The history of African-American social dance - Camille A. Brown
-
0:07 - 0:10This is the Bop.
-
0:10 - 0:15The Bop is a type of social dance.
-
0:15 - 0:17Dance is a language,
-
0:17 - 0:22and social dance is an expression
that emerges from a community. -
0:22 - 0:25A social dance isn't choreographed
by any one person. -
0:25 - 0:28It can't be traced to any one moment.
-
0:28 - 0:31Each dance has steps
that everyone can agree on, -
0:31 - 0:36but it's about the individual
and their creative identity. -
0:36 - 0:37Because of that,
-
0:37 - 0:39social dances bubble up,
-
0:39 - 0:40they change,
-
0:40 - 0:43and they spread like wildfire.
-
0:43 - 0:48They are as old as our remembered history.
-
0:48 - 0:50In African-American social dances,
-
0:50 - 0:52we see over 200 years
-
0:52 - 0:59of how African and African-American
traditions influenced our history. -
0:59 - 1:02The present always contains the past.
-
1:02 - 1:04And the past shapes who we are
-
1:04 - 1:06and who we will be.
-
1:06 - 1:10(Clapping)
-
1:10 - 1:13The Juba dance was born
from enslaved Africans' experience -
1:13 - 1:15on the plantation.
-
1:15 - 1:16Brought to the Americas,
-
1:16 - 1:18stripped of a common spoken language,
-
1:18 - 1:23this dance was a way for enslaved Africans
to remember where they're from. -
1:23 - 1:31It may have looked something like this.
-
1:31 - 1:32Slapping thighs,
-
1:32 - 1:33shuffling feet
-
1:33 - 1:35and patting hands:
-
1:35 - 1:40this was how they got around
the slave owners' ban on drumming, -
1:40 - 1:41improvising complex rhythms
-
1:41 - 1:44just like ancestors did
with drums in Haiti -
1:44 - 1:51or in the Yoruba communities
of West Africa. -
1:51 - 1:54It was about keeping
cultural traditions alive -
1:54 - 1:56and retaining a sense of inner freedom
-
1:56 - 1:59under captivity.
-
1:59 - 2:05It was the same subversive spirit
that created this dance: -
2:05 - 2:06the Cakewalk,
-
2:06 - 2:10a dance that parodied the mannerisms
of Southern high society -- -
2:10 - 2:13a way for the enslaved
to throw shade at the masters. -
2:13 - 2:15The crazy thing about this dance
-
2:15 - 2:18is that the Cakewalk
was performed for the masters, -
2:18 - 2:23who never suspected
they were being made fun of. -
2:23 - 2:26Now you might recognize this one.
-
2:26 - 2:271920s --
-
2:27 - 2:32the Charleston.
-
2:32 - 2:36The Charleston was all about
improvisation and musicality, -
2:36 - 2:38making its way into Lindy Hop,
-
2:38 - 2:39swing dancing
-
2:39 - 2:41and even the Kid n Play,
-
2:41 - 2:48originally called the Funky Charleston.
-
2:48 - 2:52Started by a tight-knit Black community
near Charleston, South Carolina, -
2:52 - 2:54the Charleston permeated dance halls
-
2:54 - 2:57where young women suddenly had
the freedom to kick their heels -
2:57 - 3:04and move their legs.
-
3:04 - 3:07Now, social dance is about
community and connection; -
3:07 - 3:09if you knew the steps,
-
3:09 - 3:11it meant you belonged to a group.
-
3:11 - 3:14But what if it becomes a worldwide craze?
-
3:14 - 3:15Enter the Twist.
-
3:15 - 3:19It's no surprise that the Twist
can be traced back to the 19th century, -
3:19 - 3:22brought to America from the Congo
-
3:22 - 3:23during slavery.
-
3:23 - 3:25But in the late '50s,
-
3:25 - 3:27right before the Civil Rights Movement,
-
3:27 - 3:30the Twist is popularized
by Chubby Checker and Dick Clark. -
3:30 - 3:33Suddenly, everybody's doing the Twist:
-
3:33 - 3:34white teenagers,
-
3:34 - 3:36kids in Latin America,
-
3:36 - 3:39making its way into songs and movies.
-
3:39 - 3:40Through social dance,
-
3:40 - 3:46the boundaries between groups
become blurred. -
3:46 - 3:49The story continues in the 1980s and '90s.
-
3:49 - 3:52Along with the emergence of hip-hop,
-
3:52 - 3:55African-American social dance
took on even more visibility, -
3:55 - 3:58borrowing from its long past,
-
3:58 - 4:09shaping culture and being shaped by it.
-
4:09 - 4:14Today, these dances continue
to evolve, grow and spread. -
4:14 - 4:16Why do we dance?
-
4:16 - 4:17To move,
-
4:17 - 4:18to let loose,
-
4:18 - 4:20to express.
-
4:20 - 4:22Why do we dance together?
-
4:22 - 4:23To heal,
-
4:23 - 4:24to remember,
-
4:24 - 4:26to say: "We speak a common language.
-
4:26 - 4:27We exist
-
4:27 - 4:30and we are free."
- Title:
- The history of African-American social dance - Camille A. Brown
- Description:
-
View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-history-of-african-american-social-dance-camille-a-brown
Why do we dance? African-American social dances started as a way for enslaved Africans to keep cultural traditions alive and retain a sense of inner freedom. They remain an affirmation of identity and independence. In this electric demonstration, packed with live performances, choreographer, educator and TED Fellow Camille A. Brown explores what happens when communities let loose and express themselves by dancing together.
Lesson and choreography by Camille A. Brown, titles by Kozmonot Animation Studio.
- Video Language:
- English
- Team:
- closed TED
- Project:
- TED-Ed
- Duration:
- 04:53
Riaki Ponist commented on English subtitles for The history of African-American social dance - Camille A. Brown | ||
Jessica Ruby edited English subtitles for The history of African-American social dance - Camille A. Brown | ||
Jessica Ruby approved English subtitles for The history of African-American social dance - Camille A. Brown | ||
Jessica Ruby accepted English subtitles for The history of African-American social dance - Camille A. Brown | ||
Jessica Ruby edited English subtitles for The history of African-American social dance - Camille A. Brown | ||
Jennifer Cody edited English subtitles for The history of African-American social dance - Camille A. Brown | ||
Jennifer Cody edited English subtitles for The history of African-American social dance - Camille A. Brown |
Riaki Ponist
Hello, I noticed that the transcript often violates the following guideline:
http://translations.ted.org/wiki/How_to_Tackle_a_Transcript#Synchronizing_the_subtitles_with_the_video
Especially many subtitles lags too much into a pause. Would it be possible to have the transcript edited?
Thanks,
Riaki