The Black Roots of BArn dance

RESEARCHED BY DIVINE PORTER AND ANGIE SNOW

Since America’s inception, the hybridization of cultural practices from around the world has shaped new genres, including Contra or Barn Dancing. European ballroom dances transformed into a jig of our own invention—accredited heavily to enslaved Africans who were tasked to play music for these events. These musicians infused the tunes with African elements such as “call and response,” and body percussion or stomping.

They also introduced new instruments, including the banjo, to what would eventually become a uniquely American genre. In some cases, the roles of callers and fiddlers opened a niche for African Americans to achieve upward mobility with their skills, and to retain cultural practices from their homeland. Over time, thousands of fiddlers, callers and dancers have passed their time communally, moving and grooving in open spaces, barns and dance halls. The names and talents of these Black musicians were erased but their influence cannot be removed from Barn Dance traditions. Jump!Star incorporates an experimental barn dance into our program with hopes we dance, honor and celebrate the Black musicians who shared their spirits to create the evolving music we have loved—and will love—for centuries.

Contstellate of Future Dance

How it started:

At a gathering in Wichita, KS organized by Harvester Arts, our team ethnomusicologist Dr. Dina Bennett spoke about the significance of the North Star in African-American musical expression. Then, the audience was introduced to the 11+1 future pole stars and their character attributes. Local dancers of many genres and traditions performed micro-dances that the audience watched with a mind toward isolating gestures that could represent the various pole star characters. After the performance, team leaders synthesized the group discussions and culled gestures from the live performances that would serve as potential choreography for The People’s Dance Experiment..

Next, Alan Calpe, Jump!Star’s director of choreography workshopped those movements with local choreographer Cheyla Clawson and area dance students into a Contra-style dance. (Contra was selected for its historical significance in the midwest.)

Finally, local partners hosted a blow-out barn dance at Pioneer Bluffs. The first half of the evening featured traditional dancing and music, and the second half featured the new Jump!Star choreography performed to “Sound Signatures” written for each star by Jee Sim and performed by incredible local performers Susan Mayo, Rob Loren, Kelly Werts, Randy Zellars, Von Hansen, Seth Carrithers, and Matt Kirby.

How it’s going:

On Saturday of Super!Giant!Jump!Star!, we’ll be hosting a traditional barn dance with music by Floorplay and called by Virginia Varland, followed by a newly adapted version of The People’s Dance Experiment with Jee Sim’s signatures being performed by Jherek Bischoff, Aviva Jaye, Curt Sydnor, Keith Willingham and Chrystine Rayburn with Virgina Varland calling.