Dance Black America: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

A documentary film with the title Dance Black America. It consists of two (2) reels of color 16mm polyester film with optical sound.

The film features on-stage performances at a three-day festival at the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) celebrating Black dance. The performers include The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (featuring Donna Wood and Gary DeLoatch), Garth Fagan’s Bucket Dance Theater, Mama Lu Park’s Jazz Dancers, The Charles Moore Dance Theater, The Chuck Davis Dance Co., Eleo Pomare, Chuck Green, The Magnificent Force, The Jazzy Jumpers, Al Perryman, Leon Jackson, Halifu Osumare, Dejan’s Olympia Brass Band of New Orleans, Rudy Stevenson Band, Ruth Brisbane, and BISS Harmonizers. There is also archival footage and a few of the dancers discuss their experience dancing.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: 1985
• Directed by: Chris Hegedus, American, born 1952
• Directed by: D.A. Pennebaker, American, 1925 - 2019
• Narrated by: Geoffrey Holder, Trinidadian American, 1930 - 2014
• Subject of: Gary DeLoatch, American, 1953 - 1993
• Subject of: Chuck Green, American, 1919 - 1997
• Subject of: Al Perryman, American, born 1945
• Subject of: Eleo Pomare, Colombian American, 1937 - 2008
• Subject of: Rock Steady Crew, American, founded 1977
• Type: sound films
• Type: color films (visual works)
• Type: 16mm (photographic film size)
• Medium: polyester film
• Dimensions: Duration (Reel 1): 31 Minutes
• Dimensions: Length (Film): 1150 Feet
• Dimensions: Duration (Reel 2): 43 Minutes
• Dimensions: Length (Film): 1550 Feet
• Place used: Washington, District of Columbia, United States, North and Central America
• Place filmed: Brooklyn, New York City, Kings County, New York, United States, North and Central America
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Dance
• Topic: Film
• Topic: Modern dance
• Object number: 2017.55.72.1ab
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Transferred from the DC Public Library
• Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Sources and reuse

Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of African American History and Culture through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed. The underlying object's rights statement is: Restrictions likely apply. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.