The Cakewalk was the first dance that "crossed over" from black vaudeville to white social dancing. Cakewalk dancers in the late 1890s, both black and white, put their own personal spin on the dance. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... …saw one of the first cakewalk competitions, and in 1907 Nice advertised the first tango contest. There were two categories of contests:

Most parties durin' slavery time, wuz give on Saturday night durin' work sessions, but durin' winter dey wuz give on most any night.". Dey swep yards real clean and set benches for de party. Text based on Riverwalk Jazz script by Margaret Moos Pick  ©2002, Cakewalks & Jitterbugs: The Marriage of Jazz and Dance, © Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305. The Cakewalk eventually died in the 1920's with the Chareston and othe dances, but there were still traces of the Cakewalk in the newer, more modern forms of dance, even the Lindy hop had the Apache and the Cakewalk thrown in as can be seen in the "Shorty George" video clip in "After Seben / At the Jazz Band Ball" video. walk (kāk′wôk′) n. 1. The dance had been exported to Europe a few years earlier when it was performed in 1889 at the Paris World's Fair.**. This cake set upon a distaff is the signal of pleasure and becomes the reward of talent; it is sometimes carried off by the best dancer, sometimes by the achiest wag of the company. Photo courtesy Sallyann Wagoner.

**The French connection to the dance that began at the World's Fair continued when famed film director Georges Méliès incorporated the dance into his 1903 short film Le Cake-Walk Infernal (The Infernal Cake-Walk). Many out-of-work people would compete for money prizes. The Lindy Hop, the first swing dance, was named for Lindbergh and evolved out of social dancing at Harlem's newly opened Savoy Ballroom. 2. Some say it came from society's underbelly—the brothels of turn-of-the-century Argentina.

Roof Garden].) Minstrel Poster Collection (Library of Congress) The couples did not walk round in a circle, but in a square, with the men on the inside. "Cakewalk King" Charles E. Johnson related his grandmother's recollections of a dance-walk from "the old days". 2)  the "Fancy Cakewalk," (dressed up type) Performances of the "Cake Walk", including a "Comedy Cake Walk" were filmed by the American Mutoscope and Biograph Company in 1903.

This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional. How It Works. It was around this period that cakewalk came to mean “easy”, not because the dance was particularly simple to do but rather because of its dance steps were “fluid” and “graceful”.

https://www.thefreedictionary.com/cakewalked. By the 1890's, the now named Cakewalk was the hottest thing around and Charles Johnson & Dora Dean are said to have introduced the Cakewalk in 1893 "The Creole Show", but it was already a featured dance in same show back in 1889. Many of the upper class Summer and Seaside hotels would feature a Cakewalk at the end of the season. The dancers donned fine clothes and adopted high-toned manners, and for the length of the performance they were not slaves but the stars of the show, their racial and social standing transcended. The Lindy Hop led to popular Swing Era dances—the Jitterbug, the Big Apple and the Suzi Q. ", Copyright ©1999 - 2013 www.StreetSwing.com, Book: Cakewalks, 2-Steps and Trots for Solo Piano 34 Popular, Book : A History of Dancing: From the earliest ages to our own, Book : Negro poems melodies plantation pieces camp meeting, Book: Jazz Dance: Story of American Vernacular Dance, 1913 - Take Me to the Midnight Cakewalk Ball, Brooklyn Music Hall (1898) Jasper Jenkins, 1883 - Cordelia's Asperations (by Harrigan and Hart's), 1898 - Bridget's Word Goes (Brooklyn Music Hall, Jasper Jenkins), 1902 - Ponsell Brothers Circus (held a contest), 1908 - Cake Walk on the Beach at Coney Island, A, 4/18/1885 - Syracuse Daily Standard (Cakewalk and Parade), 7/21/1886 - Daily Era (Cakewalk - Best cake in the Market offered), 4/12/1892 - Davenport Morning Tribune (some Cakewalk History), 'Americus Quartete' (1898) Possibly in Uncle Toms Cabin. The Illustrated London News carried a report of a barn dance in Ashtabula, Ohio in 1897. Johnson relates that "The cadenced walking and high stepping was usually supplied by a violin, a drum and a horn of some kind. The Master's and their guest found it amusing, while a few plantation owners frowned upon these shenanigans. Benny Goodman Orchestra poster, 1936.

A man by the name of Dobbins (born in 1812) is said to have first introduced Cakewalk dancers to high society at Turners Hall in Brooklyn in 1866. cakewalk - WordReference English dictionary, questions, discussion and forums. b. Some of the better plantation owners would bake a special cake called a hoecake wrapped in cabbage leaf and on Sundays and invite the neighbors over and have a contest of the slaves, different prizes were given but originally it was a Hoecake for the males and molasses pulled candy for the ladies and whichever slave(s) won, would get the cake / Candy ... thus varying terms such as "That Takes The Cake!"

Any action that is "not a cakewalk" is, of course, difficult and complicated. A towering, extra sweet coconut cake was the prize for the winning couple.

Wobble line dance not only burns lots of calories, but also is a very fun group activity. These Slave's would have some fun with such a dignified walking, flirting, prancing, strutting, bowing low, waving canes, doffing hats, done in a high kicking grand promenade. The dancers donned fine clothes and adopted high-toned manners, and for the length of the performance they were not slaves but the stars of the show, their racial and social standing transcended. *, The cakewalk was so ingrained in American popular culture and entertainment that beginning in 1892, local cakewalk championships were being held in New York's Madison Square Garden, which hosted a national championship in 1897. As cakewalk dances became more popular, they gave rise to their own form of music, an early predecessor of what's now known as ragtime. Because the dance was generally sponsored and judged by the plantation owner, he became master of ceremonies, and became master of the joke as well. The Cakewalks 'high stepping strut' (see strut) would also be adopted by marching bands (originally New Orleans) and later Drum Majors would incorporate the Cakewalk into their routines thanks to John Phillips Sousa who took his marches and cakewalks to London, Russia, France and elsewhere, featuring a "strutting" drummer who would "syncopate" his steps (DeBussey's "Golliwogs" Cakewalk and Georgia Camp Meeting testify to his success abroad.)

Sometimes de slave owners come to dese parties 'cause dey enjoyed watchin' de dance, and dey 'cided who danced de best. The spectators crowded about the space reserved for the contestants and watched them with interest and excitement. Louise Jones: "de music, de fiddles an' de banjos, de Jews harp, an' all dem other things. The time of the dance was one in which typical order was set aside. This, despite the fact that Williams and Walker were African-American. Most white audiences in America were introduced to the Cakewalk by the black vaudeville team of Bert Williams and George Walker. Woeful Willie overdosed on the Ovaltine at Lingfield on Saturday night and threw away a race he should have, Dictionary, Encyclopedia and Thesaurus - The Free Dictionary, the webmaster's page for free fun content. Tom Fletcher, who was born in 1873 and had a show business career beginning in 1888, wrote in 1954 that when he was a child, his grandparents told him about the Chalk-Line Walk/Cakewalk, but they did not know when it started.

Estella Jones: "Cakewalkin was a lot of fun durin' slavery time. Burn that fat with some wobble!