Origins of American Jazz Notes
Originated as a way to tell stories - South African Book Dance - Into the Earth. Especially talking about slavery. Slaves were more valuable if they could dance, which led to them being used as entertainment - dancing for white men not themselves - 'buckdancers' - flat footed, no toes or heels, progressed from there. Then other influences affected buckdancing - irish, west african. Irish oversaw black slaves. Irish - 'clogging'. Afircan dancing eventually became something called 'buck and wing' A lot of African people have irish blood - mixed like tap. Irish clogging looked refined, gentelman dance Irish clogging: heel taps, straight body Buck and Wing: grounded, knees bent Minstrelsy - travelling shows where white people blacked up to imitate black dancing. Wider than hip width stance, 2 4 rhythm, knees bent Tap dancing name from 1920s, because of the metal 'taps' attached to heel and soles of dancing shoes Talking films made tap popula...