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I know very little about Pearl Primus, but I’ve been fascinated by this photo since I found it on the Google Life photo collection:

(“Pearl Primus performing to “Honeysuckle Rose” played by Teddy Wilson at piano, Lou McGarity on trombone, Bobby Hackett on trumpet, Sidney Catlett on drums & John Simons on bass during jam session at Gjon Mili’s studio” – Gjon Mili – New York – 1943)

She’s not a ‘jazz dancer’ in the strictest sense – she probably fits a little more comfortably into the concert dance or even ballet basket. But she was very much an activist, with a passion for African and African American dance, and she was definitely active as a dancer, performer and choreographer during the 1930s and 40s.

(photo from The Victoria and Albert Museum’s ‘History of Black Dance: 20th-Century Black American Dance’ page)

I did a bit of googling and came up with very few actual videos of her dancing on youtube, but I did find this little doco about her that only fuelled my interest:

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Then I found this video of her dancing, which isn’t too great – you can’t really see what she’s doing, and I’m not sure it really does her work justice.

NB that first photo is from a series called ‘Jam Session’ by Gjon Mili in the Life Magazine collection on google, which features many other amazing pics.

Gjon Mili is interesting because he directed here, featuring Marie Bryant) AND, the great ‘Blues for Greasy’ jam session film which starred:
Harry ‘Sweets’ Edison: trumpet
Lester Young: Tenor Sax
Flip Phillips: Tenor Sax
Bill Harris: Trombone
Hank Jones: Piano
Ray Brown: Bass
Buddy Rich: Drums
Ella Fitzgerald: Vocals

Mili worked with Norman Granz on this film, and Granz owned the Verve record label as well as organising the Jazz At The Philarmonic concerts and being hardcore anti-segregation.

Whitey’s Lindy Hopper of awesome!

Second couple in this scene from the 1947 film Boy! What a Girl!:

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At 3.00 dancing at the Savoy with Leon James (from 1950 Mura Dehn docoSpirit Moves):

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In a whole series of sequences from Spirit Moves, wearing a shiny skirt and strapless shirt:

• at 2.00 doing the California routine
• at 4.16 doing the Big Apple routine

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[Thanks again to Peter Loggins for helping me figure out who’s who in the clips, AND for suggesting Esther!]

O’Neil was one of those dancers who blew people’s brains.

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Acrobatic tap from the 1936 film Amuse Yourself.

A tiny woman who partnered ‘Tiny’ Bunch in the 1938 film ‘Manhattan Merry-go-round’: watch a snippet here, and read more about Johnson at savoystyle.com.

Norma Miller: author and lindy hopping queen.

I figured I needed to step up the politics a bit. Think I’ve got opinions? Norma’s got them all.

Also FUCK YEAH SISTERS GOT OPINIONS. And if you have a problem with that, you should probably just leave the internet. Walk out of your town, and into the wilderness, never to speak to another human being again.

Here’s Norma talking about making the film Hellzapoppin’, racism and running a dance troupe:

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Miller and Leon James are the second couple in this sequence from Day at the Races (1937):

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Miller (dancing with George Greenidge) is half of the sixth couple in the jam during the jitterbug contest section of Keep Punchin’ (1939):

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Miller dances with Billy Ricker, as the second couple in the iconic scene from Hellzapoppin’ (1941):

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Miller is in the Hot Chocolates/Cottontail (1941) soundie, but I’m not sure which dancer she is:

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There are some interesting photos of Norma Miller, Frankie Manning and other dancers in the Getty Images collection.

[Once again I’m using Bobby’s article about iconic clips to identify dancers.]

Oh dear. I had meant to seek out new women this month, but I’ve just been up against it lately, without a spec of time to do research.

Jeanne Veloz is a west coast dancer, and she has her own website.

I like this video because it reminds me of The Vampire Diaries. Why choose, when you can have both? Rock on, Jeanne, rock on.

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[nb the above image is from Jeanne Veloz’ website]

Man, this is a busy week.
Here’s a repost because I am busy.

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In the 1935 film ‘Roberta’.

(I love the band in this scene!)