Tap Dancing (1924)

[George Thompson]

The idea that tap-dancing was invented in the 5 Points is based on the idea that it is a mingling of Irish and Afro-American styles of dancing.  There was a notable black dancer in NYC in the 1830s who called himself Master Juba.  He was seen by Dickens while Dickens was on a slumming tour of the 5 Points, and his dancing described in "American Notes".  I suppose as a result of this publicity, he went to England and danced, dying there at a young age.  He had cutting contests (not so called) with "Master Diamond" in the city theaters, for large prizes.  I don't have notes on any of the contests between Juba and Diamond, but several are cited in Odell's History of the New York Stage.

In the scrap below, "negro dancers" means either "black-face" or "in the negro style".  $500 was a hell of a lot of money.
        The grand match between the celebrated negro dancers Master Diamond and R. W. Pelham, recently attached to the Broadway Circus, is to be danced tonight to decide the wager of $500.  ***  The judges of the match will award the stake to the successful competitor on the stage, and in the presence of the audience.  ***  Morning Herald, February 13, 1840, p. 3, col. 1;
Chatham Theatre.  ***  This evening, the rivals Diamond and Pelham, will again dance together, not to decide a wager, but to submit it to the audience, which of the two can come it the strongest in the smoke house dance, Virginia break-down, Long-Island double-shuffle, or the Campdown hornpipe; the whole entertainment being for the benefit of Master Diamond.
Morning Herald, February 19, 1840, p. 2, col. 5;
Broadway Circus. -- Sweeney, the king of melody, and Diamond, the prince of darkey dancers [will perform].  Morning Herald, February 20, 1840, p. 3, col. 1.

Diamond was evidently white.
Disorderly conduct. -- Last evening the lad John Diamond, who exhibits his powers in imitating the African race, by dancing, &c at various public places of amusement, was arrested . . . for most outrageous conduct at the house of Mary Jane Montgomery, No. 102 Church street.  ***  MC&N-Y Enquirer, August 17, 1844, p. 2, col. 4.

The real name of "Master Juba" is generally said to be William Henry Lane, but there may have been more than one man using the name.  Compare the case of "Little Egypt".
Lewis Davis, alias Master Juber, a gentleman ob [sic] color, professing to be a self-taught musician, and the tutor of master Diamond, and, withal, a public character, being at present engaged in travelling through the states, dancing negro extravaganzas, break-downs, &c., accompanying himself on the guitar, under the cognomen Master Juber [is accused by] Patrick Halenback, a black waiter of the steam boat DeWitt Clinton [of robbing him of a parcel].  NY Daily Express, September 14, 1840, p. 2, col. 5

To bring this back to philology, here are a couple more names of dances.
[a small boy, 5, who had learned to dance "'Jim along Josie' and 'Flat Foot' in imitation of more devoted negro representatives on the stage" is picked up on the streets at 11 o'clock]  NY D Tribune, August 9, 1841, p. 2, col. 4

Names of these newspapers spelled out on request.

There is a note on Master Juba, with a picture, at http://www.streetswing.com/histmai2/d2juba1.htm
This says he toured the U. S. under P. T. Barnum and died in Philadelphia in 1857, which differs from what I have said above, which is what I recall having read elsewhere, but I won't say it's wrong.

GAT

George A. Thompson
Author of A Documentary History of "The African Theatre", Northwestern Univ. Pr., 1998.

----- Original Message -----
From: Bapopik at AOL.COM
Date: Thursday, October 16, 2003 2:44 am
Subject: Tap Dancing (1924)

> Five Points: The Nineteenth-Century New York City Neighborhood
> That Invented
> Tap Dance, Stole Elections and Became the Worlds Most Notorious Slum
> by http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-
> url/index=books%26field-author=Anbinder%2C%20Tyler/102-4945333-
> 7641756">Tyler Anbinder
>
>
>   In the name of the late Gregory Hines--is this true?  And if it
> is true,
> is there a plaque anywhere in NYC to mark the spot of that first tap?
>   I'm away from my ProQuest databases right now.  Merriam-
> Webster's 11th has
> 1928.  There are some more "hits" to check (Sam can look), but I
> gotta go.
>
>
>   21 December 1924, INDIANAPOLIS STAR (Indianapolis, Indiana),
> pg.9, col. 5:
>   The old buck and wing and tap dancing should not be snuffed out
> by such
> inanities.
>
> (O.O. McIntyre column from New York--ed.)
>