‘What follows is a particularly instructive urban American story about a man who grew up
in the most squalid circumstances, who battled an inherently racist collection of
performers to develop his own deeply influential art form, and who, in the end,
died at an early age, probably from malnutrition and overwork.’ [1]
in the most squalid circumstances, who battled an inherently racist collection of
performers to develop his own deeply influential art form, and who, in the end,
died at an early age, probably from malnutrition and overwork.’ [1]
Master Juba was an extremely talented African American dancer who performed on both sides of the Atlantic in the nineteenth century. Although, there is a wealth of information on his career, very few biographical details are known about the entertainer. Thus, his life story has been pieced together from a range of sources.
It is believed that Master Juba was the stage name of William Lane, a free African American born in Providence, Road Island.[2] When Lane was a child he moved to New York, where he frequented Manhattan’s notorious neighbourhood, Five Points (which was known as an over populated, disease ridden slum in the nineteenth century). This area was home to the Irish poor, European migrants and free Black men and women, all of whom enjoyed the dance halls and saloons in the area. At the age of around 10, after being taught by ‘Uncle’ Jim Lowe, who was a famous African American jig and reel dancer in New York, Juba began performing in these establishments.[3] The eclectic mix of cultures which was on show at Five Points enabled Juba to combine the Irish Jig and European folk dance with authentic African dancing and singing. He also learned to use his hands and feet to create sounds and rhythm as he moved across the floor.[4] This combination of dance and music is thought to have been the start of tap dancing.
In 1842, Charles Dickens famously toured the Five Points and witnessed a performance by Juba at the Almac’s tavern and brothel located at 67 Orange Street. He wrote:
The corpulent black fiddler, and his friend who plays the tambourine, stamp upon the boarding of the small raised orchestra in which they sit, and play a lively measure. Five or six couples come upon the floor, marshalled by a lively young negro, who is the wit of the assembly, and the greatest dancer known. He never leaves off making queer faces, and is the delight of all the rest, who grin from ear to ear incessantly...
…The dance commences. Every gentleman sets as long as he likes to the opposite lady, and the opposite lady to him, and all are so long about it that the sport begins to languish, when suddenly the lively hero dashes in to the rescue. Instantly the fiddler grins, and goes at it tooth and nail; there is new energy in the tambourine; new laughter in the dancers; new smiles in the landlady; new confidence in the landlord; new brightness in the very candles. Single shuffle, double shuffle, cut and cross-cut; snapping his fingers, rolling his eyes, turning in his knees, presenting the backs of his legs in front, spinning about on his toes and heels like nothing but the man's fingers on the tambourine; dancing with two left legs, two right legs, two wooden legs, two wire legs, two spring legs—all sorts of legs and no legs—what is this to him? And in what walk of life, or dance of life, does man ever get such stimulating applause as thunders about him, when, having danced his partner off her feet, and himself too, he finishes by leaping gloriously on the bar-counter, and calling for something to drink, with the chuckle of a million of counterfeit Jim Crows, in one inimitable sound! [1]
Juba’s unique style of dancing gained significant interest as the news about his abilities spread. In the early 1840s Juba was recruited by P. T. Barnum, appearing in his museum billed as “Master Juba, the Dancing Wonder of the Age.”[7] However, despite his abilities, Juba was disguised as a white man who had dressed as a Black minstrel so not to offend audiences. To ensure his disguise was ‘perfect’, Barnum reportedly rubbed his face with burnt cork, painted his lips with vermillion and put a large curly wig over his hair.[8] By the age of 19, Juba was labelled as one the greatest dancers of the era. He regularly challenged and defeated the best white dancers including John Dimond.[9] He also performed shows in which he imitated the signature moves of other popular white minstrel dancers while showing off his own talents.[10]
In 1844, he toured New England with the Georgia Champion Minstrels where he was billed as ‘The Wonder of the World Juba, acknowledged to be the Greatest Dancer in the World!’[11] By the following year, he was such a phenomenon in America that he no longer needed to impersonate other dancers and could perform as himself. In 1845, he toured with the Ethiopian Minstrels who gave him the lead over their white minstrels. In the latter half of the 1840s he also performed with Whites Serenaders as a dancer and tambourine player.
Master Juba in Britain
In 1848, Juba crossed the Atlantic and arrived in London with Pell’s Ethiopian Serenaders. Despite their name, the only person of African descent in the group was Juba. However, he reportedly still wore ‘Blackface’ make up as they toured around middle-class theatres and lecture halls for approximately 18 months. Unfortunately, there were several different minstrel groups using the name Ethiopian Serenaders in the mid-nineteenth century. Thus, it is not always easy to trace Juba’s movements across Britain. However, it is believed that Pell’s troupe, which included the fantastic African American dancer travelled to Hull and East Yorkshire in the summer of 1849. In early July, the troupe provided entertainment for the Kingston Flora and Horticultural Society at the Zoological Gardens.[12] They also performed three grand concerts at the Temperance Hall where they were greeted with rapturous applause. It was reported that, the ‘Railroad Limitations’, ‘The Great Juba Dance’ and the ‘Railway Overture’ were particularly pleasing to the spectators.[13] |
It is also possibly that Juba danced in Driffield in early September. The Hull Advertiser and Exchange Gazette reported that:
A company of sable gentlemen, styling themselves “celebrated and original serenaders from St. James’s in conjunction with the great ‘Juba’ the greatest dancer in the world,” gave an entertainment in the Assembly-room, Driffield, on Tuesday evening last. The usual selection of negro melodies, railroad overtures, and banjo-bones music was given in first-rate style.[14]
However, other sources put Juba in Stirling, Scotland at this time.[15] There are two possible explanations for this contradictory evidence, the first is that Pell’s Ethiopian Serenaders appeared in Stirling later than previously believed or the minstrel group in Driffield were imposters. The latter is more likely, as minstrels proposing to be Pell’s troupe were found in Sheffield a month later. On 6 October the Sheffield and Rotherham Independent declared that the crowd were sceptical that the man, who was supposed to be Juba was not him.[16] After the spectators showed their indignation, there was eventually an admission by the group that they were in fact frauds.
Pell’s Ethiopian Serenaders finished their tour in 1850 and Juba may well have returned to America for a short time. When he came back to London, he married a white woman and opened a jazz school.[17] Sadly, Juba died in Britain c.1852. From the age of 16, he had worked for 11 years- day and night - without a break. It is believed that exhaustion and malnutrition contributed to his untimely death.[18] However, his legacy still lives on in tap dance.
Pell’s Ethiopian Serenaders finished their tour in 1850 and Juba may well have returned to America for a short time. When he came back to London, he married a white woman and opened a jazz school.[17] Sadly, Juba died in Britain c.1852. From the age of 16, he had worked for 11 years- day and night - without a break. It is believed that exhaustion and malnutrition contributed to his untimely death.[18] However, his legacy still lives on in tap dance.
Footnotes
- [1] John Hanners, “It was Play or Starve”: Acting in the Nineteenth Century American Popular Theatre (Ohio: Bowling Green State University Popular Press, 1993), p. 23
- [2] Master Juba: The Inventor of Tap Dancing, http://masterjuba.com/ accessed on 16/01/18
- [3] Mark Knowles, Tap Roots: The Early History of Tap Dancing (North Carolina: McFarland, 2002), p. 88 and Britannica, Master Juba, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Master-Juba accessed on 16/01/18
- [4] BlackPast.Org: Remembered and Reclaimed, http://www.blackpast.org/aah/lane-william-henry-master-juba-1825-c-1852 accessed on 15/01/2018
- [6] Charles Dickens, American Notes for General Circulation (London: Chapman and Hall, 1850), p. 62-63
- [7] BlackPast.Org: Remembered and Reclaimed, http://www.blackpast.org/aah/lane-william-henry-master-juba-1825-c-1852 accessed on 15/01/2018
- [8] Mark Knowles, Tap Roots: The Early History of Tap Dancing (North Carolina: McFarland, 2002), p. 89
- [9] Ibid, p. 90
- [10] Ibid, p. 90
- [11] The Library of Congress, Performing Arts Database, biography of William Henry “Master Juba” Lane, http://memory.loc.gov/diglib/ihas/loc.music.tdabio.121/default.html accessed 24/01/18
- [12] Kingston Flora and Horticultural Society, 6 July 1849.
- [13] Hull Advertiser and Exchange Gazette, 22 June 1849, p. 6
- [14] Hull Advertiser and Exchange Gazette, 7 September 1849, p.6
- [15] The Juba Project, http://www.utm.utoronto.ca/~w3minstr/featured/itinerary.html accessed 24/01/2018
- [16] Sheffield and Rotherham Independent, 6 October 1849.
- [17] BlackPast.Org: Remembered and Reclaimed, http://www.blackpast.org/aah/lane-william-henry-master-juba-1825-c-1852 accessed on 15/01/2018
- [18] Mark Knowles, Tap Roots, p. 92