Apache (dance)
Encyclopedia
Apache is a highly dramatic dance
associated in popular culture with Paris
ian street culture in the beginning of the 20th century. The name of the dance ' onMouseout='HidePop("81852")' href="/topics/Apache">Native American tribe
) is taken from a Parisian street gang, which in turn was named for the American Indian tribe due to the perceived savagery of the hoodlums. The term came to be used more generally to refer to certain vicious elements of the Paris underworld at the beginning of the 20th century.
The dance is sometimes said to reenact a violent "discussion" between a pimp
and a prostitute. It includes mock slaps and punches, the man picking up and throwing the woman to the ground, or lifting and carrying her while she struggles or feigns unconsciousness. Thus, the dance shares many features with the theatrical discipline of stage combat
. In some examples, the woman may fight back.
's ballet "Le Papillon
" was used in a 1908 production at the Moulin Rouge
and has become the music most associated with the dance.
Olive Oyl
and Bluto
do the Apache in the old Popeye
television cartoons.
An episode of I Love Lucy
, The Adagio (season one, episode eleven), revolved around Lucy learning to do an Apache dance. In another episode, The French Revue Fred and Ethel perform an Apache dance in the hopes of starring in an act at the club with a French singer.
The famous French 10-part 7-hour silent film
Les Vampires
(1915, re-released on DVD in 2005) about an Apache gang "Vampires" contains a number of Apache dance scenes performed by real street Apache dancers, rather than actors. A notable detail is that during part of the waltz the man holds firmly onto the woman's hair, rather than her body.
In Charlie Chaplin
's City Lights
(1931) the Tramp sees an Apache dance in a nightclub and, thinking it's real, interrupts it.
In the 1932 musical Love Me Tonight
, Maurice Chevalier
sings the Rodgers and Hart
tune "The Poor Apache," dressed as an Apache himself.
In the 1935 movie Charlie Chan in Paris
, Charlie Chan's female agent (played by Dorothy Appleby
) is murdered following her performance of an Apache dance.
In You're in the Army Now
(1941) a comic Apache dance, done to Offenbach's "Valse dey rayons," is performed with Jimmy Durante
playing the woman.
In The Gang's All Here (1943) Charlotte Greenwood
does a short, comic version of an Apache dance,.
In Pin Up Girl (1944), Betty Grable
, Hermes Pan
and Angela Blue perform a musical number dressed as Apache dancers.
In the 1947 film Crime Doctor's Gamble
, Dr. Robert Ordway (played by Warner Baxter
) visits a seedy Parisian cabaret with an Apache dance sequence. The dance ends with the male dancer twirling the female around by her hair.
An Apache dance also figures in the musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
. When Andrew Lloyd Webber
set out to create a more than usually fascinating musical mix and included a wide variety of musical genres in this show, he added a very French number. When Joseph's brothers are explaining their impoverished state, after selling Joseph into slavery and experiencing the seven lean years, they sing about "Those Canaan Days" reminiscing of better days. Included within that number is an Apache Dance, a brief joyous celebration of what once was and a poignant expression of their regret for their actions.
In the 2001 movie Moulin Rouge!
, "El Tango de Roxane" is performed as a tango with Apache elements.
In the Apocalyptica
video I Don't Care
, Apache dance is featured in a scene between Adam Gontier
and a woman.
An example of an Apache dance number is also seen in Twentieth Century Fox's 1960 film "Can Can" starring Frank Sinatra, Shirley MacLaine and Maurice Chevalier. The number is performed by Shirley MacLaine along with five male dancers as they toss and thrash her about.
Dance
Dance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....
associated in popular culture with Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
ian street culture in the beginning of the 20th century. The name of the dance ' onMouseout='HidePop("81852")' href="/topics/Apache">Native American tribe
Apache
Apache is the collective term for several culturally related groups of Native Americans in the United States originally from the Southwest United States. These indigenous peoples of North America speak a Southern Athabaskan language, which is related linguistically to the languages of Athabaskan...
) is taken from a Parisian street gang, which in turn was named for the American Indian tribe due to the perceived savagery of the hoodlums. The term came to be used more generally to refer to certain vicious elements of the Paris underworld at the beginning of the 20th century.
The dance is sometimes said to reenact a violent "discussion" between a pimp
Pimp
A pimp is an agent for prostitutes who collects part of their earnings. The pimp may receive this money in return for advertising services, physical protection, or for providing a location where she may engage clients...
and a prostitute. It includes mock slaps and punches, the man picking up and throwing the woman to the ground, or lifting and carrying her while she struggles or feigns unconsciousness. Thus, the dance shares many features with the theatrical discipline of stage combat
Stage combat
Stage combat is a specialized technique in theatre designed to create the illusion of physical combat without causing harm to the performers. It is employed in live stage plays as well as operatic and ballet productions. The term is also used informally to describe fight choreography for other...
. In some examples, the woman may fight back.
Depictions
The "Valse des rayons" (also called the "Valse chaloupée") from Jacques OffenbachJacques Offenbach
Jacques Offenbach was a Prussian-born French composer, cellist and impresario. He is remembered for his nearly 100 operettas of the 1850s–1870s and his uncompleted opera The Tales of Hoffmann. He was a powerful influence on later composers of the operetta genre, particularly Johann Strauss, Jr....
's ballet "Le Papillon
Le Papillon (ballet)
Le papillon is a "fantastic ballet" in 2 acts, with choreography by Marie Taglioni and music by Jacques Offenbach to a libretto by Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges....
" was used in a 1908 production at the Moulin Rouge
Moulin Rouge
Moulin Rouge is a cabaret built in 1889 by Joseph Oller, who also owned the Paris Olympia. Close to Montmartre in the Paris district of Pigalle on Boulevard de Clichy in the 18th arrondissement, it is marked by the red windmill on its roof. The closest métro station is Blanche.The Moulin Rouge is...
and has become the music most associated with the dance.
Olive Oyl
Olive Oyl
Olive Oyl is a cartoon character created by Elzie Crisler Segar in 1919 for his comic strip Thimble Theatre. The strip was later renamed Popeye after the sailor character that became the most popular member of the cast; however Olive Oyl was a main character for 10 years before Popeye's 1929...
and Bluto
Bluto
Bluto is a cartoon and comics character created in 1932 by Elzie Crisler Segar as a one-time character, named "Bluto the Terrible", in his Thimble Theatre comic strip . Bluto made his first appearance September 12 of that year...
do the Apache in the old Popeye
Popeye
Popeye the Sailor is a cartoon fictional character created by Elzie Crisler Segar, who has appeared in comic strips and animated cartoons in the cinema as well as on television. He first appeared in the daily King Features comic strip Thimble Theatre on January 17, 1929...
television cartoons.
An episode of I Love Lucy
I Love Lucy
I Love Lucy is an American television sitcom starring Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, Vivian Vance, and William Frawley. The black-and-white series originally ran from October 15, 1951, to May 6, 1957, on the Columbia Broadcasting System...
, The Adagio (season one, episode eleven), revolved around Lucy learning to do an Apache dance. In another episode, The French Revue Fred and Ethel perform an Apache dance in the hopes of starring in an act at the club with a French singer.
The famous French 10-part 7-hour silent film
Silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
Les Vampires
Les Vampires
Les Vampires is a 1915/1916 ten-part silent film serial. It was written and directed by Louis Feuillade and stars Musidora as "Irma Vep" a femme fatale whose name is a suspicious anagram of "vampire." The serial is set in Paris and follows the exploits of a gang of master criminals who call...
(1915, re-released on DVD in 2005) about an Apache gang "Vampires" contains a number of Apache dance scenes performed by real street Apache dancers, rather than actors. A notable detail is that during part of the waltz the man holds firmly onto the woman's hair, rather than her body.
In Charlie Chaplin
Charlie Chaplin
Sir Charles Spencer "Charlie" Chaplin, KBE was an English comic actor, film director and composer best known for his work during the silent film era. He became the most famous film star in the world before the end of World War I...
's City Lights
City Lights
City Lights is a 1931 American silent film and romantic comedy-drama written by, directed by, and starring Charlie Chaplin. It also has the leads Virginia Cherrill and Harry Myers. Although "talking" pictures were on the rise since 1928, City Lights was immediately popular. Today, it is thought of...
(1931) the Tramp sees an Apache dance in a nightclub and, thinking it's real, interrupts it.
In the 1932 musical Love Me Tonight
Love Me Tonight
Love Me Tonight is a 1932 musical comedy film produced and directed by Rouben Mamoulian, with music by Rodgers and Hart. It stars Maurice Chevalier as a tailor who poses as a nobleman and Jeanette MacDonald as a princess with whom he falls in love...
, Maurice Chevalier
Maurice Chevalier
Maurice Auguste Chevalier was a French actor, singer, entertainer and a noted Sprechgesang performer. He is perhaps best known for his signature songs, including Louise, Mimi, Valentine, and Thank Heaven for Little Girls and for his films including The Love Parade and The Big Pond...
sings the Rodgers and Hart
Rodgers and Hart
Rodgers and Hart were an American songwriting partnership of composer Richard Rodgers and the lyricist Lorenz Hart...
tune "The Poor Apache," dressed as an Apache himself.
In the 1935 movie Charlie Chan in Paris
Charlie Chan in Paris
Charlie Chan in Paris is the seventh film produced by Fox with Warner Oland as Charlie Chan.-Plot:Chan is on his way back from completing the London case -- they always mentioned the previous case -- to go on "vacation" to Paris, but this is just a way to make people think that heis innocently there...
, Charlie Chan's female agent (played by Dorothy Appleby
Dorothy Appleby
Dorothy Appleby was an American film actress. She appeared in over 50 films between 1931 and 1943.-Career:...
) is murdered following her performance of an Apache dance.
In You're in the Army Now
You're in the Army Now
You're in the Army Now is a 1941 comedy film starring Jimmy Durante, Phil Silvers, Jane Wyman, and Regis Toomey.It featured the longest kiss in film, lasting three minutes and six seconds until Elena Undone beat it by eighteen seconds.- Cast :...
(1941) a comic Apache dance, done to Offenbach's "Valse dey rayons," is performed with Jimmy Durante
Jimmy Durante
James Francis "Jimmy" Durante was an American singer, pianist, comedian and actor. His distinctive clipped gravelly speech, comic language butchery, jazz-influenced songs, and large nose helped make him one of America's most familiar and popular personalities of the 1920s through the 1970s...
playing the woman.
In The Gang's All Here (1943) Charlotte Greenwood
Charlotte Greenwood
Frances Charlotte Greenwood was an American actress and dancer. Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Greenwood started in vaudeville, and eventually starred on Broadway, movies and radio. Standing around six feet tall, she was best known for her long legs and high kicks...
does a short, comic version of an Apache dance,.
In Pin Up Girl (1944), Betty Grable
Betty Grable
Elizabeth Ruth "Betty" Grable was an American actress, dancer and singer.Her iconic bathing suit photo made her the number-one pin-up girl of the World War II era. It was later included in the LIFE magazine project "100 Photos that Changed the World"...
, Hermes Pan
Hermes Pan (choreographer)
Hermes Pan was an American dancer and choreographer, principally celebrated as Fred Astaire's choreographic collaborator on the famous 1930s movie musicals starring Astaire and Ginger Rogers.-Early life:...
and Angela Blue perform a musical number dressed as Apache dancers.
In the 1947 film Crime Doctor's Gamble
Crime Doctor (character)
The Crime Doctor is a fictional character created by Max Marcin. A crook named Phil Morgan suffers amnesia and becomes criminal psychologist Dr. Robert Ordway....
, Dr. Robert Ordway (played by Warner Baxter
Warner Baxter
Warner Leroy Baxter was an American actor, known for his role as The Cisco Kid in In Old Arizona , for which he won the second Academy Award for Best Actor in the 1928–1929 Academy Awards. Warner Baxter started his movie career in silent movies...
) visits a seedy Parisian cabaret with an Apache dance sequence. The dance ends with the male dancer twirling the female around by her hair.
An Apache dance also figures in the musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is an Andrew Lloyd Webber musical with lyrics by Tim Rice. The story is based on the "coat of many colors" story of Joseph from the Hebrew Bible's Book of Genesis. This was the first Lloyd Webber and Rice musical to be performed publicly...
. When Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber is an English composer of musical theatre.Lloyd Webber has achieved great popular success in musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End and on Broadway. He has composed 13 musicals, a song cycle, a set of...
set out to create a more than usually fascinating musical mix and included a wide variety of musical genres in this show, he added a very French number. When Joseph's brothers are explaining their impoverished state, after selling Joseph into slavery and experiencing the seven lean years, they sing about "Those Canaan Days" reminiscing of better days. Included within that number is an Apache Dance, a brief joyous celebration of what once was and a poignant expression of their regret for their actions.
In the 2001 movie Moulin Rouge!
Moulin Rouge!
Moulin Rouge! is a 2001 romantic jukebox musical film directed, produced, and co-written by Baz Luhrmann. Following the Red Curtain Cinema principles, the film is based on the Orphean myth, La Traviata, and La Bohème...
, "El Tango de Roxane" is performed as a tango with Apache elements.
In the Apocalyptica
Apocalyptica
Apocalyptica is a band from Helsinki, Finland, formed in 1993. The band is composed of classically trained cellists Eicca Toppinen, Paavo Lötjönen, and Perttu Kivilaakso and drummer Mikko Sirén...
video I Don't Care
I Don't Care (Apocalyptica song)
"I Don't Care" is a song by Finnish rock band Apocalyptica, the song is released as the third and final single from their sixth album Worlds Collide. The song features Adam Gontier of Three Days Grace on lead vocals. The song reached No. 1 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart for one week...
, Apache dance is featured in a scene between Adam Gontier
Adam Gontier
Adam Wade Gontier is a Canadian musician and songwriter. He is the lead singer, rhythm guitarist, and main songwriter of the rock band Three Days Grace...
and a woman.
An example of an Apache dance number is also seen in Twentieth Century Fox's 1960 film "Can Can" starring Frank Sinatra, Shirley MacLaine and Maurice Chevalier. The number is performed by Shirley MacLaine along with five male dancers as they toss and thrash her about.