Master Juba Guide, Meaning , Facts, Information and Description
Master Juba was the stage name of William Henry Lane. He was born a free black man in Rhode Island in 1825, and began his career as a performer in minstrel shows in the 1840s. He played the banjo and the tambourine and could imitate the moves of all of the best dancers of his time.As his reputation grew, the promoters began to call him Master Juba; the "Dancinest fellow ever was" and he was proclaimed the greatest dancer of all time by American and European writers alike.
Master Juba competed in many dance contests and defeated all comers including an Irishman named Jack Diamond, who was considered the best white dancer. Juba and Diamond were then matched against each other in a series of staged tap dance competitions throughout the United States. In 1845, Juba was the first black performer to get top billing over a white performer in a minstrel show.
Juba went on to give command performances before the crowned heads of Europe. He eventually settled in London where he performed with an English dance company and opened his own dance studio. William Henry Lane died in 1852 at the age of 27, but all tap dancers today acknowledge him as the creator of tap and celebrate his many contributions to modern dance.
The Juba Dance is attributed to him.
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