Talk:Cakewalk

Far more likely that 'cakewalk' as something easy (colloquialism) comes from 'cake walk' the game (type of 'prize walk')
The article that this entry links to doesn't provide any historical evidence that there's a connection between the dance and the expression.

My suspicion is that the dance gave rise to the game, which gave rise to the expression.

How does a person perform a cakewalk?
What steps, postures, etc. are involved? The article fails to say. Dlabtot (talk) 05:17, 22 September 2016 (UTC)

rest of world
The cakewalk was certainly popular in British music hall at the beginning of the twentieth century, where competititons were held. if anyone has the time and knowledge to add some info about the rest of the world outside the US, that would be great 83.114.243.193 (talk) 12:13, 13 March 2013 (UTC)

Untitled
removed "WORST EXAMPLES EVER" from end of article, 'cause that seemed kind of random.

PlainJane 10:34, 2 April 2006 (UTC) it may be worth linking to some recently uploaded digital files recorded of original gramaphone recordings of cake walk music. I'll add them when I can remember the links.

Anyone have sources for this?
"The dance was invented as a satirical parody of the formal European dances preferred by white slaveowners ..." - seems a bit far fetched to me... Jim whitson 08:55, 26 July 2006 (UTC)

far-fetched?... it's common knowledge, at least I thought it was. - (This post by 198.7.249.110 on 19 Sept 2006. -- Sig added by 201.53.7.16 on 21 October 2008 )


 * Please provide a good cite from a reliable source to substantiate this. -- 201.53.7.16 (talk) 11:26, 21 October 2008 (UTC)

I've seen various statements that sort of support this. But it seems to rest a whole lot on one quote by one former slave. There are lots of other references stating that they simply learned the dances they saw, and that's the way it came out, and it was enhanced, etc. It you are uncomfortable with that sentence, I would support you deleting it until someone can back it up with a good source. Steve Pastor (talk) 22:11, 21 October 2008 (UTC)


 * For a discussion of the satirical origins of the dance, see 'The Cakewalk: A Study in Stereotype and Reality' by Brooke Baldwin, an article in the Journal of Social History (Volume 15, Issue 2, 1981). The Journal of Social History is an academic, peer-reviewed journal. Burninglibrarian (talk) 02:59, 13 November 2008 (UTC)

Hey, well I hope Burninglibrarian will see this. I have a reprint of the reference. And, just as I thought, the authors drew their conclusion based on one statement. "In 1960 an eighty year old black actor, related such a story told to him in 1901 by a seventy year old woman who had been his childhood nurse. ..."but we used to mock em, very step"..." A second quote reads, "They did a take-off on the high manners of the white folks up in the 'big house', but the masters missed the point. It's supposed to be that the custom of a prize started with the master giving a cake to the copule that did the proudest movement." Prior to these qoutes, we hear from 3 indivduals, none of whom mention mocking. Note also one definition of "take off" is "To imitate; to mimic; to personate." Nothing about mocking there. Readers of this wiki article should be made aware of the full text of the peer reviewed article, I will be working towards this in the coming days. Steve Pastor (talk) 16:08, 17 November 2008 (UTC)

IT is ambiguous
"Academic IT organizations"? Do you mean "information technology"? Because that doesn't quite make sense. And how are "county fairs held by academic ... organizations" different from "school fairs"? SeanWillard 19:17, 11 September 2007 (UTC)

Mid-20th Century
Although this text by "Joanne Clarke" is appreciated and may be 100% correct, it is not verifiable. A reference to a reliable source would be make this "new section" acceptable. Or perhaps a much shortened addition to "modern times"?Steve Pastor (talk) 14:46, 21 October 2008 (UTC)

In rural areas in the Southern United States, the cakewalk was part of a white community gathering in the 1930's-1950's, usually at a school or church. It was one way for young people to get acquainted. A girl would cook a cake, then young men would pay to walk in a circle in front of the cake while music was played. When the music stopped, the person in front of the cake won it and the girl who baked it had to serve him the first piece and eat a piece with him. The money went for the school or for whatever charitable cause the benefit had been planned. This served for lots of giggling, flirting and could be a prelude to courting. By cooking a cake, the girl indicated she could cook and was now interested in young men. By buying ticket to enter the cake walk, the boy expressed at least a passing interest in the girl. If the girl was especially young, the father might buy tickets for everyone in the family, to make it harder for a young man to win. I know this from my parents and aunts and uncles who took part in such events. I was involved in one such cake walk in the mid-1950's. Joanne Clarke

Research notes
The illustrated history of the Centennial exhibition, held in commemoration of the one hundredth anniversary of American independence...: By James D. McCabe., where the "first" chalk line walk / cake walk occurred. 4 instances of the word negro, 0 for chalk, 0 for cake, See the book at this url. Steve Pastor (talk) 20:14, 19 July 2009 (UTC) At this url, we see that there was an exhibit where negros worked tobacco and sang folk songs. No mention of a chalk line walk or cakewalk, however, as Eileen Southern writes on page 273 of "The Music of Black Americans". Southern has no reference or footnote for her statement. Steve Pastor (talk) 20:19, 19 July 2009 (UTC)

Page Has No Actual Explanation
This article is a very thorough investigation into the history of the cakewalk. It is probably very accurate. The problem is, there is absolutely nothing here to help someone who doesn't know what the cakewalk is. 209.189.245.116 (talk) 03:45, 22 February 2010 (UTC)


 * Agree that articles needs an description of what the dance is, except saying that the winning couple got a cake as a prize. Tuxedo junction (talk) 20:13, 18 March 2010 (UTC)

It originated in Florida by the African-American slaves who got the basic idea from the Seminole Indians (couples walking solemnly). Many of the special movements of the cake-walk,                   the bending back of the body, and the dropping of the hands at the wrists, amongst others, were a distinct feature incertain tribes of the African Kaffir dances. The African Ring                      Shout has a certain tie to this dance as well (see Ring Shout.)
 * Probably not a reliable source. Tuxedo junction (talk) 20:19, 18 March 2010 (UTC)

Another view point
I always thought saying somthing was a cakewalk was to say it was very easy. I've uploaded a video to u tube on a cakewalk as still performed in New England. Here people all walk in a circle while others carrying cakes walk in the oppsite direction all in step with a band. When the band stops the person oppsite the person with the cake wins. see:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgYQO_7_oDg

Arydberg (talk) 03:14, 5 July 2010 (UTC)

Here again is somthing close,

http://bigblueglobe.blogspot.com/2008/02/its-cakewalk.html

Arydberg (talk) 03:30, 5 July 2010 (UTC)


 * You're most likely correct. I've noted the same thing, above. 2600:4040:4545:1500:68A4:4A99:7D7B:2BBB (talk) 14:49, 24 August 2023 (UTC)

Mark Twain
Mark Twain included a paragraph explaining a "Cakewalk" in the opening page of his "In Defense of Harriette Shelly". Following is the account:

First, as to its literary style. Our negroes in America have several ways of entertaining themselves which are not found among the whites anywhere. Among these inventions of theirs is one which is particularly popular with them. It is a competition in elegant deportment. They hire a hall and bank the spectators' seats in rising tiers along the two sides, leaving all the middle stretch of the floor free. A cake is provided as a prize for the winner in the competition, and a bench of experts in deportment is appointed to award it. Sometimes there are as many as fifty contestants, male and female, and five hundred spectators. One at a time the contestants enter, clothed regardless of expense in what each considers the perfection of style and taste, and walk down the vacant central space and back again with that multitude of critical eyes on them. All that the competitor knows of fine airs and graces he throws into his carriage, all that he knows of seductive expression he throws into his countenance. He may use all the helps he can devise: watch- chain to twirl with his fingers, cane to do graceful things with, snowy handkerchief to flourish and get artful effects out of, shiny new stovepipe hat to assist in his courtly bows; and the colored lady may have a fan to work up her effects with, and smile over and blush behind, and she may add other helps, according to her judgment. When the review by individual detail is over, a grand review of all the contestants in procession follows, with all the airs and graces and all the bowings and smirkings on exhibition at once, and this enables the bench of experts to make the necessary comparisons and arrive at a verdict. The successful competitor gets the prize which I have before mentioned, and an abundance of applause and envy along with it. The negroes have a name for this grave deportment-tournament; a name taken from the prize contended for. They call it a Cakewalk. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Johnbh99 (talk • contribs) 01:10, 13 March 2011 (UTC)

Why the phonetics?
Why are the quotes from the three eyewitnesses spelled phonetically? Just because the recorded disagreed with how they pronounced it does not mean that they weren't clearly saying the words:

The music, the fiddles and the banjos, the Jews harp, and all them other things. Such dancing you never seen before. Slaves would set the flow(?) in turns, and do the cakewalk most all night."[6] —Preceding unsigned comment added by 207.159.180.169 (talk) 23:26, 11 April 2011 (UTC)

Because that's the way it was recorded in the cited material. Steve Pastor (talk) 16:14, 12 April 2011 (UTC)

youtube video
People can't watch this, it's marked private. Take it out and find something else. 71.163.114.49 (talk) 15:53, 7 April 2013 (UTC)

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How does the person do the dance
It does not have that much explanation Life of Una (talk) 09:31, 22 October 2020 (UTC)