▁Later ▁d ances ▁to ▁follow ▁in ▁this ▁tradition ▁include ▁the ▁Char l eston , ▁the ▁Lind y ▁Hop , ▁the ▁J itter bug ▁and ▁the ▁swing . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁Har lem ▁Renaissance , ▁African - American ▁Broadway ▁shows ▁such ▁as ▁Sh uffle ▁Al ong ▁helped ▁to ▁establish ▁and ▁legit im ize ▁African - American ▁d anc ers . ▁African - American ▁dance ▁forms ▁such ▁as ▁tap , ▁a ▁combination ▁of ▁African ▁and ▁European ▁influ ences , ▁gained ▁w ides p read ▁popular ity ▁thanks ▁to ▁d anc ers ▁such ▁as ▁Bill ▁Robinson ▁and ▁were ▁used ▁by ▁leading ▁white ▁ch ore ograph ers , ▁who ▁often ▁h ired ▁African - American ▁d anc ers . ▁ ▁Contempor ary ▁African - American ▁dance ▁is ▁desc ended ▁from ▁these ▁earlier ▁forms ▁and ▁also ▁draw s ▁influence ▁from ▁African ▁and ▁Car ib bean ▁dance ▁forms . ▁Gr oups ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁Al vin ▁A iley ▁American ▁Dance ▁Theater ▁have ▁continued ▁to ▁contribute ▁to ▁the ▁growth ▁of ▁this ▁form . ▁Modern ▁popular ▁dance ▁in ▁America ▁is ▁also ▁greatly ▁influenced ▁by ▁African - American ▁dance . ▁American ▁popular ▁dance ▁has ▁also ▁drawn ▁many ▁influ ences ▁from ▁African - American ▁dance ▁most ▁not ably ▁in ▁the ▁hip - h op ▁genre . ▁ ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁uniqu ely ▁African - American ▁forms ▁of ▁dan cing , ▁tur f ing , ▁emer ged ▁from ▁social ▁and ▁political ▁movements ▁in ▁the ▁East ▁Bay ▁in ▁the ▁San ▁Francisco ▁Bay ▁Area . ▁Tur f ing ▁is ▁a ▁h ood ▁dance ▁and ▁a ▁response