Inspiration

Alice Barker 102-Year-Old Harlem Renaissance Dancer Takes A Trip Back In Time

Published

April 24, 2015

There are moments in life that just reall touch your soul. This is definitely without a doubt one of them. So get your tissues ready and make sure you have plenty of them. I was sent this video by several people but it wasn’t until my friend Laura (aka @BroadwayGirlNYC) told me I needed to stop everything and watch it NOW! Once I read the description of the youtube video and it began I instantly felt the water works. Read the video description and watch the video for youself. It will change your life. The video was posted by a Youtube account called Tenfresh

P.S. We’ll be sending her fan mail and flowers. Will you? She deserves it!

Alice Barker was a chorus line dancer during the Harlem Renaissance of the the 1930s and 40s. She danced at clubs such as The Apollo, Cotton Club, and Zanzibar Club, with legends including Frank Sinatra, Gene Kelly, and Bill “Bojangles” Robinson.

Although she danced in numerous movies, commercials and TV shows, she had never seen any of them, and all of her photographs and memorabilia have been lost over the years.

With the help of Mark Cantor of http://jazz-on-film.com we finally got our hands on three “Soundies” Alice appeared in, and were able to show them to her for the very first time. She had never seen herself in motion in her life! Then historian Alicia Thompson helped us find a few more shortly afterwards.

If you’d like to send Alice fan mail we would love to see her get the adoration she deserves after so many years! (We’ll do our best to read some of your comments to her as well.):

Alice Barker
c/o Bishop Henry B. Hucles Episcopal Nursing Home
835 Herkimer Street
Brooklyn, NY11233

For more info about the dancers of the Harlem Renaissance, we recommend the lovely documentary “Been Rich All My Life” —several of the women in the film danced with Alice back in the day!

To clarify: “We” are friends of Alice who made this video. I’m a volunteer who visits the home with my therapy dog Katie, and have known Alice for 8 years. The woman in the video is a recreation leader at the home. This was filmed on a cellphone almost as an afterthought, and we’re so thrilled that it’s brought so much joy to everyone and attention to Alice, who is loving it! Thank you all!

In this article:Alice Barker

Written By Drew Shade

Drew Shade is a visionary creative force at the intersection of Black theatre, media, and culture. As the Founder and Creative Director of Broadway Black, Off-Book: The Podcast, and The Antonyo Awards, he champions artistic excellence and amplifies the voices of Black theatre artists with intention, heart, and unapologetic pride. His work has been featured in The New York Times, Playbill, Deadline, The Observer, and Apple TV’s Dear…, and he's collaborated with brands and institutions such as NBC, BET, Audible, Universal Pictures, SheaMoisture, The Public Theater, Signature Theatre, National Black Theatre, and more. He has also served as a cultural consultant and curator for countless Broadway productions for over a decade — establishing himself as a trusted voice and tastemaker in theatre and media. In addition to his work behind the scenes, Shade is a performer and creative artist in his own right, with credits including Classical Theatre of Harlem’s The First Noel at The Apollo, The Preacher’s Wife musical at The Alliance Theatre, and a Sondheim tribute concert at Carnegie Hall led by Tituss Burgess. He’s also lent his voice to campaigns for Google and continues to explore visual storytelling through photography — from red carpets to press coverage. Rooted in joy, justice, and the belief that Black theatre is both legacy and revolution, Shade continues to build platforms and shine light where it’s long been overdue — so Black artists are seen, heard, and celebrated on their own terms. “Have a belief in yourself that is bigger than anyone’s disbelief.” – August Wilson