December 5, 1996
Who Says There Are Plenty of Good Women Hoofers in Philadelphia? A New Videotape, Exhibition and Workshop.

Philadelphia - The Philadelphia Folklore Project announces a first: a premiere of a new 50 minute videotape entitled "Plenty of Good Women Dancers: African American Women Hoofers from Philadelphia." Directed by Germaine Ingram, tap dancer and lawyer; Barry Dornfeld, filmmaker and NYU professor; and Debora Kodish, folklorist and Philadelphia Folklore Project director, this documentary offers a candid, provocative glimpse into the lives of women dancers prominent during the golden age of swing and rhythm tap (1930s - 1940s). Whether you are a lover of tap, interested in issues of whose histories are perpetuated, or just open to meeting women of uncommon integrity, please join us at these showings at the Philadelphia Clef Club of Jazz & Performing Arts, 736 South Broad Street:

Videotape Premiere and Opening Reception Honoring the First Ladies of Tap:

February 8, 1997   7:30 PM   Free

Additional Videotape Showings:

February 10-14, 1997 9:30 AM & 1:00 PM Free showings for school groups February 26, 1997   7:30 PM   FREE
March 5, 1997   7:30 PM   $5 adults, $2 kids
March 9, 1997   2:00 PM   $5 adults, $2 kids

Exhibition: "Plenty of Good Women Dancers"

Now-March 21, 1997.   Wednesdays and Saturdays, 10 AM-4 PM and by appointment. (Call 215.726.1106) At the Philadelphia Clef Club

Tap Dance Workshop led by Veteran Women Dancers:

February 7, 1996 5:30 PM at the Point Breeze Performing Arts Center
1717-21 Point Breeze Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19147.
FREE but reservations needed. Call 215.755.1014.

Please call the Philadelphia Folklore Project for details at 215.726.1106.

In the videotape, three Philadelphians vividly recall the challenges and pleasures of dancing when "they weren't supposed to be there, out-dancing a man." Featured dancers Hortense Allen Jordan, Edith "Baby Edwards" Hunt, and Libby Spencer are forthright, reflective and gracious. Collectively, their dance careers span an astonishing 160 years. These hoofers count themselves as part of a legion of women dancers who learned from one another by trading steps behind the stage and in Philadelphia shed kitchens, and who honed their fabulous routines in clubs and theaters around the country, often with little credit.

Pioneering steps, choreography and roles for themselves and those to come, Jordan, Hunt and Spencer represent some of the very best entertainers in Philadelphia's tap history. Although few of these women's names are in history books, movies or research collections, each forged a role for herself in the oral annals of dance history. Along with other women profiled in the videotape, they choreographed and produced shows, danced as tap acts, in the chorus line, in novelty acts, and as song and dance teams. They danced, usually as partners with men where they were called on to supply beauty and style, but were expected not to "out-dance the men." Restricted to few roles, unnamed in credits, these African American women dancers have remained anonymous within and outside of the entertainment industry and sometimes even in the communities in which they reside. This videotape and the accompanying exhibition have begun to name and honor the women who influenced and entertained generations of dancers and audiences from the 1920s through the present.

Philadelphia Folklore Project programs to expand audiences for folk arts are supported by the Lila Wallace-Reader's Digest Fund. This project is supported by grants from The Pew Charitable Trusts, National Endowment for the Arts, William Penn Foundation, Philadelphia Cultural Fund, Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, Pennsylvania Historical and Museum, CoreStates and our members. Neighborhood previews of this videotape were undertaken with the assistance of the Philadelphia Clef Club of Jazz and the Performing Arts, Point Breeze Performing Art Center, West Philadelphia Cultural Alliance, Philadelphia Dance Alliance, ODUNDE, and other community partners. Public programs are co-sponsored with the Philadelphia Clef Club of Jazz and Performing Arts. Opening events are co-sponsored by the Afro-American Cultural and Historical Museum.

The Philadelphia Folklore Project is a 10-year-old independent public folklife agency committed to supporting and enhancing local folk arts that testify in important ways to powerful human experiences. We offer exhibitions, concerts, workshops, and assistance to artists and communities. Staff conduct ongoing field research and organize around issues of concern. PFP also maintains an archive, issues publications and shares resources. For information, contact Debora Kodish at 215.726.1106 or write c/o Philadelphia Folklore Project, 730 South 50th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19143.