Earl Snakehips Tucker

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Earl "Snakehips" Tucker

Earl "Snakehips" Tucker (born August 14, 1906 in Baltimore , Maryland ; † May 14, 1937 in New York City ) was an American dancer and entertainer who lived in Harlem in the 1920s as a "Human Boa Constrictor" (German : Human idol snake ) and established a new dance style with the "snakehips".

Career

After a few years as a street performer in his hometown of Baltimore, Tucker was discovered by the then jazz great Duke Ellington . With his band he had several weekly appearances as "Human Boa Constrictor" in various New York nightclubs , for example in the Cotton Club , which was very popular during Prohibition , the Savoy Ballroom or Connie's Inn . He became a permanent part of the program there in the 1920s with his dance style known as "snakehips" , which is characterized by the wide circling of the hips and quick hand movements. This is considered by experts as the basis for stage performances by Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson, among others .

His rise to a fixture in Harlem nightlife also led to isolated film roles from 1930 onwards. For example, he danced under the pseudonym "Snake Hips" in Benny Rubin's short film Crazy House . He died on May 14, 1937 in New York City, where he worked for many years.

Filmography

  • 1930: Crazy House
  • 1930: Love in the Rough
  • 1930: The March of Time
  • 1935: Symphony in Black: A Rhapsody of Negro Life
  • 1935: Meet the Professor

swell

  1. ^ A b c Brian Seibert: Overlooked No More: Earl Tucker, a Dancer Known as "Snakehips". In: New York Times . December 18, 2019, accessed June 21, 2020 .
  2. ↑ Carolyn: Harlem's Legendary Earl "Snakehips" Tucker. In: Harlem World. December 29, 2019, accessed June 27, 2020 .
  3. ↑ #DancerDose - Earl "Snakehips" Tucker. In: StarQuest. Retrieved June 27, 2020 (English).
  4. ^ Who is Earl "Snakehips" Tucker, and Why We Love Him. In: Holla Jazz. April 22, 2017, accessed June 27, 2020 .

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Tucker, Earl Snakehips
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Tucker, Earl (real name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American dancer and entertainer
DATE OF BIRTH August 14, 1906
PLACE OF BIRTH Baltimore , Maryland
DATE OF DEATH May 14, 1937
Place of death New York City