Duke Ellington, Sophisticated Ladies - Inside Broadway

Read All About It
During the Harlem Renaissance, there
were two important magazines providing
an outlet for art and literature.
Opportunity, published by the National
Urban League and Crisis a monthly
periodical published by the NAACP,
were dedicated to African American
issues, art and literature. Through their
literary contests they were able to give voice to several
important writers of the day including Countee Cullen and Nora
Zeale Hurston along with publishing the artwork of Aaron
Douglas. Many publishing companies looked to these magazines
to find young Black writers with new
ideas and perspectives which led to
a wider audience.
It Don’t Mean a Thing
if it Ain’t Got That Swing…
The history of swing dancing dates back to the
early 1920’s. During this time dancers discovered the
Charleston and Lindy Hop while dancing to Jazz music.
By the 1930’s the Jitterbug had joined these dances to
form the basis of swing dancing as we know it today.
Swing dancing was a hit with the people, but not with
dance teachers. Dance schools such as The New York
Society of Teachers an Arthur Murray did not begin
teaching these dances until the early 1940’s.
“Take the A Train” is one of Duke Ellington’s best know
recordings and a great way to get home if you happen to live
uptown. At 31 miles, the “A” train is the longest subway line
in the New York City Transit System and spans from Queens
to Brooklyn to the tip of Manhattan. Opened in 1932, the
“A” was the first subway route operated by New York City as
part of the Independent (IND) subway system and originally
spanned only 12 miles, from Chambers Street in lower Manhattan
to Harlem. As the lyrics state “If you miss the A train,
you’ll find you missed the quickest way to Harlem”.
On Tap
Even though tap dancing has its roots in Irish
step dancing and clogging, it is an original
American art form. Between the 1600’s and
1800’s tap evolved from European step dances
and a variety of African steps that were labeled
“juba” and “ring shout” dances.
After the Civil War, new steps were added
to the tap vocabulary including “stop time”,
“soft shoe” and “time step”. At the turn of
the 21st century, tap gained prominence in
vaudeville with performers such as Bill “Bojangles”
Robinson and John Bubble and later
in film musicals staring such renowned dancers
as Fred Astaire and the Nicholas Brothers. As
the 1950’s approached, tap began to lose its
popularity as dance styles changed and new
dances were introduced. In the 1960’s several
public tap dance events reignited an interest in
what was now considered an art form. Starting
in the 1980’s, tap reappeared on the Broadway
stage in such musicals as Jelly’s Last Jam, Black
and Blue, The Tap Dance Kid and 42nd Street.
In 1989, Congress designated May 25th as
“National Tap Dance Day”, which is celebrated
by people across the United States.
Art Deco
During the roaring twenties and the
early thirties, Art Deco architecture
was all the rage. Like many styles it
is a combination of different influences
from many sources. You can
easily see the influence of Egyptian
design in Art Deco style which many
attribute to the discovery of King
Tutankhamen’s tomb by English
Egyptologist Howard Carter in 1922.
Other influences include Roman,
Greek and other Middle Eastern
styles. Jewelry, clothing, artwork and
buildings made during the 1920’s
and 30’s often reflect this unique
style, especially here in New York
City. Many apartment buildings have
crown moldings, arched doorways
and feature “Egyptian” style tile
work and statues on the outside and
entryways. The Empire State Building,
Chrysler Building and Radio
City Music Hall are three of the most
famous examples of Art Deco design
here in the city.