Josephine Baker Biography
During the times of of the Post Romantic Era, ballet generalized sexes by casting
according to gender, sexualized the women body by enforcing male dominance in the
choreography and storytelling, and idolized the ballerina as being unattainable,
exotic, and dependent on others. When modernity arose, the practice of
individualism, community, and independency took place in artist and choreographers
in modern dance. Artists like Ruth St Denis and Josephine Baker challenged the
norms of the Post Romantic Era by creating a name for themselves through their
unique style, personal stories, and rebelling against the norms of society;
heterosexual relationships in partnering, allowing beauty and physique to determine
good danceand classifying social... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
She took the modernity era and made the most of it for herself and her career. As
an artist, singer, dancer, and mother Baker is known as the Figure of Modernity .
She moved from the United States to France to start her career wearing revealing,
sparkling, dazzling costumes, with loads of makeup, and had a voice that wanted
to be heard. In one of her famous moments, she sings Haiti in the movie ZOU ZOU
in 1934. In this piece, she is portrayed as an exotic caged bird singing away and
wearing very limited clothing. Her amazing vocal chords sing about her desires
for love and her urges she feels. With this never being appropriate to the public,
Josephine Baker was shunned by some, like the Talented Tenth, but mostly adored
by all others. With her corky, dorky faces and outrageous performances, she really
caught the attention of audiences in Europe craving more and more of her. Baker
s self propelled success was based on the timely manner it occurred in. With the
rise of modernity, individuality, women, and modern dance, Baker was able to
become a star in the arts. Another reason she became a legend so quickly was her
ability to make people smile, laugh, and be excited about her differences; like
hairstyles, outfits, performances. In a documentary on Baker, Jean Claude Baker,
one of her adopted sons, states, Josephine Baker became the embodiment, the
personification of the funny, madness, rebellion after the war (Josephine Baker:
1926 Banana Skirt). Her practices of sexuality on stage really drew in the male
audiences, as well as the females who desired to be like her. Modern dance gave
Josephine Baker a voice on and off the stage, provided the timing and location of her
debut after the war.
Not only did modernity and modern dance provide the means to express personal
opinions and desires, it also allowed politics and dance to merge and work together.
Most modern dancers were