Josephine Baker Famous Banana Dance

[dirtynuke]

WOW. Crazy when you think about how long ago this was.

[nickwallacesmith]

@dirtynuke - yes, she seems to modern!

[MissSheilaBeila]

@Lsepia I agree. I didn't mean it in the sense that it was silly or anything like that. I was just observing that Beyonce took something that's almost a century old, and made it her own. When I watch Josephine's clips, however, I then realized where she got some of her moves. I guess it's no different than MJ using some of Fred Astaire's and Bob Fosse's moves, but we were none-the-wiser as children. We thought it was all MJ's creation. LOL!!

[valkyroo]

a lot of those are traditional african dance moves

[NotADood]

It's a trip her influence went so far women still dance like that almost a century later.

[nickwallacesmith]

@NotADood - yep, she loosed things up for woman for decades - great influence

[jpstenino]

A wonderful gem. Thank you.

[nickwallacesmith]

@jpstenino -- it's great that someone thought to record josephine at her height!

[caroaber]

I would suggest that Rihanna may've stolen some of these dance moves for her 2010 American Music Awards opening number ("What's My Name?").

[nickwallacesmith]

hi caroaber - yeah, josephine has been very influential - particular in freeing up dance

[videogirlzzzzzz]

Yeah, I saw a few "Single Ladies" moves! LOL

[nickwallacesmith]

hey videogirlzzzzzz - yep, great moves!

[MrLopezsMusicLounge]

thank you for slowing it down, but it still needs a bit more. Hopefully one day someone will raid the archives of the Bibliothèque nationale de France & will learn what music La Baker was dancing to!!

[nickwallacesmith]

hey MrLopezsMusicLounge - when there's dialogue a lip reader can decode it - but with music no way - so i'll be helping with the raid on the Bibliothèque nationale!

[mzhotniz86]

wow she was really gettin it!! lol that dance was 2 cute. it kind of reminds me of the mystikal video "shake ya a**" lol . she was the original sasha fierce

[nickwallacesmith]

hey mzhotniz86

yep, she was great and so courageous - living according to her own way

[thetruevideoz]

I made a video about her in my channel of her dancin josephine among the best female dancers of our generation check my channel! thx

[nickwallacesmith]

hey hwyitagesu

yeah always feel like yelling 'you go girl' when i watch the video again

just love the way she's so free with the expresion

[hwyitagesu]

damn Josephine got it...dancing like that in the 1920's...whew...and the filming is twice as fast...u got girl.

[nickwallacesmith]

hey cenalover

she sure was!

[cenalover386]

she was the beyonce of the early 2oth century

[flykicks14]

@cenalover386 She was better then Beyonce lol Beyonce is LUCKY to be compare to her!!

still +1 thumb

[nickwallacesmith]

certainly was - just missed seeing her as a kid when i lived in europe - she did a show in the late 60s ' bobino' i think - but died just after opening night

luckily there's lots of videos of her posted on youtube

best

nick

[kostgian]

what a woman!!!!!!!!!

[nickwallacesmith]

hi misssheilabeila and IloveAlb1

yeah you're right - i guess the best thing would be to say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery

[MissSheilaBeila]

It's so funny to see Beyonce do some of these moves.

[nickwallacesmith]

yep iloveAlb1 - she is!

[IloveAlb1]

i see where beyonce get her moves from in the dejavu video.... Mrs. Baker amazing work it mama.....

[nickwallacesmith]

hey someoldbag

glad you liked it - had pretty much the same reaction when i first saw it - same reaction now in fact.

[someoldbag]

Watching her is a tonic! ROFLMAO and loving every second.

[nickwallacesmith]

working it and more! obdiane

[nickwallacesmith]

and at the time unique and avante garde

[obdiane]

JB was working it! :0)

[nickwallacesmith]

yes!

when she moves, she's alive from the top of her head to the tip of her toes.

it's the flexibility and the dynamism - i can imagine the impact live on stage

[carnellbab]

im not even gonna lie..she can dance

[Gefilta]

I don't know about white hunter there but it sure got me up! Wow bananas! Encore.