Sign-In
Cart
Diamond and Juba: The Raucous World of 19th-Century Challenge Dancing
Hardcover
Series: Working Class in American History
Biographies GeneralDanceSocial Movements
Currently unavailable to order
Please enter your email and a message will be sent to you when this product becomes available on our website.
ISBN10: 025204679X
ISBN13: 9780252046797
Publisher: University of Illinois Press
Published: Dec 9 2025
Pages: 360
Weight: 1.74
Height: 1.20 Width: 6.35 Depth: 9.09
Language: English
ISBN13: 9780252046797
Publisher: University of Illinois Press
Published: Dec 9 2025
Pages: 360
Weight: 1.74
Height: 1.20 Width: 6.35 Depth: 9.09
Language: English
During the tumultuous years before the Civil War, Irish American John Diamond and African American William Henry Lane, known as Juba, became internationally famous as competitors in the art and sport of challenge dancing. April F. Masten's dual biography reconstructs the lives and work of these extraordinary dancers, casting fresh light on their contributions to the history of American popular culture. Challenge dancing was born from Black-Irish social interaction in the dockside markets, taverns, and theaters of antebellum New York. Promoted as a masculine art with close ties to boxing, it featured prolific gambling, hefty purses, and championship belts, yet also included women competitors, cross-dressing, and blackface. The astonishing jigs of its foremost practitioners attracted huge audiences across northeastern port cities, along Mississippi Valley circus routes, and into England's provincial music halls. Diamond and Juba's rivalry and parallel careers provide a rare glimpse into Black and immigrant strivings in an expanding nation keen for talent yet divided by prejudice. A vivid portrait of a forgotten world, Diamond and Juba tells the intertwined stories of two legendary performers.
Also in
Dance
Muévelo: The Enduring Legacy of Latin Music Across Borders
Zoila Pérez, Miriam
Bayetti Flores, Verónica
Hardcover
$26.60
Infinite Steps: Thirty-Three Dancers and Their Lives in Ballet
Larsen, Gavin
Schiavone, Gene
Paperback
$33.25
The Taylor Swift Book: The Ultimate Guide to the Music, Life, Eras, and Legacy of an Icon
MacKenzie, Malcolm
Hardcover
$26.59
Feel the Floor: Restoring the Life and Legacy of Jazz Choreographer Buddy Bradley
Footer, Maureen
Hardcover
$34.20
Critique Is Creative: The Critical Response Process(r) in Theory and Action
Lerman, Liz
Borstel, John
Paperback
$25.60
The Ballerina Mindset: How to Protect Your Mental Health While Striving for Excellence
Fairchild, Megan
Paperback
$27.00
Rock Steady for Life: Bringing Breakdancing to the World
Crew, The Rock Steady
Colón, Richard Crazy Legs
Hardcover
$47.50
Modern Watercolor Botanicals: A Creative Workshop in Watercolor, Gouache, & Ink
Simon, Sarah
Paperback
$21.80
Barre Fitness: Barre Exercises You Can Do Anywhere for Flexibility, Core Strength, and a Lean Body
DeVito, Fred
Halfpapp, Elisabeth
Paperback
$27.99
Dancing in Petersburg: The Memoirs of Kschessinska - Prima Ballerina of the Russian Imperial Theatre, and Mistress of the future Tsar Nicholas II
Kschessinska, Mathilde
Paperback
$18.73
Applied Anatomy of Aerial Arts: An Illustrated Guide to Strength, Flexibility, Training, and Injury Prevention
Scherb, Emily
Paperback
$20.85
Mura Dehn: Champion of Black Social Dance and the Traditional Jazz Dance Company
Vaccaro, Kim Chandler
Paperback
$31.30
Appreciating Dance: A Guide to the World's Liveliest Art
Editors of Dance Horizons
Lihs, Harriet
Paperback
$52.73
The Artistry of Merce Cunningham: Choreography, Technique, Creativity
Eliot, Karen
Roberts, Daniel
Paperback
$49.00
Caught Falling: The Confluence of Contact Improvisation, Nancy Stark Smith, and Other Moving Ideas
Smith, Nancy Stark
Koteen, David
Paperback
$46.20
100 Lessons in Classical Ballet: The Eight-Year Program of Leningrad's Vaganova Choreographic School
Kostrovitskaya, Vera S.
Paperback
$34.99
Musical Theatre Choreography: Reflections of My Artistic Process for Staging Musicals
Sabo, Linda
Paperback
$58.95
Handbook in Motion: An Account of an Ongoing Personal Discourse and Its Manifestations in Dance
Forti, Simone
Paperback
$21.00
Ballet for Life: Exercises and Inspiration from the World of Ballet Beautiful
Bowers, Mary Helen
Hardcover
$17.08
Martha Graham's Greek Myth-Based Dances and Her Collaboration with Isamu Noguchi
Ancona, Ronnie
Hardcover
$172.50
Conditioning for Dance 2nd Edition: Training for Whole-Body Coordination and Efficiency
Franklin, Eric
Paperback
$31.30
The Cecchetti Method of Classical Ballet: Theory and Technique
Beaumont, Cyril W.
Idzikowski, Stanislas
Paperback
$17.05
Solkattu Manual: An Introduction to the Rhythmic Language of South Indian Music
Nelson, David P.
Paperback
$33.20
Dancing Freedom: Modern Dance in Late Imperial Russia and the Early Soviet Union
Sirotkina, Irina
Hardcover
$172.50
The Souths in Her: Black Women Writers and Choreographers and the Poetics of Transmutation
Morris Johnson, Nicole M.
Paperback
$52.50
Grandmother's Secrets: The Ancient Rituals and Healing Power of Belly Dancing
Al-Rawi, Rosina-Fawzia
Paperback
From $9.99
Dance Pedagogy for a Diverse World: Culturally Relevant Teaching in Theory, Research and Practice
McCarthy-Brown, Nyama
Paperback
$59.93
Inside Ballet Technique: Separating Anatomical Fact from Fiction in the Ballet Class
Grieg, Valerie
Paperback
$26.33
Still Moving: Conversations with Senior Professional Dancers Still Performing
York-Pryce, Sonia
Hardcover
$187.43
The Creative Screenwriter: 12 Rules to Follow--And Break--To Unlock Your Screenwriting Potential
Hoxter, Julian
Paperback
$16.14
Healing Journeys with the Black Madonna: Chants, Music, and Sacred Practices of the Great Goddess
Belloni, Alessandra
Paperback
$22.80
The Color of Dance: A Celebration of Diversity and Inclusion in the World of Ballet
Wallace-McMillian, Takiyah
Hardcover
$28.50
Long Live: The Definitive Guide to the Folklore and Fandom of Taylor Swift
Pomarico, Nicole
Hardcover
$24.70
Dance Studio TRANSFORMATION: Build a 7-figure studio, increase your community impact and GET BACK YOUR LIFE!
Salter, Clint
Paperback
$23.94
Starting in First: Finding your sparkle and learning to shine on and off the stage.
Jurczak, Shauna Allyn
Paperback
$16.14
Ballet Beautiful: Transform Your Body and Gain the Strength, Grace, and Focus of a Ballet Dancer
Bowers, Mary Helen
Paperback
$19.99
Mura Dehn: Champion of Black Social Dance and the Traditional Jazz Dance Company
Vaccaro, Kim Chandler
Hardcover
$100.00
The Dancer's Toolkit: A Step-by-Step Guide for Navigating Your Dance Career
Mécène, Virginie
Paperback
$72.79
Hollow Bone: A Naïve Wanderer's Journey from Outback to Opening Night
Warren, Gretchen Ward
Paperback
$54.99
From the Heart of a Dancer: Daily Devotional for Dancers & Worshippers
Taylor, Eslyn
Greene, Julia
Paperback
$29.94
Made in Nuyorico: Fania Records, Latin Music, and Salsa's Nuyorican Meanings
Negrón, Marisol
Paperback
$41.93
The Recruitable Dancer: The Essential Guide to Navigating College Admissions and the Dance Team Journey
Hain-de Jong, Kathy
Paperback
$28.74
Ballet Russes: The Great Ballet Russes and Modern Art: A World of Fascinating Art and Design in Theatrical Arts
Unno, Hiroshi
Paperback
$57.00
The Hippest Trip in America: Soul Train and the Evolution of Culture & Style
George, Nelson
Paperback
$18.99
Straight White Men Can't Dance: American Masculinity in Film and Popular Culture
Tsai, Addie
Hardcover
$172.50
Belly Dancing for Fitness: The Ultimate Dance Workout That Unleashes Your Creative Spirit
Dallal, Tamalyn
Paperback
$14.95