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Full-Text Articles in African American Studies
Aloof: Black Divas Of Refusal, Kwame K. Ocran
Aloof: Black Divas Of Refusal, Kwame K. Ocran
Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects
“Aloof: Black Divas of Refusal” studies performers Lena Horne and Billie Holiday as the progenitors of a new tradition of authentic representation of Black female interiority in the entertainment arts. As interiority denotes the wide-ranging amalgamation of human expression, these divas equipped themselves with a sense of refusal and aloofness to strategically posture themselves in conditions that suited their personal predilections best and considered their status as representatives of the Black community. Lena Horne’s evolution as an aloof diva successfully saw the singer and actress escape classist thought of racial uplift to the full embracing of the totality of Black …
Dancing Through Time: A Biographical Look On The Evolution Of Tap Dance, Jaimie Cranford
Dancing Through Time: A Biographical Look On The Evolution Of Tap Dance, Jaimie Cranford
Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects
A uniquely American art form, tap dance has often been misrepresented and under-appreciated when positioned alongside other dance forms. This is largely due to the form’s racialized history, which builds upon contributions from African-American culture. Unlike other dance forms, which stem from white European traditions, tap dance evolved out of a necessity for cultural preservation as enslaved Africans adapted to life in America. As tap dance evolved, its association with slave culture led to it not being taken seriously; if anything, tap dancers were viewed simply as “entertainers” – certainly not as artists. Using a biographical lens, this work looks …