Discover The Blues
Blog articles exploring the history, culture and values of blues dance.
WHY WE STARTED THIS BLOG
Blues dance is an African American vernacular dance that developed alongside blues music in the Deep South of the USA in the late 1800s and early 1900s, and is still evolving today. Like the music, blues dance is not just one style of dance, but a family of blues idiom dances. Born from slavery, blues music and dance embody African American cultural values. As teachers who are not from this culture we feel that it is essential for us to educate ourselves about the history, cultural values and the social context of the dance. The articles in our Discover The Blues Blog are our way of sharing some of what we are learning on our own personal journey, and we hope they inspire you to discover more about the blues.
Helen Humes & All Star Band
What a line up! Helen Humes (vocal), Sonny Terry (Harmonica), Brownie (Kazoo) McGhee (Vocal & Guitar), Willie Dixon (Vocal & Bass), T-Bone Walker (Vocal & Guitar), Memphis Slim (Vocal & Piano), Jump Jackson (Drums) all in one video! This video is a beautiful example of so many important elements present in blues music and blues…
The Language of the Blues
Introduction 1. 'Back Door Man' Page 6-9 “A back door man is the secret lover of a married woman. He’s the one scooting out the back door just as the man of the house is turning his key in the front door lock.” Devi explains that, according to Clarence Major (author of Juba to Jive:…
Blues Music: Songs and Their Stories
Introduction A good 15 years before Robert Johnson even made his first recording, the blues was well established by a group of early innovators: women such as Mamie Smith, Ma Rainey, Bessie Smith, Lucille Bogan, Alberta Hunter, Ida Cox and many more. These early blues women defied racism, sexism and, many, poverty. Their lives were…
Angularity & Asymmetry in African American Art & Dance
Introduction: The Grammar of Culture “Nowhere is the African American style more manifest than in dance. The six definitive characteristics of African American Vernacular dance are: Rhythm, improvisation, control, angularity, asymmetry and dynamism.” [1] Steppin’ on The Blues by Jacqui Malone. Page 32 As mentioned in last month’s blog (Blues Dance: An African American Vernacular Dance),…
Blues Dance: An African American Vernacular Dance
This article aims to briefly explore the meaning of vernacular dance, referring mainly to two books: ‘Steppin on the Blues’ by Jacqui Malone and ‘Jazz Dance’ by Marshall and Jean Stearns. More books are listed at the end of the post. What Is Vernacular Dance? According to our good friend, Wikipedia, Vernacular dances are‘dances which have…
Blues History: Willie Dixon
Can you imagine what blues music would be like without such hits as Hoochie Coochie Man, Little Red Rooster and Spoonful? Neither can many people. Thankfully, we don’t have to. Little did the world know that in 1915, the person who made all of this possible would be born. Often called “the poet laureate of…
Ma Rainey: Mother of The Blues
Let me start by saying that I am not fully satisfied with this blog post. Ma Rainey is one seriously interesting lady… honestly, I could write a thesis on her, not a blog post! So sadly I’ve had to leave out a lot of interesting information. I’m sorry! But if what you read here interests…
Mamie Smith: Queen of The Blues
Who Is Mamie Smith? Name: Nee Mamie Robinson, Mamie Smith after marrying William “Smitty” Smith. Life: May 26, 1883 – September 16, 1946. Thought to have been born in Cincinnati, Ohio, however there are no records of her birth. Mamie Smith, a versatile vaudeville performer, is famous for being the first African American singer to record a vocal blues song.…
Recommended Reading and Viewing
Blues dance is intrinsically linked to the music and rooted in history. Although the dance, like the music, has changed over the years we believe that to fully understand blues dance you must learn about and respect the history of the music and the dance and the culture from which it originated. Here are some…
