Breakdown Dance
A Breakdown Dance refers to a particular 19th century competitive dance form from the USA.
Also known as The Break-Down or The Breakdown, or named after its place of origin (e.g. Birmingham Breakdown, Cincinnati Breakdown, or Virginia Breakdown), depending on the version performed.
It was a s general characteristics are described on Sonny Watson's website Streetswing.com[1] as "an African-American Slave dance that was popular around the Reconstruction-era of the 1880-90's ...The Breakdown was later mixed with other dances such as tap, Jazz and Swing dances. The dance has its roots in the Hornpipes, jigs, Strathspeys, and reels, Hoe-downs, Clogs etc."
Breakdown dance forms were inter alia also popular with white river boat crews, the Virginia Breakdown for example being a favourite of Ohio flatboat crews.[2]
Performances of breakdown dances in South Africa
A version referred to as "The original Virginia Breakdown"
Sources
https://www.streetswing.com/histmain/z3brkdwn.htm
Constance Valis Hill. 2010. Tap Dancing America: A Cultural History. Oxford: Oxford University Press[3]
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