• News
  • Film and TV
  • Music
  • Tech
  • Features
  • Celebrity
  • Politics
  • Weird
  • Community
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
TikTok
YouTube
Submit Your Content
Heartwarming moment 102-year-old dancer sees herself dancing on camera for the first time ever

Home> Music> Nostalgia

Published 16:03 7 Apr 2024 GMT+1

Heartwarming moment 102-year-old dancer sees herself dancing on camera for the first time ever

This dancer took a trip down memory lane and the internet was touched

Ben Thompson

Ben Thompson

It's nice to take a trip down memory lane - even more so when that trip takes you back well over seventy years.

And this is what happened to Alice Barker, a former chorus dancer who worked during the Harlem Renaissance of the 1930s.

This period saw a revival of African American music, dance and art, originating from Harlem, New York City.

Lasting from the 1920s until the 1930s, this period saw African Americans migrating north from the southern states seeking economic and creative opportunities.

Advert

Harlem was their primary destination, and a revitalisation of Black music followed.

Barker was one such dancer who made a name for herself in this environment.

Alice Barker watched back footage of herself dancing in the 1940s.
YouTube/Tenfresh

She would live to be 103, and sadly passed away on April 6, 2016.

Advert

Throughout her career, she danced at clubs such as The Apollo, Cotton Club, The Zanzibar Club, and even made appearances on Broadway.

She appeared alongside big names within the industry, including Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra.

But stunningly, she had never seen footage of herself performing.

That all changed with a heartwarming visit in 2015.

Advert

Alice dancing in the 1940s.
YouTube/Tenfresh

A volunteer at her home, David Shuff, and recreational therapist, Gail Campbell, had set themselves the tasks of acquiring Barker's old work.

Thanks to jazz historian Mark Cantor, they were able to track down some of her 'soundies'.

Soundies meaning short films set to music - essentially the music videos of their day.

Advert

With these films in tow, the two paid Barker a visit and showed her some of her past work which had been uploaded onto YouTube by channel Tenfresh.

Barker, who was 102 at the time, watched her younger self dance and gave some commentary.

This 102-year-old dancer was overjoyed when she was shown footage of her earlier years.
YouTube/Tenfresh

She even confirmed that she'd acquired a nickname during her dancing days - Chicken Little.

Advert

"That's because every time we go somewhere, they say 'What do you want to eat?'" Barker said fondly. "I'd say 'Chicken', so they called me Chicken Little."

It was clear that this nostalgia trip meant a lot to Barker, as she was clearly overcome with emotion as she asked to watch her clips again.

"Don't mean a thing if you ain't got that swing," she remarked.

When she was asked how it felt to seen herself on film, Barker replied: "Making me wish that I could get out of this bed, and do it all over again."

The footage clearly touched a lot of people, who shared their thoughts online.

Advert

One person wrote: "Young her didn’t even know that her 102 year old self would be watching , so cool to think about, what a pure soul."

Another commented: "Everyone commenting how sad this is but this video isn’t sad at all. She is 102 with her wits still with her and she seems to have lived a long fulfilling life full of adventure and doing what she loved. This isn’t sad this is a happy video."

Featured Image Credit: YouTube/Tenfresh

Topics: Music

Ben Thompson
Ben Thompson

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

a day ago
2 days ago
5 days ago
  • a day ago

    Drake escalates Kendrick Lamar feud even further with shocking response to crowd chant during festival

    Drake and Kendrick Lamar's feud spans over a decade

    Music
  • 2 days ago

    50 Cent hits out at Diddy again with brutal AI video amid verdict in sex trafficking case

    50 Cent and Diddy have been long-time rivals in the music industry

    Music
  • 2 days ago

    Justin Bieber allegedly settles $31,500,000 debt with former manager Scooter Braun following new album release

    Bieber has seemingly settled a dispute with his former manager, Scooter Braun

    Music
  • 5 days ago

    Disturbing truth behind new rock band with more than 1,000,000 Spotify listeners after releasing two albums in one month

    The Velvet Sundown are set to drop their third album in a matter of days

    Music
  • There's still time to secure tickets for Katseye’s first ever headline tour if you’re quick
  • Heartwarming moment 3-year-old daughter of F1 Driver Kevin Magnussen forces dad to turn around and sign fan’s notebook
  • 35,000-year-old saber-toothed cub found completely intact for the first time in history
  • Fans point out heartwarming detail in Eminem's grandson's name as Hailie Jade announces birth of first child