Adelaide Hall
Adelaide Hall was a significant actress in the Harlem Renaissance, she is well known for her role in "Blackbirds of 1928" on Broadway. The singer also earned renown for her innovative phrasings. Her wordless singing on Duke Ellington's recording of "Creole Love Call" prefigured the scat singing later made famous by Ella Fitzgerald. Hall performed at venues throughout the United States and Europe before settling in Britain. She created her own nightclubs in London and Paris, and continued to perform in European nightspots for over 50 years.
Bill "Bojangles" Robinson
Robinson was born in Richmond, Virginia and was dancing in local saloons by the time he was six. Robinson took up residence in Harlem in 1928. That was the year he landed a role in the all-black musical revue Blackbirds of 1928, which was staged by a white producer for white audiences. Robinson's popularity rose. Robinson began performing at Harlem's Cotton Club in the mid-1930s.
Florence Mills
Florence Mills worked in venues from cabarets, and Mills got her big break in 1921 as the lead in Shuffle Along. Written, directed, produced and performed by African Americans, the musical was wildly successful and caused a sensation. Mills held audiences spellbound with her eccentric dancing and her unique, high-pitched voice.
Charles Gilpin
Gilpin was known as the first African American to be taken as a serious actor; he mainly stuck to stage production acting unlike camera acting. His stardom as a serious actor was a break through in the Harlem community so they may finally be taken seriously as a whole. In 1919, Gilpin made his Broadway debut playing the role of the preacher and former slave Custis in John Drinkwater's Abraham Lincoln.
Types of Dances
The Lindy Hop- Named for Charles Lindbergh, the Lindy Hop became one of the most popular dances in the 1920's for African Americans and Caucasians alike.
The Charleston- It became popular during the Harlem Renaissance because it combined popular European steps, African movements and jazz music.
The Shimmy-
The Shimmy is a dance involving fast hip and shoulder shaking. These moves reportedly have roots in Haitian voodoo dances or the Nigerian dance called the "Shika."
S.J.
The Charleston- It became popular during the Harlem Renaissance because it combined popular European steps, African movements and jazz music.
The Shimmy-
The Shimmy is a dance involving fast hip and shoulder shaking. These moves reportedly have roots in Haitian voodoo dances or the Nigerian dance called the "Shika."
S.J.