Blues Today

There’s a common misconception that all Black folks moved on from the blues, and an even more damaging viewpoint that white folks “saved” the blues from dying. But in reality, blues music and blues dancing are still practiced in a variety of forms in some Black communities today and their legacies live on is related dance forms as well. Many Black musicians and dancers carry on the traditions, innovate, and connect to the blues in a variety of ways.

Jukin’ in Clarksdale, Mississippi today

Junious Brickhouse explores and connects African American movement traditions, including blues (Buck dancing); they empower him to express his community activism as an African American man

There are so many Black musicians playing the blues today. Watch through this playlist to appreciate what a variety of voices, music styles, and approaches to blues are happening now!

Blues (and swing) dances also live on in various Black partner dance scenes around the country. For example, Graystone is a dance from Detroit that began in the Swing & Blues era to big band music. Today it’s part of a thriving Urban Ballroom dance scene, danced to a variety of musics, including blues as well as other genres.

Damon Stone. Damon learned blues dancing as part of his family’s heritage, and has gone on to teach and study other blues dances as well. He is the reason so many of us are here–having taught us, our teachers, or our teachers’ teachers.

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