Origins Of Pattin Jub World Dance
Origin of Pattin’ Juba
One of the many topics that interested me throughout this semester of World Dance was the Juba dance/hambone/Pattin Juba. It especially interested me because of the different beats that could be made by hitting harder or lighter and different places of the body. My interest was furthered when I learned that this became a dance when slave owners feasages across with drums, so they had to make all rhythms/dances with their own music without rhythmic instruments. In this research paper I will look into the origins of Pattin’ Juba and how it has spread across the world today. Historically, the name Juba (Joob) as well as his son, was a king of Numidia in North Africa in 85 BC - 46 BC. He fought for Metellus Scipio, who …show more content…
was part of the Roman Consul. Scipio was designated to govern Syria and to fight against Caesar during the Civil war. When Caesar defeated him in battle, before committing suicide Scipio said “
It is called “Djouba” in Haiti, where it is done as a set dance known as “Martinique”. “The Juba dance was supposedly the indirect creation of Tap dance in America as a theatrical art form and American Dance”, according to Sonny Watson’s Street Swing Dance History Archives.
The first signs of Pattin’ Juba that were recorded in America were by West African Tribes that were brought by slaves. The West African slaves spread the dance around, until finally becoming popular in Minstrel in 1845. Minstrel was a collection of skits and dances performed for the American people. Later during the slave revolt, slave owners started to wise up and realize the slaves could speak a language through the drums that they would not understand. With this realization, slave owners took away all rhythmic instruments. Because of this removal, and since dance itself was not banned, slaves resorted to Pattin’ Juba to make music and a new form of dance. Since many times the slaves would be involved in an impromptu gathering with no instruments, Pattin’ Juba formed as the clapping, hitting, and slapping of thighs, chest, knees, and body to form a rhythmic tune. Little did the slave owners know, but the slaves then used the new rhythms as a new code. The Native Americans used smoked signals, the slaves used rhythm to convey a message to each other as Pattin’ Juba was very loud. One of, if not the most prominent figure of Juba is William Henry Lane, otherwise known as “Master Juba”. William Lane was one of the first black performers to play on stage in front of a white audience, and the only one in that era to tour with the Minstrel Group described above. As a teenager, he began his career in the dance halls of Manhattan's Five Points neighborhood, moving on to Minstrel Shows in the mid-1840s. "Master Juba" frequently defeated the best white dancers, including the period favorite, John Diamond. At the height of his American career, Juba's act featured a sequence in which he imitated a series of famous dancers of the day and closed by performing in his own style. Being a black man, he a he imitated white minstrel dancers caricaturing black dance using the phenomenon Blackface. Blackface was known as the makeup that nonblack actors used by performers acting a black part. Even with his success in America, his greatest success came in England.
In 1848 "Master Juba" traveled to London with the Ethiopian Serenaders, an otherwise white minstrel troupe.Juba became a sensation in Britain for his dance style. He was a critical favorite and the most written about performer of the 1848 season. Nevertheless, an element of exploitation followed him through the British Isles, with writers treating him as an exhibit on display. Records next place Juba in both Britain and America in the early 1850s. His American critics were less kind, and Juba faded from the limelight. He died in 1852 or 1853, likely from overwork and malnutrition.
He was largely forgotten by historians until a 1947 article by Marian Hannah Winter resurrected his story. In Winter’s article she claims “ The dance likely incorporated both European folk steps, such as the Irish jig, and African-derived steps used by plantation slaves, such as the walkaround. Prior to Juba's career, the dance of blackface performance was more faithful to black culture than its other aspects, but as blackfaced clowns and mins ct upon blackface performance, Juba was highly influential on the development of such American dance styles as tap, jazz, and step dancing.
Pattin’ Juba has affected the world greatly today, whether you realize it or not. of Juba would participate in a variety of comedic performances in addition to his dance routines. These skits and sing-alongs were commonplace in Minstrelsy and often required the performers wearing blackface to appear in drag. This sexualisation of Juba is a curious outgrowth of the popularity of black dance music with white audiences. In some respects, it was a way of rendering Juba and, as an extension the whole black race, as innocuous and submissive to white libidos, or more accurately, white dominance. In many ways you can see this trend continuing in black popular music today. It either represents black women with their legs spread, dresses hiked over their heads for white audience's pleasure or black males as ridiculous 'ghetto-gangster' figures, another seemingly empowered group within American society. Either way, it enables middle-class white males to feel comfortable when indulging in the 'pleasures' these supposedly socially weaker classes have to offer.
The Pattin' Juba beat famously reemerged in white popular music with a late 30's hit by the Jewish Vaudevillian Milton Berle (who was also prone to appearing in drag, emphasizing Vaudeville's Minstrel show origins) along with fellow songsters Dan Shapiro and Lester Lee titled "Shave and a haircut (shampoo)." This would give the beat the name it retains with many critics today, in preference over the 'Diddley Beat' tag, despite its inaccuracy.
Technically, Shave and a Haircut, and the associated response, "two bits," is a simple 8 note musical couplet used at either the beginning or more commonly, conclusion of a musical performance. In its many permutations and guises, this rhythm, whether it is called Pattin' Juba, The Hand Jive, The Diddley Beat or Shave and a Haircut (Two Bits) has left an indelible footprint on what we think of as being music and dance. Without it, it is unlikely that we would have the same conception of music as we do today. In the words of Tom Waits, "without... the whole African-American experience in this country, I don't know what we would consider music, I don't know what we'd all be drinking from. It's in the water. The impact the whole black experience continues to have on all musicians is
immeasurable".
After reading many articles and excerpts from books about Pattin’ Juba
.
One of the many topics that interested me throughout this semester of World Dance was the Juba dance/hambone/Pattin Juba. It especially interested me because of the different beats that could be made by hitting harder or lighter and different places of the body. My interest was furthered when I learned that this became a dance when slave owners feasages across with drums, so they had to make all rhythms/dances with their own music without rhythmic instruments. In this research paper I will look into the origins of Pattin’ Juba and how it has spread across the world today. Historically, the name Juba (Joob) as well as his son, was a king of Numidia in North Africa in 85 BC - 46 BC. He fought for Metellus Scipio, who …show more content…
was part of the Roman Consul. Scipio was designated to govern Syria and to fight against Caesar during the Civil war. When Caesar defeated him in battle, before committing suicide Scipio said “
It is called “Djouba” in Haiti, where it is done as a set dance known as “Martinique”. “The Juba dance was supposedly the indirect creation of Tap dance in America as a theatrical art form and American Dance”, according to Sonny Watson’s Street Swing Dance History Archives.
The first signs of Pattin’ Juba that were recorded in America were by West African Tribes that were brought by slaves. The West African slaves spread the dance around, until finally becoming popular in Minstrel in 1845. Minstrel was a collection of skits and dances performed for the American people. Later during the slave revolt, slave owners started to wise up and realize the slaves could speak a language through the drums that they would not understand. With this realization, slave owners took away all rhythmic instruments. Because of this removal, and since dance itself was not banned, slaves resorted to Pattin’ Juba to make music and a new form of dance. Since many times the slaves would be involved in an impromptu gathering with no instruments, Pattin’ Juba formed as the clapping, hitting, and slapping of thighs, chest, knees, and body to form a rhythmic tune. Little did the slave owners know, but the slaves then used the new rhythms as a new code. The Native Americans used smoked signals, the slaves used rhythm to convey a message to each other as Pattin’ Juba was very loud. One of, if not the most prominent figure of Juba is William Henry Lane, otherwise known as “Master Juba”. William Lane was one of the first black performers to play on stage in front of a white audience, and the only one in that era to tour with the Minstrel Group described above. As a teenager, he began his career in the dance halls of Manhattan's Five Points neighborhood, moving on to Minstrel Shows in the mid-1840s. "Master Juba" frequently defeated the best white dancers, including the period favorite, John Diamond. At the height of his American career, Juba's act featured a sequence in which he imitated a series of famous dancers of the day and closed by performing in his own style. Being a black man, he a he imitated white minstrel dancers caricaturing black dance using the phenomenon Blackface. Blackface was known as the makeup that nonblack actors used by performers acting a black part. Even with his success in America, his greatest success came in England.
In 1848 "Master Juba" traveled to London with the Ethiopian Serenaders, an otherwise white minstrel troupe.Juba became a sensation in Britain for his dance style. He was a critical favorite and the most written about performer of the 1848 season. Nevertheless, an element of exploitation followed him through the British Isles, with writers treating him as an exhibit on display. Records next place Juba in both Britain and America in the early 1850s. His American critics were less kind, and Juba faded from the limelight. He died in 1852 or 1853, likely from overwork and malnutrition.
He was largely forgotten by historians until a 1947 article by Marian Hannah Winter resurrected his story. In Winter’s article she claims “ The dance likely incorporated both European folk steps, such as the Irish jig, and African-derived steps used by plantation slaves, such as the walkaround. Prior to Juba's career, the dance of blackface performance was more faithful to black culture than its other aspects, but as blackfaced clowns and mins ct upon blackface performance, Juba was highly influential on the development of such American dance styles as tap, jazz, and step dancing.
Pattin’ Juba has affected the world greatly today, whether you realize it or not. of Juba would participate in a variety of comedic performances in addition to his dance routines. These skits and sing-alongs were commonplace in Minstrelsy and often required the performers wearing blackface to appear in drag. This sexualisation of Juba is a curious outgrowth of the popularity of black dance music with white audiences. In some respects, it was a way of rendering Juba and, as an extension the whole black race, as innocuous and submissive to white libidos, or more accurately, white dominance. In many ways you can see this trend continuing in black popular music today. It either represents black women with their legs spread, dresses hiked over their heads for white audience's pleasure or black males as ridiculous 'ghetto-gangster' figures, another seemingly empowered group within American society. Either way, it enables middle-class white males to feel comfortable when indulging in the 'pleasures' these supposedly socially weaker classes have to offer.
The Pattin' Juba beat famously reemerged in white popular music with a late 30's hit by the Jewish Vaudevillian Milton Berle (who was also prone to appearing in drag, emphasizing Vaudeville's Minstrel show origins) along with fellow songsters Dan Shapiro and Lester Lee titled "Shave and a haircut (shampoo)." This would give the beat the name it retains with many critics today, in preference over the 'Diddley Beat' tag, despite its inaccuracy.
Technically, Shave and a Haircut, and the associated response, "two bits," is a simple 8 note musical couplet used at either the beginning or more commonly, conclusion of a musical performance. In its many permutations and guises, this rhythm, whether it is called Pattin' Juba, The Hand Jive, The Diddley Beat or Shave and a Haircut (Two Bits) has left an indelible footprint on what we think of as being music and dance. Without it, it is unlikely that we would have the same conception of music as we do today. In the words of Tom Waits, "without... the whole African-American experience in this country, I don't know what we would consider music, I don't know what we'd all be drinking from. It's in the water. The impact the whole black experience continues to have on all musicians is
immeasurable".
After reading many articles and excerpts from books about Pattin’ Juba
.