dancers
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Happy Birthday Janet Jackson, From Every Black Kid Who Performed Homemade Dance Recitals
On May 16, 1966 a tiny baby who would be named Janet Damita Jo Jackson performed an eight-count out of her mother’s womb and into the world. Today marks Janet’s 53rd birthday and the iconic superstar is celebrating on the eve of her Las Vegas residency launch, aptly titled Metamorphosis. Beyond her well-known whispery vocals…
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Rest in Power: Famed Lindy Hop Dancer Norma Miller Dies at 99
She was known as the Queen of Swing, a dancer who helped make famous the lindy hop, a fast-paced, acrobatic dance popular during the Big Band era of the 1930s and 1940s. On Sunday, the queen, Norma Miller, died of congestive heart failure at her home in Florida. She was 99 years old. Miller, who…
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Beyoncé’s Homecoming on Netflix Is an Historically Black Experience
Beyoncé. First of her name. King of Music. Snatcher of edges. Creator of Stamina. The untouched. Greetings Big Sister Freakum Dress, is there anything we can do to make your day better? Before we get started, let me share my journey into the Beyhive. I was a fan of Beyoncé and grew up on her…
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Former Alabama State University Stingettes Challenge the Odds to Instill Confidence in the Community
Former members of Alabama State University’s Stingettes dance team are using their talents to instill confidence and mold the future—one eight count at a time. The Stingettes are a part of the school’s Mighty Marching Hornets band and have been entertaining Montgomery, Alabama since 1977. These dancers have been known to snatch edges and annihilate the…
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‘Selling Hot P–sy’: Strippers Talk Sexuality, Misogyny and Stereotypes
Strip clubs have dominated the black pop-culture scene for decades, with Atlanta being the central hub. So much of what we see in television, film and music, particularly as it pertains to black women and femme representation, is distilled from the lived experiences of dancers who sell sex or the illusion of sex. In her…