Jittrbug.net
  • Home
  • News
  • Blog
  • Screenplay
  • Jitterbug! Songwriting Team & Creative Directors
  • Music
  • The Story
  • The Dramaturgy Behind The Story
  • Jitterbug Dance Origins
  • Get Your Choreography Right Here!
  • Map of historic locations in play
  • Playwright
  • The Director
  • The Choreographer
  • Jitterbug! NYC Pixs
  • Emerging Artists Theatre (EAT)
  • Tada! Youth Theatre
  • National Black Theatre
  • The National Black Theatre Cast
  • Follow-up to the NBT radio reading
  • Books
  • Educator Resources
  • Royalties
  • Everything Jitterbug! Store
  • Gallery
  • Contact

Everybody Dance Now!

8/29/2018

0 Comments

 
Now you too can-- without any dance talent at all!-- dance like Marquese Scott! 

Marquese Scott is a poppin'-lockin' dancer of the highest order that inspires moves for the breakaway in Jitterbug!'s climatic dance contest at the Savoy Ballroom (we ask choreographers to reach into the future for dance steps to blow the minds of the jaded Savoy regulars to win the contest). We've posted about him earlier. Now UC Berkeley has developed software that can transfer videos of one person to another person in a second video. In the demonstration above, Scott is the "Source Subject."  But every dancer on video is up for grabs.

What does all of this mean? In a virtual world, everything is possible. At the touch of a button, you're a talented dancer, singer, or fighter. Muhammad Ali has nothing on you. Shed those pounds, break those records, no one has nothing on you. At least for that virtual magical moment where you can be anyone for as long as you want.
0 Comments

Henry Miller: Famous Author, Not So Famous Choreographer

8/15/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture
PictureJune Mansfield-Miller
Henry Miller is a world famous author. His most acclaimed books Tropic of Cancer (1934) and Tropic of Capricorn (1939) broke with accepted literary norms especially those associated with describing sexual acts. Because of that, they were banned in the U.S. until 1961. During this period in order to survive, he became an occasional choreographer thanks to June Mansfield, a professional dancer he met in 1923. She was 21, he was 32 and married but subsequently divorced, leaving his wife and young daughter to marry Mansfield. 

Mansfield is credited not only for introducing Miller to a wilder side of life that influenced his writing but also to the Charleston and the Lindy. Both were surprised how good he was at dancing. Before long they were winning dance contests around Manhattan and Harlem. Legend has it that Owney "The Killer" Madden, owner of the Cotton Club, hired him to choreograph one of the club's revues, 1931's "Rhyth-mania." Miller, however, insisted he remain uncredited, fearing critics wouldn't take his writing seriously. Furthermore, the Scronch, originally attributed to the legendary Lindy Hopper Shorty George Snowden, is generally believed to have been Miller's creation, a version of which is shown above.

​Miller and Mansfield are also credited as being the first white couple to add air-steps to their jitterbug routine. Some historians believe this is the only film showing  Miller lifting Mansfield over his head during an event at the 1939 New York World's Fair (lower right at beginning and ending of clip-- and in the frozen image below). 

0 Comments

Enhance your Tharbis monologue with a free video!

8/7/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture
For those who are not aware, Tharbis is the heroine of Jitterbug!  Her monologue captures the zeitgeist of the Harlem Renaissance. Made to be played under the performance, the free video uses music, sound effects, and archival pictures and film footage of Harlem, the Cotton Club, and the Savoy Ballroom to help "Tharbis" tell her courageous story about how she faced down death threats and the Mob for love.

You can learn more and watch the video here. 
0 Comments

    DC Copeland

    Multi-hyphenate with a penchant for writing.

    Archives

    December 2022
    October 2022
    August 2022
    June 2022
    February 2022
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    December 2020
    September 2020
    May 2020
    January 2020
    November 2019
    October 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    April 2016
    February 2015
    January 2015
    January 2013
    July 2012

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.