Surprisingly, there's a whole lotta tap dancing going on in Jitterbug! One of its pivotal scenes has the dancical's protagonist Billy Rhythm taking on Bill "Bojangles" Robinson when the Mayor challenges him to "trade fours" in the legendary Hoofer's Club, a small back room in a Harlem speakeasy. That janitor's closet-- for the most part (it was just big enough for an old battered upright piano, a bench and enough floor space for two dancers)-- has been called the "unacknowledged headquarters of American tap dancing from the 1920's through the 1940's." Tap even shows up in the climatic dance contest at the Savoy Ballroom when Billy and his girlfriend Tharbis Jefferson put it to use in the Jitterbug breakaway to beat their competition.
So it's quite fitting to release the "Jitterbug!" Kindle Edition today on both Bojangles' birthday and National Tap Dance Day. With teaching in mind, it is formatted for smartphones so students can use their phones at their desks or remotely from home through online learning. Performing assigned roles via Zoom or similar platforms is encouraged.
Annotated for historical context and period slang, the Kindle edition supports Endnotes where one click on a number next to a word in the script brings up a definition or supportive historicaL context pages from the Endnotes section at the back.
If read online, it affords the reader/actor the option of listening to the music used in the script while reading or performing by clicking the music link to the Jitterbug! website.
The Kindle edition also contains a map of Harlem circa 1931 of the actual places where the story takes place. Pictures of historical characters portrayed in the story can be found on the last page.
Finally, free Educator Manuals and Student Questionnaires (pdf files) based on National Core Arts/Common Core Standards for DANCE, THEATRE, MUSIC (Composition and Ensemble strands), LITERATURE, and HISTORY/SOCIAL STUDIES are available for download at the "Educator Resources" page on the Jitterbug! website. If read online, readers can click Internet links in the pdf files to multimedia targets that will enhance their learning experience.
So it's quite fitting to release the "Jitterbug!" Kindle Edition today on both Bojangles' birthday and National Tap Dance Day. With teaching in mind, it is formatted for smartphones so students can use their phones at their desks or remotely from home through online learning. Performing assigned roles via Zoom or similar platforms is encouraged.
Annotated for historical context and period slang, the Kindle edition supports Endnotes where one click on a number next to a word in the script brings up a definition or supportive historicaL context pages from the Endnotes section at the back.
If read online, it affords the reader/actor the option of listening to the music used in the script while reading or performing by clicking the music link to the Jitterbug! website.
The Kindle edition also contains a map of Harlem circa 1931 of the actual places where the story takes place. Pictures of historical characters portrayed in the story can be found on the last page.
Finally, free Educator Manuals and Student Questionnaires (pdf files) based on National Core Arts/Common Core Standards for DANCE, THEATRE, MUSIC (Composition and Ensemble strands), LITERATURE, and HISTORY/SOCIAL STUDIES are available for download at the "Educator Resources" page on the Jitterbug! website. If read online, readers can click Internet links in the pdf files to multimedia targets that will enhance their learning experience.
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