 juba family living in new york. Master juba is often credited as the inventor of tap dancing. It came from west africa and was performed by african american slaves. The history of tap dancing from master juba to savion glover tapping is an american treasure duration. The most juba families were found in the usa in 1920.
Juba this, juba that juba based childrens book, virginia a. Using an investigative approach, this book presents the who, what, when, where, why, and how of dance history in relation to other arts and to historical, political, and social events. Myerss final novel uses historical sources to piece together a picture of what his life might have been like. You can not understand history of dance without understanding how dance is the individuation of collective storytelling. In new york times bestselling author walter dean myerss last novel, he delivers a gripping story based on the life of a real dancer known as master juba, who lived in the nineteenth century this engaging historical novel is based on the true story of the meteoric rise of an immensely talented young black dancer, william henry lane, who influenced todays tap, jazz, and step dancing. The many cultures in five points, especially irish, all contribute to jubas dance steps, but he makes them into his own in inspired performances.
The slaves continued to dance in a ring to the beat of a makeshift drum. The juba dance was originally brought by kongo slaves to charleston, south carolina. Juba dance aka giouba, the martinique, hambone, djouba, pattin. Gr 6 upwilliam henry lane, also known as master juba, was a famous dancer in america and england in the 1840s.
African american sheet music collection, special collections department, tampa library, university of south florida, tampa, florida. Juba was a black dancer who charles dickens wrote about after seeing him perform in new york. This is a wonderfully written and throughly researched hist fic book about william henry lane master juba who was a black dancer credited to have influenced jazz and tap dance and entertainer in 1850s nyc and london. Juba grew up a free black man in the five points neighborhood of new york city. Up until 1838, only white performers in blackface took part in these shows. This engaging historical novel follows the meteoric rise of an immensely talented young black dancer, william henry lane, who influenced todays tap, jazz dance, and step. Patting juba was not linked exclusively to the song juba, but these dance movements. The word juba is derived from an african word meaning king or dove in east. So for our first installment of the intellectual grownup, where we explore topics like history, science, and artjust because its good for our brains to learn new stuff and fun to boot, i thought id naturally tap into one of my favorite topics. This engaging historical novel is based on the true story of the meteoric rise of an immensely talented young black dancer, william henry lane, who influenced.
Juba african american childrens songs historical african. Initially juba seeks dance instruction from an irish teacher named margaret. Myers final novel uses historical sources to piece together a picture of what his life might have been likethis will have appeal to readers who are interested in the history of dance or the antebellum period of american history. The compendium begins with native american dance sun dance, ghost dance, continues to american social dance foxtrot, lindy hop, and proceeds to tap master juba, gregory hines. Well known as a piano solo from the early 20th century, this del. Introduce juba using the tashjian version repeating the verse and adding clapping and kneeslapping successively. Giouba which may have been related to the ring shout which was a group dance consisting of a mix of european jigs, reel steps, clog dance with african rhythms thrown in, becoming popular in the minstrel circuit around 1845. The compendium begins with native american dance sun dance, ghost dance, continues to american social dance foxtrot, lindy hop, and proceeds to. Juba dance katrina woods dance history i becky valls. It became an africanamerican 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. Juba is developing very rapidly due to oil money and the chinese coming for work and development. Its predessor was also known as pattin juba william henry lane aka master juba info click. Patting juba voices across time university of pittsburgh.
Throughout the reading, the author talks about the root of african american dance and how its traditions have carried on. Juba has finally gained the appreciation of historians and musicians as viable folk music, but the dance forms history serves as a reminder of that music as a way to stereotype african american traditions. Pattin juba started any dance form with a clapping or slapping of the thighs, the chest, knees and body thus creating a rhythm pattern. Juba came from dances in africa where it was called giouba and haiti known as djouba. Dance history is not only an academic or artistic undertaking. Bozs juba became a sensation in britain for his dance style. The juba dance was originally an africanamerican plantation dance, originating from west african slaves who performed it during their gatherings. Master juba and the african roots of american step dance by peter szego. Nov 17, 2015 magisterial, revelatory, andmost suitablyentertaining, what the eye hears offers an authoritative account of the great american art of tap dancing. Featured texts all books all texts latest this just in smithsonian libraries fedlink us genealogy lincoln collection.
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