Darktown Goes Midtown

Since the Civil War, Afro-American musicians grew in importance on the modern fabric of the nation. Though many musicians became integral voices in New York dance bands after the Ragtime phenomenon, it was not until 1914, that an entire Afro-American ensemble cast, performed on the musical stage in Manhattan. Excerpts from 'The Darktown Follies' production, under the direction of J. Leubrie Hill, were inserted into Ziegfeld's Follies of 1914, and caused so much fervour that the whole production was given a short-lived run in mid-Manhattan, commencing June 15, at the Bijou Theatre. This coincided with the first national "Negro Dancing Competition", held June 17, at the Grand Central Palace.  




                                      Negroes in Dancing Match

                                    The largest gathering of negro dancers ever held in New York will

                                    take place at the Grand Central Palace next Wednesday night. Then

                                    there will be a competition in the one step, tango, hesitation waltz,

                                    and maxixe. One thousand couples will compete for the $500

                                    which is offered in prizes. There are two rules for eligibility.

                                    Evening dress is compulsory and only Negroes will be admitted to

                                    the competition There will be an orchestra of  thirty-five negro

                                    musicians and a jury of twelve negro politicians, actors, and

                                    dancing teachers.

                                                                                   - Kansas City Star, June 12, 1914

 Florenz Zeigfeld's Follies were important productions that opened the N.Y. summer theatre season
 every year. Eagerly anticipated for his gorgeous dancers, lavish sets, eyebrow raising satire, and
 toe-tapping musical scores, the shows were as talked about in the press from Coast to Coast, as the
 Oscars are talked about today.
 Famous dancers from the Zeigfeld Follies included Vera Mexwell, (“Most beautiful of American
 Girls”, asserted by renown Parisian painter Paul Helieu), Florence Walton, Joan Sawyer, Margaret
 Morris, Mae Murray, Beatrice Allen and Bonnie Glass. All were high exponents of the modern
 ballroom dances, and part of the Fox Trot revolution.
 At the end of 1913, Darktown Follies opened at the LaFayette Theatre in Harlem which attracted
 Florenz Zeigfeld, who was looking for something exciting to include in his 'Follies of 1914'. He
 purchased the whole finale, and had J Leubrie Hill write some more pieces for his show. A cracking
 One Step number called, 'At the Ball, That's All' was a brillant show-stopper, and firmly shoved
 J Leubrie Hill into the limelight.
 It would come to pass that an African-American musician would pen the world's first Fox Trot!