Introduction to Lesson 23
This lesson focuses on African American dance music styles following the signing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Many of these music styles had signature dances as well. These styles include but are not limited to funk, go-go, and disco, while popular dances were the funky chicken, mashed potato, camel walk, hustle, James Brown, and others. We will look at all of them in this lesson. On the social front, during the 1970s, more tangible steps towards proper racial integration and gender equality were happening than before. Besides the style of music itself, because of these steps toward equality, this lesson categorizes this music as contemporary. However, we will also see that the music industry often coopted popular Black dance music and dances to varying degrees of economic success during this era.
Because the common theme of this lesson is dance, let's first watch James Brown briefly demonstrate the boogaloo, funky chicken, old James Brown, mashed potato, camel walk, robot, and soul train.
James Brown demonstrating 1960s and early 1970s dances
Soul Train, the namesake of the last dance mentioned, first aired on October 2, 1971, was the first U.S. nationally syndicated dance show featuring Black dances, dancers, and performers. Ironically, before this time, Black dancers were not showcased demonstrating the popular dances created by African Americans and danced by most of America's youth-the twist, pony, jerk, and many others. Instead, White teens danced on dance shows such as American Bandstand (a.k.a. Bandstand, which first aired on October 7, 1952). Students of this course will recognize this as a common theme, which will continue throughout this period.