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African American Dance History

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A thorough look at Africans in America would not be complete without considering African-American dance. From plantation dances that enslaved Africans used to express their tragedy and triumph, to the ever-changing slick motions of modern hand dancing, black rhythmic movements are an integral weave in the fabric of American culture. Dance grew out of hardship but became entertainment. African dance has contributed a plethora of qualities to dance in America; and we can see proof of this through the dance of today. Being such a diverse country, America has the gift of consolidating unique moves from various societies to acquire an outstanding dance collection. American dance as we know it would be totally different if not for African Americans. …show more content…
There are early examples which portray the powerful movements of the African people which play an influence to further concepts. “It was from the African sacred circle, that the first truly African American dance was born: the “Ring Shout.” The Ring Shout was a counter-clockwise, sacred circle dance that appears to have been done universally among African American bondsmen, and later among freedmen. “The Shout,” as it was known, used subdued stepping and hopping footwork performed with a system of gesture spirit possession, individualized sacred dancing and specific music, particularly vocal shouting.” (197, The Journal of Pan African Studies). With regards to the Ring Shout, oppressed Africans could and asserted both a …show more content…
At the point when blacks were continuously moving, starting with one area then onto the next, one of their first acts was to discover a juke joint and display the new dance steps they had gotten the hang of amid their ventures. “Dances like the Charleston, ballin' the jack, and the jitterbug came of age under the fleet-footed theatrics of average social dancers at house parties. Adding a spin here and a dip there, these social dances would reinvent themselves consistently and effortlessly into "new" dances that everyone was certain they had seen somewhere before.” (¶ 10. The History of Black Dance in America). More and more of the current acception of dance was being constructed by African Americans as they brought their talents and ideas to new places in America. Their concepts and movements were fresh and new so they were easily adopted and able to be transformed into many more possibilities. By the creation of these different dances, American culture was able to progress and devise new notations in its

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