Harlem
Renaissance
By Theodore and Oliver
The Harlem
What was the Renaissance was a
Harlem period of time during
Renaissance? the 1920s and 1930s
where there was a
revival of African
American music,
dance, art, literature,
fashion, politics, and
theater.
DANCE
The Shimmy
-A dance that used the fast shaking of hips and shoulders.
-Had roots from Haitan Voodoo dances or the Nigerian Dance known as the
“Shika”
-Previously was tabboo
-Seen from Center figure
Cakewalk
-Dance that mimicked whites and native americans
-Was popular and loved by plantation owners of slaves
-Was known as cakewalk for rewards slaves would get in competitions for the
dance.
The Charleston
-Originated from the African Juba dance
-Juba was a flamboyant display of kicking legs done for plantation owners
-Its African roots are from the West African Mandani Dance.
The Lindy Hop
- Partner dance which originated in the Harlem Renaissance.
-Dance that used lots of kicks and steps synchronized
-Dance helped break the segregation barrier in the ballrooms
-popularized later in the 80s by swingers
Jazz Scene
The Cotton Club
-Premiere Nightclub in the 1920s and 1930s
-Gave a lot of Jazz musicians like Louis Armstrong and Nat King Cole their upstart
The Apollo Theater
- The main theatre on Harlem’s central street
-Hosted weekly talent show that highlighted many African Americans
-Hosted plays
Savoy Ballroom
-Jazz Nightclub located in Harlem
-Central for Jazz and Dance
-Swing dance was very popular and spread throughout Harlem from here.
Duke Ellington
-Moved to New York from DC with his band “The Washingtonians”
-Noticed popularity of Jazz and decided to switch genres for the trend
-One of most famous Jazz musicians of all time
Jelly Roll Morton
-First Jazz composer
-Originally a pianist from New Orleans
-Helped other artists transition from ragtime to Jazz
Louis Armstrong
-Famous Jazz musician during the Harlem Renaissance
-Had unrivaled trumpeting skills
Fletcher Henderson
-famous Pianist during Harlem Renaissance
-Helped develop amateur bands during the period
-Worked a lot with Duke Ellington
ART
William H. Johnson
-Johnson was known for painting landscapes and portraits
-Famous arts were Three Friend, I Baptize Thee, and Let My People Free
Jacob Lawrence
- Jacob was best known for vibrant figurative paintings.
-Famous painting were The Builders, Pool Parlor, and Self Portrait.
Aaron Douglas
-Aaron Douglas was known for the most prominent artist-illustrator of the
Renaissance
His famous artwork were The Judgment Day, Into Bondage, and Aspiration.
Lois Mailou Jones
-Lois Mailou Jones was an american painter and educator.
-Her famous artwork were The Ascent of Ethiopia, Brown Brother, and Ode to
Kinshasa.
Singers
Billie Holiday
-Female Jazz and Music singer
-She innovated the use and manipulation of phrasing and tempo in Jazz
Bessie Smith
-American Singer
-Excelled in Traveling shows
-did many features with famous musicians such as Louis Armstrong
Ethel Waters
-Started as a Blues singer
- Her popularity got her picked up in other media
-Second African American to be nominated for an Oscar
-First African American woman to be nominated for an Emmy
Lena Horne
-started as a Chorus member in the Cotton Club
-Became her own Nightclub Star in Hollywood
-Got into acting and later the civil rights movement.
Poetry
Langston Hughes
-James Mercer Langston Hughes was an American poet, social activist, novelist,
playwright, and columnist from Joplin, Missouri.
-He was best known for writing Harlem.
Writers
Zora Neale Hurston
-black writer who wanted to save african american folklore
- travelled south collecting stories, songs, and prayers of african americans
-created book titled Mules and Men
Jessie Fauset
-short writer and essayist
-Helped write NAACP journal
-WEB Du Bois’s editor
Alain Locke
-collected music, essays, and art during the Harlem Renaissance
-first african american gay man to get the Rhodes Scholarship
-helped define what we know today as “asthetics”