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ImaginingLouise Madison:remembering African American women dancersby GermaineIngramSome might judge it arather unprepossessingcelebration—a modest spreadof bagels, cream cheese andcoffee in the Folklore Project’scramped but welcoming officeon a crisp weekend morningin November 2004. No festiveattire— just well-wornSaturday-run-the-errands duds,caps covering unprimped hair.People coming and going intwos and threes, sharing hugsand news of relocations,retirements, travels and otherpersonal tidbits. Friendspeering into old photographsexhibited on the walls,stitching an impromptupatchwork of memories ofLibby, Dee, Baby, Fambro,Hank, Mike, Dave, andTommy—all of whom havetransitioned since those headymonths in the fall and winterof 1993-94 when our livesseemed to revolve around themercurial course of “Steppingin Time,” PFP’s uncommonlydemocratic and elastic stageproduction that played tothree SRO houses at the ArtsBank at Broad and South inFebruary 1994.“Stepping” was a revuereminiscent of the stage showsof the 1930s, 40s and 50swhere African Americanperformers—dancers, singers,comics, variety acts andinstrumentalists—regaledaudiences of all ages. Our“Stepping” production was aplatform for a dozen or sosenior Philadelphians, most ofthem in their 60s and 70s(supported by about an equalnumber of younger folks,ranging from teenagers tobaby boomers), to relive thediscipline, excitement andcomradeship of producing ashow like the ones back in theday. On that brisk Saturdaymorning in November 2004,survivors of the show cametogether to celebrate thepublic release—after a decadeof wrangling with studios forthe rights to screen somearchival footage— of “Plenty ofGood Women Dancers,” a PFPdocumentary that recounts thejourney that “Stepping” tookfrom spontaneous conceptionin Isabelle Fambro’s basementone Sunday afternoon tofeathered and sequinedsplendor on an Avenue of theArts stage. Laced through thestory of the stage productionis a tribute to four AfricanAmerican women hooferswhose contribution to[Continued on next page ➝] 5