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Genius of African-American Dance

To the beat of the drum originated in West Africa for African Americans the creative spark to bring something new into the world through dance is flourishing today as it did 400 years ago. In fact, both social dance and performance dance have been inseparable from the African-American community as it was a way to express: its poetry it’s Social cohesion… And its joy and sorrow… And it’s drive to freedom. African-American dance has always been innovative and improvising. In this groundbreaking five-part series The Genius of African-American Dance we show how African-American dance has evolved creating new forms of dance including the Cakewalk, Ragtime, the Charleston, Swing, the Twist, Disco, Modern Dance, Breakdancing and finally Afrofuturism’s glorification of the black body through dance.

Genius of African-American Dance  
  • African Dance and the Middle Passage
    Monday, April 7
    9:30 am on UEN-TV 9.1
    Experts and dance performances highlight and chronicle the origin and evolution of African-American dance during the period of enslavement.
  • Minstrel Shows, Vaudeville and Broadway
    Monday, April 14
    9:30 am on UEN-TV 9.1
    Following emancipation in 1865, African-American dance innovation moved from Jim Crow minstrel shows to Vaudeville and finally on to Broadway.
  • The Harlem Renaissance and the Jazz Age
    Monday, April 21
    9:30 am on UEN-TV 9.1
    As America entered the 20s into the 30s the country became obsessed with social dancing. Of course, this dance craze was led by African-American dance innovations including Roaring 20s’ Charleston and the 30s’ swing dancing.
  • R&B, Modern Dance and Breakdancing
    Monday, April 28
    9:30 am on UEN-TV 9.1
    After World War II African-American dance innovations accelerated at a breakneck speed. The electrification of the guitar provided a new way of creating dance beats. Young African American dance innovators and DJs led the way through rhythm and blues, disco, techno and breakdancing.
  • Dance and AfroFuturism
    Monday, May 5
    9:30 am on UEN-TV 9.1
    In the 21st century Afrofuturism glorifies the black body in movement and reimagines the past, present and future of black lives through new types of dance.