The Darktown Follies were a series of musical revues staged in Harlem at the Lafayette Theatre from 1913 through 1916.
[2] Most of the music and lyrics written for the various reviews were created by J. Leubrie Hill and Will Vodery.
[1] Hill was also a major contributor to the musical books written for the revues, along with the writer Alex C.
[2] Part of the age leading up to the Harlem Renaissance, the revue attracted diverse audiences from all over the city of New York.
They brought the Ballin' the Jack dance and the Texas Tommy (a predecessor of the lindy hop) to a New York City stage and its success influenced musicals that followed.