Suzanne's Mom's Blog

Photo: Metro
Double Dutch competitions are not just about jumping rope.

This past summer, I swung the jump rope with John on the porch as his kids threw themselves enthusiastically into the novelty of this time-honored activity.

Then we went online and checked out an advanced version: today’s competitive Double Dutch.

Gia Kourlas wrote about the phenomenon at the New York Times. “A pair of swirling ropes, two turners to maneuver them and at least one jumper to feel out the rhythm, slip seamlessly in between the ropes and bounce in perfect time. Double Dutch may sound like child’s play, but it’s more than just skipping rope. This game that came to life in the streets of New York City — practiced mainly by girls — is an integral piece of African-American culture.

“Double Dutch has been a competitive sport since the 1970s, its popularity in cities intertwined with the birth of hip-hop. While just about anyone can do it, the best practitioners use athleticism, finesse and musicality to transform it from a game into a choreographic feat. Yes, double Dutch is very much an art form. And who knew? It even has roots at Lincoln Center.

“Jill Sternheimer, the director of public programming at Lincoln Center, had no idea herself until she stumbled upon a video circulating on Facebook. The footage, from Skip Blumberg’s 1981 documentary ‘Pick Up Your Feet: The Double Dutch Show,’ chronicled a competition held on the plaza.

“ ‘It blew my mind,’ she said. ‘I realized that I had to go back and find this history. It’s a story that I wanted to make sure was told from the viewpoint of an African-American woman.‘ …

“Ms. Sternheimer reached out to Kaisha S. Johnson, a founder of Women of Color in the Arts, who has produced events at Lincoln Center for the past 11 years. What moved Ms. Johnson about the video went beyond jumping.

“ ‘I saw all of the black and brown faces on the plaza of Lincoln Center,’ she said. ‘In my lifetime, I haven’t seen that happen ever again. I thought, we have to revitalize this competition, but it has to be more than just a competition.’ …

“Ms. Johnson said, ‘When I think about its living legacy, I think about choreographers and dancers like Jawole Willa Jo Zollar and Camille A. Brown, who both integrated double Dutch into their work.’ …

“For [Brown], double Dutch is about identity and African-American culture. ‘It speaks to the African rhythms and African traditions that continue to be within African-American culture,’ she said. ‘It’s not just about the game play, it’s also about traditions — you can hear those rhythms and the complexity of the double Dutch games.’ ”

More at the New York Times, here.