Before the Lindy-Hop was popular and long before tap dance was established in the United States, Black Bottom dance was popular among both Blacks and Whites in Harlem, New York. The dance craze, appropriated from the blacks in Harlem’s nightclubs, became a big rage when brought to the white community and put on stage for the first time in 1926. Black Bottom dance, also known as “Swanee Bottom” was a popular dance among lower class African Americans in the early 1900s, but later was modified and made tangible for the white culture. Although Black Bottom is not a fairly recognizable dance today, the popularity of the dance at this time caused a great ripple effect in the dances that came later on down the line and has shaped the way our American
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Black Bottom dance was originated by the black culture and that was evident because the dance style itself had many Africanistic aesthetics and qualities about it. at the time, popular blues singer, Alberta Hunter was believed to be the one who introduced Black Bottom and was the first to make it popular among the Black community and in night clubs. It is unclear, however, because during this time a lot of people would steal another artist’s or singer’s song, rewrite it, and produce it as their own. However, it is known that Black Bottom came from a similar dance style popular among African Americans in the 1920s known as “Echo”. There is not much information to be found on the history of Echo dance, but because it was popular during the ragtime era, it was probably high angry fast pace movements done by a heterosexual couple, in nightclubs and various other “party” and dance locations. “The Original Black Bottom Dance”, a song written in 1919 by Perry Bradford from Nashville, Tennessee, had both …show more content…
Without this form of dance in our American culture we never know what could have been different in the way dance has progressed through the years. Without George White, appropriating and presenting the dance to the white community in the 1920’s we could have never progressed as far as we have with our discoveries in jazz and tap dance. The importance of Black Bottom also shows are community among different races. Both Whites and African Americans were able to dance Black Bottom together and be in the same club on the same dance floor. This was a significant time in African American history because blacks were no longer just looked at as the working class. They opened their own nightclubs, were able to produce their own music and they were more free to create their own community here in America, without it being shut down. From then on their history in the United States has continued to grow and
Black Bottom dance was originated by the black culture and that was evident because the dance style itself had many Africanistic aesthetics and qualities about it. at the time, popular blues singer, Alberta Hunter was believed to be the one who introduced Black Bottom and was the first to make it popular among the Black community and in night clubs. It is unclear, however, because during this time a lot of people would steal another artist’s or singer’s song, rewrite it, and produce it as their own. However, it is known that Black Bottom came from a similar dance style popular among African Americans in the 1920s known as “Echo”. There is not much information to be found on the history of Echo dance, but because it was popular during the ragtime era, it was probably high angry fast pace movements done by a heterosexual couple, in nightclubs and various other “party” and dance locations. “The Original Black Bottom Dance”, a song written in 1919 by Perry Bradford from Nashville, Tennessee, had both …show more content…
Without this form of dance in our American culture we never know what could have been different in the way dance has progressed through the years. Without George White, appropriating and presenting the dance to the white community in the 1920’s we could have never progressed as far as we have with our discoveries in jazz and tap dance. The importance of Black Bottom also shows are community among different races. Both Whites and African Americans were able to dance Black Bottom together and be in the same club on the same dance floor. This was a significant time in African American history because blacks were no longer just looked at as the working class. They opened their own nightclubs, were able to produce their own music and they were more free to create their own community here in America, without it being shut down. From then on their history in the United States has continued to grow and