During the Harlem Renaissance of the 1930s and 40s, Alice Barker was a chorus line dancer. She shared the stage with legends like Frank Sinatra, Gene Kelly, and Bill “Bojangles” Robinson and performed at the Apollo and the Zanzibar Club,
She also danced in several movies, commercials and TV shows but sadly she had also lost all of her memorabilia over the years. Then the YouTube channel Tenfresh got involved and Alice for the first time saw films of her performances. Mark Cantor of Jazz on Film and the folks at Tenfresh secured “soundies” in which Alice appeared.
Tenfresh filmed the moment Alice watched herself perform for the very first time. Her reaction to seeing her videos and performances is moving. Alice is stunning in her youth, and her spirit remained beautiful throughout her life.
Alice says that watching the video made her “wish that I could get out of this bed and do it all over again.” Unlike 100-year-old Eileen Kramer, Alice was only able to relive her dancing days through her memories, until this amazing footage came along. The folks at Tenfresh updated their video posting with an emotional message: “Alice passed away peacefully on Wednesday, April 6th, 2016. She spent the last day of her life in good spirits, enjoying listening to music and having her mail read to her. Thank you to all the thousands of fans who sent in cards, flowers, and art. You truly gave her deep joy and meaning in the last years of her life!”
