Analysis Of Josephine Baker, An Iconic African American...

Josephine Baker was an iconic African-American dancer, singer, actress and civil rights activist. Her rise to fame included her erotic dancing, her comedic expressions and her risquà © sense of style. She was well known for her â€Å"Danse Sauvage† and her most famous â€Å"Banana skirt dance†. She was a unique artist that differed from the rest. With that being said, I would like to focus the main aspect of this paper on her originality of tackling racial stereotypes through performing, her unique sense of style as a world-famous entertainer, and most importantly her evolutionary â€Å"banana skirt dance†. To begin with, Josephine Baker’s rise to fame began in 1925 as a dancer, when she moved from the United States to Paris, France where she performed in La Revue Nà ¨gre at the Thà ©Ãƒ ¢tre des Champs-Elysà ©es. She was an immediate sensation, because of her erotic dancing and sense of style. More particularly, Josephine Baker and her dance partner Jo e Alex performed the â€Å"Danse Sauvage† which is a French saying for â€Å"wild dance†. This dance performance was only the beginning of her long, successful career as a performer. Josephine Baker’s dance form was different from many other African American artists during that time era, which is why she was so heavily adored. On stage Josephine baker would dress in over-the-top outfits, most of which bared her almost nude. During the Danse Sauvage, Josephine baker dawned only a small feather skirt, which made her sense of style risquà ©, yet loved by many French