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Jumping the Color Line : Vernacular Jazz Dance in American Film, 1929–1945

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Title: Jumping the Color Line : Vernacular Jazz Dance in American Film, 1929–1945
Description: From the first synchronized sound films of the late 1920s through the end of World War II, African American music and dance styles were ubiquitous in films. Black performers, however, were marginalized, mostly limited to appearing in'specialty acts'and various types of short films, whereas stardom was reserved for Whites. Jumping the Color Line discusses vernacular jazz dance in film as a focal point of American race relations. Looking at intersections of race, gender, and class, the book examines how the racialized and gendered body in film performs, challenges, and negotiates identities and stereotypes. Arguing for the transformative and subversive potential of jazz dance performance onscreen, the six chapters address a variety of films and performers, including many that have received little attention to date. Topics include Hollywood's first Black female star (Nina Mae McKinney), male tap dance'class acts'in Black-cast short films of the early 1930s, the film career of Black tap soloist Jeni LeGon, the role of dance in the Soundies jukebox shorts of the 1940s, cinematic images of the Lindy hop, and a series of teen films from the early 1940s that appealed primarily to young White fans of swing culture. With a majority of examples taken from marginal film forms, such as shorts and B movies, the book highlights their role in disseminating alternative images of racial and gender identities as embodied by dancers – images that were at least partly at odds with those typically found in major Hollywood productions.
Authors: Susie Trenka
Resource Type: eBook.
Subjects: African American dancers--History, Jazz dance--History, Racism and the arts--United States--History, Dance in motion pictures, television, etc.--History
Categories: PERFORMING ARTS / Film / History & Criticism, PERFORMING ARTS / Dance / Jazz, PERFORMING ARTS / Film / General, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Race & Ethnic Relations
Database: eBook Collection (EBSCOhost)
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  – Type: ebook-pdf
  – Type: ebook-epub
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Header DbId: nlebk
DbLabel: eBook Collection (EBSCOhost)
An: 3122268
RelevancyScore: 1103
AccessLevel: 6
PubType: eBook
PubTypeId: ebook
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  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: Jumping the Color Line : Vernacular Jazz Dance in American Film, 1929–1945
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Description
  Group: Ab
  Data: From the first synchronized sound films of the late 1920s through the end of World War II, African American music and dance styles were ubiquitous in films. Black performers, however, were marginalized, mostly limited to appearing in'specialty acts'and various types of short films, whereas stardom was reserved for Whites. Jumping the Color Line discusses vernacular jazz dance in film as a focal point of American race relations. Looking at intersections of race, gender, and class, the book examines how the racialized and gendered body in film performs, challenges, and negotiates identities and stereotypes. Arguing for the transformative and subversive potential of jazz dance performance onscreen, the six chapters address a variety of films and performers, including many that have received little attention to date. Topics include Hollywood's first Black female star (Nina Mae McKinney), male tap dance'class acts'in Black-cast short films of the early 1930s, the film career of Black tap soloist Jeni LeGon, the role of dance in the Soundies jukebox shorts of the 1940s, cinematic images of the Lindy hop, and a series of teen films from the early 1940s that appealed primarily to young White fans of swing culture. With a majority of examples taken from marginal film forms, such as shorts and B movies, the book highlights their role in disseminating alternative images of racial and gender identities as embodied by dancers – images that were at least partly at odds with those typically found in major Hollywood productions.
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Susie+Trenka%22">Susie Trenka</searchLink>
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  Data: eBook.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22African+American+dancers--History%22">African American dancers--History</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Jazz+dance--History%22">Jazz dance--History</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Racism+and+the+arts--United+States--History%22">Racism and the arts--United States--History</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Dance+in+motion+pictures%2C+television%2C+etc%2E--History%22">Dance in motion pictures, television, etc.--History</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="ZK" term="%22PERFORMING+ARTS+%2F+Film+%2F+History+%26+Criticism%22">PERFORMING ARTS / Film / History & Criticism</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="ZK" term="%22PERFORMING+ARTS+%2F+Dance+%2F+Jazz%22">PERFORMING ARTS / Dance / Jazz</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="ZK" term="%22PERFORMING+ARTS+%2F+Film+%2F+General%22">PERFORMING ARTS / Film / General</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="ZK" term="%22SOCIAL+SCIENCE+%2F+Race+%26+Ethnic+Relations%22">SOCIAL SCIENCE / Race & Ethnic Relations</searchLink>
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RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Classifications:
      – Code: 791.43652996073
        Scheme: ddc
        Type: prePub
    Languages:
      – Code: eng
        Text: English
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: African American dancers--History
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Jazz dance--History
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Racism and the arts--United States--History
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Dance in motion pictures, television, etc.--History
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Jumping the Color Line : Vernacular Jazz Dance in American Film, 1929–1945
        Type: main
  BibRelationships:
    HasContributorRelationships:
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Susie Trenka
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Susie Trenka
    IsPartOfRelationships:
      – BibEntity:
          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 01
              Type: published
              Y: 2021
            – D: 01
              M: 02
              Type: profile
              Y: 2022
          Identifiers:
            – Type: isbn-print
              Value: 9780861967438
            – Type: isbn-electronic
              Value: 9780861969784
            – Type: isbn-electronic
              Value: 9780861969753
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: Jumping the Color Line : Vernacular Jazz Dance in American Film, 1929–1945
              Type: main
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