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February 20, 2007. Social Dance Crazes Charleston, Lindy and Savoy Ballroom. Intro – Social Dancing reflects Identity.
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February 20, 2007 Social Dance Crazes Charleston, Lindy and Savoy Ballroom
Intro – Social Dancing reflects Identity • As African Americans transition from South to North, economic hardship and lack of opportunity in the new northern urban centers, dance becomes a vehicle for establishing racial and individual identity. • Segregated culture - primary jobs available to African Americans are domestic help and low paid factory work. • Dance provides a vehicle to find a more positive identity
The Dances – Animal Dances, Charleston, Black Bottom, Lindy Hop/Jitterbug • Social Dance – In the Jook Cont sites – dance halls, ballrooms • 20th Century History of black popular dance, same as white popular dance • African stylistic elements - animals dances, high energy (ephibism) and swing persist
Ballroom dancing • European couple form – hold partner forming an interconnected unit • African form – apart dancing like the breakaway (Texas Tommy and Lindy) These dance marry the two. • Lindy returns dancers to solo and improvised dancing
Animal Dances - Grizzly Bear, Bunny Hop, The Squirrel, Turkey Trot All danced to Ragtime and access the African American dynamic and freedom. Many are still couple dances but up tempo and allow greater freedom in the torso, especially the Grizzly Bear – torso contact. Vernon and Irene Castle become famous doing the Turkey Trot in the Sunshine Girl on Broadway (1913) - this legitimized it. They made dancing a fad for high society
Animal Dances • Afternoon tea dances – close body contact – couple dancing • Animal Dances draw on African American Sources • Drew on dances developed in the jook continuum
Perry Bradford and Dance Instruction, Songs Built on dance craze – animal dances Perry Bradford writes many dance songs -lyrics tell you what steps to do which Bull Frog Hop – 1909 – Perry Bradford, Jazzbo glide, The dance’s popularity promotes sheet music sales.
Charleston – originally from Charleston, SC – evolved in the Jook Continuum • Runnin’ Wild 1923, Broadway - introduced the Charleston to wider white public – through a song that popularized the dance. Became dance craze of the 20’s • Charleston milestone – becomes a popular dance for men and women. Can be infinitely varied and open to improvisation. • Popular dance to watch and do because one and same
Black Bottom – origins unclear • Negro section Atlanta or Nashville • 20’s Blueness needed for success
Circumstances and Consequences of Social Dance Popularity • Circumstances are jook contiuum, Broadway, Harlem Ballrooms • 1920’s - 1930’s important interchange between blacks and whites, • Actual interracial environments and transfer of cultural norms, especially dance and music. • Dance and music are vehicles for transformation of US culture at large
Black and Tan clubs • Black entertainment for integrated audiences, • Cotton Club - earlier video clips • Worked with both black and white composers
Nightclubs and Ballrooms • Whites began to witness and appreciate Af- Am dancers up close • For Af- Am dancers this notoriety was a great source of pride. • Had the popular dance, best bands and best ballroom in their neighborhood. • Whites become audience as much as participansts at Savoy – this raises the stakes and inspires the air steps of the Lindy.
Integration at the dance environments. • Whites and blacks actually dance together although not the norm. • Threat of integration worries those in power • Owners of other ballrooms that were losing business
Social Dance and Identity • Whites doing Af- Am dance styles experience freedom in their bodies • Identity of place – Savoy and Cat’s Corner. • Identity of movement – cannot steal someone else’s moves. • Identity with Jolly Fellows – a dance gang (foreshadows break dance crews). • Racism very much alive with closure of the Savoy.
Dance and Music - Big Band Era • The big dance swing bands were inspired by the dancers • Faster bands pushed the style especially the lindy • Decline - Once white bands learned and adapted jazz/swing white audiences abandoned black bands • Post WW2 decline in big bands, and 20s-30s dance forms, tap and lindy hop
Lindy and Harlem Background • Dance Halls, a place to celebrate • George “Shorty” Snowden, supposedly “invented the Lindy” in a dance marathon • He broke away from his partner and did free style steps • Shorty, regular steps at top speed
Herbert White “Whitey” and the Jolly Fellows • Whitey - a fringehood, a ganster with ideals • A former bouncer and WWI serviceman • 1923 – started Jolly Fellows - a gang for dancers, based on code of chivalry • Imperturbability in face of violence, (aesthetic of cool)
Savoy Ballroom • Impressive interior, grand staircase to the 2nd floor ballroom • New floor every 3 years • 1936 redecorate for $50,000 • Early admission from 30 to 35 cents
Dance at the Savoy • Saturday most busy - known as squares night because tourists whites jammed the place • Main dancing night was Sunday, and Tuesday for dancers only • Cat’s Corner northeast corner where only the elect dancers could gather • Unwritten law - No copying someone else’s steps ( same as Hip Hop) • Leon James is star after Shorty he does a legomania variation.
Lindy Origins • Texas Tommy from the West, Barbary Coast San Francisco • Syncopated two step box step accenting off beat called the hop • Breakaway improvisations - leaves Euro based couple dancing • Later identified with Charles Lindberg, 1927, Atlantic hop, • Also called the Jitterbug
Lindy Development • Dance bands and dancers fed off each others’ energy • Pronounced Sa vòy; Sà voy = squareness • Lindy an approach – not just a step – improvisation
Lindy Evolution • Mid to late 30s, older groups did floor steps, Leon James, Shorty George • Younger dancers started to add air steps or acrobatics to entertain whites Hip to Hip, Side Flip, Over the Back, refer to girls path in air, Al Minns, Pepsi Bethel. Fresh out of high school June 1937, Al Minns challenges Leon James on a Saturday night.
Lindy Hop gains national popularity • Lindy is an approach - not just a step. Wiped out all the conservative dances. • Late 30’s lindy goes professional, featured on Broadway and World’s Fair • Herbert White - Whitey of Jollie Fellows - controls the professional teams. • Leon James in “A Day at the Races” - Marx Bros. • Shorty had to quit in 1938- had destroyed his feet.
How is history made? • Different authors find focus on different facts and interpretation of facts? • Russel Gold - Guilty of Syncopation, Joy and Animation, The Closing of Harlem’s Savoy Ballroom
What Happened? • Savoy closed on April 22, 1943 and kept closed for 6 months • Supposedly because of prostitution operating out of club • Suggested real reason, to keep white women from dancing with black men • Savoy served all populations of African-American from celebrities to the working class domestics • It functioned as a world apart from the racism and depression era poverty
Savoy beginnings, 1926 on Lenox Ave • Charles Buchanan, African American manager throughout history of the Savoy • Moe Gale, owner and backer Jewish • Buchanan responsible for respectable atmosphere at the Savoy • All patrons black and white treated the same, no fights • Buchanan good business man - Savoy made money for over 25 years
Ballroom Functions • Wednesday and Friday reserved for social clubs and community groups, many benefits • Thursdays for domestics, “maids night out” • Patrons in 40s two-thirds African-American one third white • Sense of identity at the Savoy, of racial pride “an island free of worry about social, racial, and economic concerns”
Issues Around Closing • For Buchanan’s / Harlem press - interracial dancing was the cause of the closing • Equality between races, the social norm, most employees were black • Alleged prostitution by a serviceman • Players - Mayer La Guardia, Police Comissioner Valentine, Asst Police Commissioner O’Leary
The Trial • Buchanan sent a letter from O’Leary that the Savoy’s license was in jeopardy • March 18, 1943, hearing - Buchanan unable to be prepared • Made an impromtu defense which didn’t convince the authorities • Gale and Buchanan built support among the Harlem Powerful – Clayton Powell
The Trial • Ended up going to court, yet no new evidence allowed on part of • Padlocked Savoy on April 22, La Guardia claims he cannot overturn the courts • Buchanan asked if he would refuse to admit white patrons, transcript was suppressed and unavailable to Savoy council • Buchanan responded it would violate Civil Rights Act of NY state
Ramifications of Savoy closing • A rash of headlines focused on violence in Harlem • Savoy encouraged not to advertise in white newspapers • To reopen – not be free of prostitution but under new management • Attempt to cut out Moe Gale and Charles Buchannon – supported Powell
Summer of 1943 • Race riots around the country, June in Detroit, tensions begin to build without Savoy to drain them • August 1, policeman wounds a black serviceman • Harlem riots ensues, mostly youth, positive Savoy energy turned to bitter anger • With little fanfare police announced reopening on October 15 • Buchanan focused on support for armed servicemen and wartime morale
Savoy subculture • Autonomous and resistant to racist America • Therefore it challenged national unity in time of war • Savoy as a place for African-American identity threatened the government.
