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{{Short description|American dancer and entertainer}}
⚫ Earl "Snakehips" Tucker (1905-1937)
{{Infobox person
⚫ | name = Earl "Snakehips" Tucker
Mr. Tucker became known as the "Human Boa Constrictor," after the dance he created in the early 1930s called the "]".
| image = Snakehips Earl Tucker.jpg
| alt = <!-- descriptive text for use by speech synthesis (text-to-speech) software -->
| caption =
| birth_name = <!-- only use if different from name -->
| birth_date = August 14, 1906
| birth_place = Baltimore, Maryland
| death_date = May 14, 1937 (aged 30)
| death_place = New York City
| nationality = American
| other_names =
| occupation = Dancer and entertainer
| years_active =
| known_for = Popularized the dance called the snakehips
| notable_works =
}}


'''Earl "Snakehips" Tucker''' (August 14, 1906 in Baltimore, Maryland – May 14, 1937 in New York City) was an American dancer and entertainer. Also known as the "Human Boa Constrictor", he acquired the nickname "snakehips" via the dance he popularized in Harlem in the 1920s called the "]".<ref>{{cite book|title=Jookin': The Rise of Social Dance Formations in African-American Culture|first=Katrina|last=Hazzard-Gordon|publisher=Temple University Press|year=1990|pages=122-123|isbn=0-87722-613-X}}</ref>
⚫ Tucker frequented ] music clubs, and was a regular at the ]. He built his reputation by exhibiting his odd style of dance, which involved a great deal of hip motion. He would make it appear that he was as flexible as a snake, and eventually the dance became his calling card. He became popular enough to eventually perform at ] and the ].


==Career==
In 1935, Tucker reached the peak of his fame when he appeared in a short film called ]: ''A Rhapsody of Negro Life''. The film was based around a ] composition, and included clips of Ellington composing, as well as ] singing and Tucker doing the "Snakehips".


⚫ Tucker frequented ] music clubs and was a regular at the ].<ref>{{citation |url=https://www.kennedy-center.org/education/resources-for-educators/classroom-resources/media-and-interactives/artists/tucker-earl/|title=Earl "Snakehips" Tucker|website=The Kennedy Center Digital Resources Library|publisher=]|access-date=2 August 2024}}</ref> He built his reputation by exhibiting his odd style of dance, which involved a great deal of hip motion. Tucker would make it appear that he was as flexible as a snake, and eventually, the dance became his calling card. He became popular enough to eventually perform at ] and the ]. The snakehips dates back to southern plantations before emancipation.<ref>Hazzard-Gordon, Katrina (1990) ''Jookin': The Rise of Social Dance Formations in African-American Culture.'' Temple University Press. pp 122-123</ref>
⚫ {{Dance-stub}}

Riding this wave of popularity, in 1930 he appeared in ]'s 16-minute short film '']'', a comedic introduction to residents at the fictitious "Lame Brain Sanitarium". Tucker's 2-minute dance number, performed in a shiny white shirt and shiny, baggy gold pants, displays his amazing dance innovations, his style a precursor to modern street and stage dance.<ref>{{Citation|title=Earl "Snake Lips" Tucker 1930|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVrwDOQ6jSE |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/zVrwDOQ6jSE |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live|language=en|access-date=2019-12-24}}{{cbignore}}</ref> His name appears in the opening credits only as "Snake Hips". In 1935, Tucker appeared in a short film called '']: A Rhapsody of Negro Life''. The film was inspired by a ] composition and included clips of Ellington composing, as well as ] singing and Tucker doing the snakehips.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Seibert|first=Brian|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/18/obituaries/earl-tucker-overlooked.html|title=Overlooked No More: Earl Tucker, a Dancer Known as ‘Snakehips’|date=2019-12-18|work=The New York Times|access-date=2020-04-22|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>


==References== ==References==
{{Reflist}}
http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/exploring/harlem/faces/tucker_text.html

==External Links==
* {{imdb name|0875850}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tucker, Earl Snakehips}}
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⚫ {{dance-bio-stub}}

Latest revision as of 02:06, 11 September 2024

American dancer and entertainer
Earl "Snakehips" Tucker
BornAugust 14, 1906
Baltimore, Maryland
DiedMay 14, 1937 (aged 30)
New York City
NationalityAmerican
Occupation(s)Dancer and entertainer
Known forPopularized the dance called the snakehips

Earl "Snakehips" Tucker (August 14, 1906 in Baltimore, Maryland – May 14, 1937 in New York City) was an American dancer and entertainer. Also known as the "Human Boa Constrictor", he acquired the nickname "snakehips" via the dance he popularized in Harlem in the 1920s called the "snakehips".

Career

Tucker frequented Harlem music clubs and was a regular at the Savoy Ballroom. He built his reputation by exhibiting his odd style of dance, which involved a great deal of hip motion. Tucker would make it appear that he was as flexible as a snake, and eventually, the dance became his calling card. He became popular enough to eventually perform at Connie's Inn and the Cotton Club. The snakehips dates back to southern plantations before emancipation.

Riding this wave of popularity, in 1930 he appeared in Benny Rubin's 16-minute short film Crazy House, a comedic introduction to residents at the fictitious "Lame Brain Sanitarium". Tucker's 2-minute dance number, performed in a shiny white shirt and shiny, baggy gold pants, displays his amazing dance innovations, his style a precursor to modern street and stage dance. His name appears in the opening credits only as "Snake Hips". In 1935, Tucker appeared in a short film called Symphony in Black: A Rhapsody of Negro Life. The film was inspired by a Duke Ellington composition and included clips of Ellington composing, as well as Billie Holiday singing and Tucker doing the snakehips.

References

  1. Hazzard-Gordon, Katrina (1990). Jookin': The Rise of Social Dance Formations in African-American Culture. Temple University Press. pp. 122–123. ISBN 0-87722-613-X.
  2. "Earl "Snakehips" Tucker", The Kennedy Center Digital Resources Library, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, retrieved 2 August 2024
  3. Hazzard-Gordon, Katrina (1990) Jookin': The Rise of Social Dance Formations in African-American Culture. Temple University Press. pp 122-123
  4. Earl "Snake Lips" Tucker 1930, archived from the original on 2021-12-21, retrieved 2019-12-24
  5. Seibert, Brian (2019-12-18). "Overlooked No More: Earl Tucker, a Dancer Known as 'Snakehips'". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-04-22.

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