Steppin' on the Blues: The Visible Rhythms of African American Dance

Folklore and Society

by Jacqui Malone

It's impossible to think of the heritage of music and dance in the United States without the invaluable contributions of African Americans. Those art forms have been touched by the genius of African American culture and have helped this nation take its important and unique place in the pantheon of world art.

Steppin' on the Blues explores not only the meaning of dance in African American life but also the ways in which music, song, and dance are interrelated in African American culture. Dance as it has emanated from the black community is a pervasive, vital, and distinctive form of expression--its movements speak eloquently of African American values and aesthetics. Beyond that it has been, finally, one of the most important means of cultural survival.

Former dancer Jacqui Malone throws a fresh spotlight on the cultural history of black dance, the Africanisms that have influenced it, and the significant role that vocal harmony groups, black college and university marching bands, and black sorority and fraternity stepping teams have played in the evolution of dance in African American life. From the cakewalk to the development of jazz dance and jazz music, all Americans can take pride in the vitality, dynamism, drama, joy, and uncommon singularity with which African American dance has gifted the world.

Genres: Music, History, Nonfiction, African American, Jazz

312 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 1996

Reviews

[Amy Shuff]

A good read for anyone that dances any African American vernacular dance. Seeing collegiate marching and stepping as having roots in African dance was eye opening. It will forever change how I perceive dance movements.

Someone recommended this book to me while they were bemoaning European dance values being rewarded at the current Lindy Hop competitions. That was solely what made me pick up this book and it was worth it. "Black idiomatic dancers have always found the European tradition of dance manuals and dancing masters inadequate for their approach to creating and learning movement, just as jazz musicians have found the European musical notation system not totally adequate for their purposes. European dances lack the freedom of expression that is inherent in vernacular dance." And also, "Angularity is a prominent feature of African American body language, dress, and performance... Every posture is another angle. Pleasing, yes. But an effect achieved by the very means which a European strives to avoid." This book helped me reframe my view of dance aesthetics completely.

[Rachel]

I really wanted to be more into this book than I actually was. I think I would’ve liked it more had I been highlighting and then discussing in class — very much written like a book one would read in a college class. Hard for me to stay focused and connect chapters to one another.

[Dominic Howarth]

Absolutely stunning - every dancer of any African American vernacular dance needs to read this. Infinitely readable, incredibly researched, an eye opening book.

[Tenghe Keita]

bratz-sasha

[Hubert]

Good overview of history of African-American dance in history. It could have utilized broader theoretical frameworks, but all in all an important work.

[Michael]

A wonderful resource for considering the historical relationship between dance and African American music.