1. Music and Dance
The Harlem Renaissance
Maritza Perez, Fernando Jimenez, Fernando Nunez and
Amanda Gyan
The "resurgence" of African American culture, art, music, dance and literature.
In the 1920s and 1930s, Harlem served as the cultural capital of black America
and also the major center of nightlife in New York City.
They brought their musical traditions of blues and spirituals, which was deeply
rooted by their African heritage.
The mass migration during that time helped to develop black music in New York.

2. Major Influences on Music and
Dance
 The migration of different cultures, heritages and traditions-
This blending, particularly in rural plantation life, re-enforced and re-
invigorated certain African customs and practices, especially musical.
As Ralph Ellison wrote, "[I]t was the African's origin in cultures in
which art was highly functional which gave him an edge in shaping the
music and dance of this nation."
 European Christianity- the syncretism that created the African from
disparate ethnic cultures and the syncretism that created the African-
American or the Anglo-African from the blending of African and
European cultures produced the unique aesthetic product of black
American music.
 Negro Spirituality- The spirituals became the basis of a highly
arranged choral music done by professional black composers. It was
this sort of arranging tradition that produced a number of black
musicians.

3. Most Famous Musicians of the time
Period
• Louis Armstrong
• Dizzy Gillespie
• Benny Goodman
• James Fletcher Henderson
• Charles Parker
• Lester Young
• Duke Ellington

4. • Started performing music at an early age
• most important musician of the era
• Headliner of the Cotton Club
• played the piano but his real instrument was the orchestra
• most prolific composer of the 20th century in terms of both
number of compositions and variety of forms.
• His development was one of the most spectacular in the
history of music, underscored by more than 50 years of
sustained achievement as an artist and an entertainer.
• He is considered by many to be America's greatest
composer, bandleader, and recording artist.

5. Night Life
• Atmosphere and Culture
• Essence of the Harlem Renaissance
• Embraced their race
• Black Musicians
• Freedom
• Fashion

6. Majority of Musical Performances took
place at:
• The Cotton Club
• Savoy Ballroom
• Apollo Theatre
• Ed Smalls Paradise
• Connies Inn

7. Savoy Ballroom
• Allowed interracial dancing of blacks and
whites (Was frowned upon)
• Could hold up to 4000 people
• The Savoy was known as the “Home of happy
feet” (Dance competitions)
• Had the best Lindy hop dancers in the nation
• It was said that The Lindy Hop originated at
the Savoy

8. Dance and the Blues
• Bessie Smith
• Billie Holiday
• Josephine Baker
• Bill “Bonjangles”
Robinson
• The Charleston,
• The Shimmy
• The Lindy Hop
• The Swing

9. IN THE LIVES OF AFRICAN AMERICANS
 Rent parties – “real
blood of the
community”
 Fats Waller- “This Joint
is Jumping”, Louis
Armstrong.
 Growth of jazz and
blues
 Identity(culture)
 Fellowship

10. THE AMERICAN SOCIETY
 “barrier breaker”
 Attention of white
society
 Self determination
 evolved into Rhythm
and Blues, Rock and
Roll, Disco, Soul and
Rap
 Tap dance, Hip Hop
and Break dance,etc.

11. WORK CITED
 Early, Gerald. “Slavery”. Washington University. PBS.org, n.d. Web. 20 Feb. 2013.
 Hilliard, Kenneth. “The Impact of the Music of the Harlem Renaissance on Society“. yale.edu. Yale-New
Haven Teachers Institute, n.d. Web. 21 Feb. 2013.
 Barbara "It’s About Time."blogspot.com. Blogger. 08 Jan. 2012. Web. 21 Feb. 2013.
 S Kennedy. "Rent Parties."slideshare. Slideshare Inc., 23 Feb. 2010. Web. 21 Feb. 2013.
 Waters, Ariel. "Types of Dances During the Harlem Renaissance." eHow. n.p., n.d. Web. 22 Feb. 2013.
 Richards, Bryan. "The Lasting Effects of the Harlem Renaissance." eHow. n.p., n.d. Web. 22 Feb. 2013.
 Farmer, Kathryn., et al. "Night Life in the Harlem Renaissance." Wordpress.com. n.p. 8 Dec. 2011. Web.
23 Feb. 2013.
 Idtvdocs. "Josephine Baker – Black is beautiful." Online video clip. YouTube. Youtube, 26 Feb. 2009.
Web. 23 Feb. 2013.
 Docludi2. "Whiteys Lindy Hoppers .. Hellzapoppin." Online video clip. YouTube. Youtube, 7 Sept. 2010.
Web. 23 Feb. 2013.
 Stories, New. Highway Blues. Marc Seales, 1999. MP3.
 "Stompin’ at the Savoy." WordPress.com. Songbook, n.d. Web. 27 Feb. 2013.