Florence Mills was born on January 25th, 1896, near Washington D.C. Florence became an entertainer as a young child, making her stage debut at age 5 with the name “Baby Florence.” Florence began working in vaudeville acts and joined a touring company at age 8 before authorities discovered that she was underage. When her family moved to Harlem, Mills formed another vaudeville act in 1910 called “the Mills Sisters” with her siblings Olivia and Maude.
Florence’s major break through happened when she joined the off-Broadway musical Shuffle Along. In 1921, she was initially hired to replace Gertrude Saunders in Shuffle Along. Florence earned a reputation for her dance moves, high-pitched voice, and comedic timing. Since she was also aware of the racial segregation during the Harlem Renaissance and wanted to make a difference, Florence was also considered an icon for African-American performers and audiences.
Other works of Mills include the Broadway musical Plantation Revue with the role of Gypsy Blues, and Blackbirds, in which the song “I’m a Little Blackbird Looking for a Bluebird” became her trademark. Florence Mills died in 1927 from appendicitis.
Dance in The Harlem Renaissance 