How to dance the 1920s charleston

Tracing the Roots of the “Charleston” Dance

The dance craze known as the “Charleston” achieved world-wide fame nearly a century ago and has endured as the epitome of the carefree exuberance of the “Roaring Twenties.” Although this popular phenomenon shares a name with our home town, it arose from cultural ingredients stewing in the melting pot of New York City at the crest of the Jazz Age. We might not have invented the “Charleston” in Charleston, but evidence suggests that residents of the Palmetto City and of the Lowcountry in general provided the inspiration and key elements that define its iconic rhythm and footwork.

The “Charleston” is a multi-faceted cultural phenomenon that arose during the early 1920s. It’s a dance, it’s a tune, and it’s a set of lyrics (which most people have never heard). All three forms first captured public attention in late October 1923 in a Broadway revue called Runnin’ Wild, which ran for more than seven months at the New Colonial Theater in midtown Manhattan. That African-American production included music by James P. Johnson (1894–1955), lyrics by Cecil Mack (1873–1944), and the talents of a large cast of black singers and dancers. The popular success of Runnin’ Wild catapulted the “Charleston” to national and international fame within a period of less than two years. To this day, the “Charleston” is closely associated with the decade of the 1920s, an era frequently called the “Jazz Age.” Despite the existence of Federal laws prohibiting the sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages, that decade is largely remembered as an era of exuberant parties, superficial glamor, energetic jazz, and hedonistic excess in general. Separately and in tandem, the dance and the tune called “Charleston” epitomize the gay spirit of the “Roaring Twenties.”

Charleston Time Machine · Episode 166: Tracing the Roots of the “Charleston” Dance

So it’s a fair question to ask: What—if anything—does the cultural phenomenon known as the “Charleston” have to do with the city and county of Charleston, South Carolina? Well, that’s not an easy question to answer, but I’m willing to give it a try, as long as we all agree that we cannot plumb the full depth of this topic in one podcast. With that caveat, I’ll try to follow a narrow path through the dense cultural history and lead you to a reasonably satisfactory answer. In short, the connection between the “Charleston” music and dance and the place we call home is indirect, elusive, and difficult to articulate. Nevertheless, I assure you that a connection most definitely exists.

The genesis of the “Charleston” phenomenon in New York City in the early 1920s was a direct result of a large population shift now known as the “Great Migration.” During the first half of the twentieth century, millions of Americans of African descent left their homes in the various Southern states and moved northward in search of economic opportunities and greater civil liberties. This exodus began quietly in the years after the end of slavery in 1865 and increased a bit around the turn of the twentieth century as the so-called “Jim Crow” laws adopted by Southern states generally eroded the already-poor quality of life afforded to non-white citizens here. The stream of African Americans moving northward swelled significantly during World War I and remained strong for several decades. Historians of this phenomenon estimate that more than six million black Americans moved from the largely-agricultural South to the largely-industrial North between 1910 and 1970.

This sustained mass movement of people resulted in significant and long-lasting changes in our national economy and political demographics. It also had powerful cultural implications. People of African descent had been living and working in the Southern states for nearly three centuries before the 1920s, melding and adapting African cultural traditions amongst themselves and interacting with both Native American and European culture. Northern communities like New York weren’t completely devoid of their own African-American culture, of course, but the Great Migration infused communities like Harlem with a flood of new practices and energy. That fertile environment gave rise to a profusion of cultural expression that became known as the Harlem Renaissance in New York and similar phenomena in other Northern cities.

The “Charleston,” meaning both the song and the dance, serves as an excellent example of the cultural effects of the Great Migration. James P. Johnson, whose infectious and original “Charleston” tune is known around the globe, later said he had borrowed its distinctive syncopated rhythm from South Carolina longshoremen who had migrated to New York. Anyone familiar with the traditions of Gullah-Geechee spirituals will recognize that rhythm as an integral part of a Lowcountry shout or “ring shout,” so it’s not difficult to hear some truth in his statement. While working as a pianist in a nightclub frequented by former Charlestonians, Johnson improvised piano music to match their distinctive footwork and handclapping rhythms. Although a native of New Jersey, Johnson also demonstrated his familiarity with the Lowcountry his neighbors left behind in other compositions like his Carolina Shout of 1921 and his extended “Negro Rhapsody” of 1928 called Yamecraw.[1]

Other early descriptions of the footwork associated with the “Charleston” dance mention New Yorkers observing Gullah-Geechee migrants strutting their vernacular stuff in Harlem nightclubs. A century after its birth, it’s now impossible to identify a specific person or event or location that directly inspired the creation of the “Charleston” dance, but contemporary newspaper reports provide useful clues. The success of Runnin’ Wild and its signature dance number caught the attention of local journalists, who in turn tried to describe the new phenomenon to a broader audience. Within a year of the show’s Broadway debut, even the Charleston Evening Post took note of the publicity and joined the growing conversation about the new dance craze.

“Something new in the way of advertising for Charleston is developing quite rapidly in New York,” said the Post in early November 1924, “and, if it follows the usual course, will in due time become the newest rage in the terpsichorean art.” More importantly for our fair city, the local press noted that the new dance sensation will “have the name of ‘Charleston’ on the tongues of thousands throughout the country. ” That bold prediction proved to underestimate the dance’s international appeal, of course, but we have to remember that the “Charleston” seemed little more than a passing fad in 1924. Because the new dance was reputed to have authentic roots in the Palmetto City, however, the editors of the Evening Post deemed it necessary to reprint the entire text of a story from the New York World: I’d like to share the text, too, because I think it represents the best contemporary summary of the genesis of the “Charleston” dance:

“‘Can you do the ‘Charleston?’ That is the question generally asked in Harlem among negroes, irrespective of age, size or physical condition. In other sections of New York City the “Charleston” has its enthusiastic devotees, but not so many as in the 135th Street and Lenox Avenue district where they energetically indulge in this terpsichorean specialty on the ball room floor, in cabarets, ratskellers and even in the home.

On the street corners, day and night, crowds assemble to watch urchins ‘do the Charleston’ for voluntary contributions ranging from a penny upward. ‘Charleston’ contests are conducted weekly in North Harlem theaters patronized largely by negroes. On some occasions 30 or more contestants, usually boys, give individual exhibitions.

Danced somewhat indifferently by a few local negroes prior to the engagement of ‘Runnin’ Wild’ in the Colonial theater last season, the ‘Charleston’ began to grow in popularity when 22 girls and three boys in the colored production put it over in spectacular fashion at the close of the first act of a musical number of that name, written by Cecil Mack and Jimmie Johnson. Quick to appreciate something new and novel was being offered in the realm of dancing, white Broadway musical shows immediately made the ‘Charleston’ a feature.

The ‘Charleston,’ apparently of African origin and characterized by [a] tom-tom beat, is described as the wing of the buck and wing dance, only the dancer steps forward and backward instead of sideways. Usually, it is done without musical accompaniment and to the clapping of hands in two-four time. It is said to have been brought to New York by negroes formerly living in Charleston, S.C., having been first danced on the neighboring islands by negroes known as the “Geeche[e].

In recent months, the ‘Charleston’ has been supplemented with many new steps, the two most popular being the ‘camel walk’ and the ‘black bottom.’ To be a successful and graceful dancer of the ‘Charleston,’ agility and nimbleness of foot are the requisites—avoirdupois [heavy weight] being a decided handicap.”[2]

Although it may be impossible to identify the specific individuals and incidents that catalyzed the “Charleston” phenomenon in early-twentieth-century Harlem, this 1924 newspaper report contains a few clues that appear to support a belief long-held here in Charleston. It mentions that most of the early practitioners of the dance steps were “boys”—specifically, poor boys or “urchins”—who frequently appeared on street corners giving “exhibitions” for pennies and other loose change. For readers familiar with the history of the Jenkins Orphanage Band, these words instantly call to mind the band’s annual migrations in the early twentieth century, during which they played and danced on street corners in Northern cities to raise money for their Charleston home. As the late Jack McCray described in his 2007 book about Charleston Jazz, musicians in the Palmetto City have long believed that it was the young boys of the touring Jenkins Orphanage Band who introduced both the distinctive rhythm and footwork that characterize the “Charleston” dance phenomenon.

For those of you not so familiar with the history of the Jenkins Orphanage Band, I’ll offer a brief synopsis to bring you up to speed. In December 1891, the Reverend Daniel J. Jenkins (1862–1937) established an Orphan Aid Society to assist indigent black children living in the lower wards of urban Charleston. (Rev. John L. Dart’s school, founded in 1895, served black children on the city’s north side). Reverend Jenkins’s work included a day school for boys and girls and an orphanage to house the neediest children. To help raise money for these charitable institutions, the Orphan Aid Society immediately sought to capitalize on one of the most valuable talents within the city’s black community: music. The Society solicited donations of band instruments and recruited some young adult black musicians to instruct some of the school children. By the mid-1890s, the Jenkins Orphanage, as it was commonly called, had a band of more than a dozen young boys who could play ragged versions of popular songs and dance tunes. Many writers have described the Jenkins Orphanage Band as the “cradle of jazz” in Charleston, but the roots of African-American band music in this city extend back nearly two centuries before Reverend Jenkins started his orphanage. That long and complicated story merits its own conversation, so for the present we’ll stick to the early twentieth century.

The youthful Jenkins Orphanage Band was a fixture of the local music scene—not only in Charleston, but in other communities as well. Every year for nearly half a century, the band set out by rail, steamship, and motor bus with adult chaperones to perform from Maine to Miami. They toured Southern cities in the winter months, and headed north every summer. At their peak in the 1920s, there were four Jenkins Orphanage bands on the road at the same time, and, for a while, an all-girl band as well. In communities with large black populations, the bands played indoor concerts and entertained crowds at barbeques and parties. Most of their performances took place on street corners and sidewalks, however, where they gathered pennies and nickels from passing pedestrians.

Surviving descriptions, photographs, moving pictures, and personal recollections all demonstrate that footwork was an integral part of the Jenkins Orphanage band’s routine. While the standing musicians might have been too busy making noise to dance in place, the ubiquitous band leader was often the star of the show. The smallest and perhaps youngest member or members of the troupe—perhaps too young to play an instrument—usually stood in front of the band, dancing and waving his arms in time with the music. Ostensibly “conducting” the performance, he was really putting on a show to entertain the audience. The energy and novelty of the young conductor’s fancy footwork was a key element in the band’s fund-raising success. Did the conductor perform “the” Charleston steps? We may never know for sure, but it seems likely that some Charleston-like moves were part of his physical repertoire.

Back in Charleston, fires at the Jenkins Orphanage headquarters in December 1936 and again in November 1988 destroyed most of the institution’s early records. One sound recording survives from a grainy 1928 newsreel, but the poor quality of its audio provides only a hint of the band’s brassy sound. The paucity of surviving resources now renders it difficult to reconstruct the details of the band’s musical characteristics, the itinerary its annual migrations, and the identity of its youthful participants. Thanks to surviving newspaper reports and oral histories, however, we know that Manhattan and Harlem were regular stops. It’s quite possible, therefore, that New Yorkers, specifically Harlemites, learned the distinctive rhythm and footwork that became known as the “Charleston” not from anonymous dockworkers who had migrated northward from the Palmetto City, but from the energetic boys in the Jenkins Orphanage Band.[3]

In short, the “Charleston” dance phenomenon was a product of various cultural forces originating in Africa and Europe that germinated in the crucible of Charleston and blossomed in Harlem in the early 1920s. It arose from the urban black community and was quickly imitated by white artists who introduced it to broader audiences in New York and around the world. Over the past ninety-odd years, tens of millions of people have enjoyed its rhythm and energy that came to epitomize the Jazz Age. Even if they know nothing about our fair city by the sea, at least they know the name of Charleston.

In fact, the marketing and distribution of the “Charleston” dance represents another chapter in the history of this cultural phenomenon. If you’ve read any book or article about the history of the “Charleston” dance, or searched the vast digital ocean of the Internet for information on this topic, you’ve surely seen an image of a young white female dancing the “Charleston” with the uniformed boys of the Jenkins Orphanage Band standing behind her. That photograph, which has been reproduced thousands of times, was staged here in Charleston in the spring of 1926 as part of a promotional campaign, but few people remember the curious story behind its creation. Next week, we’ll continue this dance theme with the story of Beatrice Adelaide Jackson and her campaign to become the international queen of the “Charleston.”

[1] Jack McCray, Charleston Jazz (Charleston, S.C.: History Press, 2007).

[2] Charleston Evening Post, 4 November 1924, page 12, “Can you Dance the Charleston?” quoting an article of the same title by Lester A. Walton in the New York World, 3 November 1924.

[3] Extant descriptions of the band’s precise movements on tour are now rare, but a very useful example appears in New York Times, 1 August 1912, page 6, “Concert by Negro Children.”

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How To Do The Charleston? • Learn The 20s Charleston

The Charleston dance was "The King of dances" in 20th century and had a huge influence on American culture. In this blog you can find out different ways of how to do the dance, its technique and footwork.

Charleston dance history

Charleston is a name of the city, dance style, step and song. Scholars attribute the spread and invention of the geechee inspired Charleston dance to the Jenkins Orphanage Band boys from Charleston city, South Carolina. The Charleston song written by John P. Johnson, inspired by Gullah rhythms, became the signature tune for the dance.

This dance has African roots and was created by African - American people. It was first sighted in the streets of Harlem in 1903. Though it was popularised by young flappers during 1920's. It became internationally known thanks to Josephine Baker Parisian "Le revue negre".

If you'd like to learn about the origins of the dance there is a full blog on The History of The Charleston dance.

6 version of how to do the Charleston step

In order to know how to do the Charleston “basic” step we should know that it has changed with time and place. It started as a step with twists, then transformed into a crazy wild kicking move with the swing era.
There are at least 6 versions of the “basic” step: groove walk, kicks, swinging kicks, 20’s twist, 20’s glide, and afro version “reverse twist” Charleston. Each version has its specifics.

When doing groove walk, we should remember to keep a steady and strong bounce (pulse).
For kicks the most important thing is to keep the right timing of the kick step and kick from the knees. All while keeping the body inclined forward and only forward and making sure to move with the kicks and not to stay on one spot.
20’s Charleston style with twists has its thing in a constant (every single beat) energetic though light twisting of the feet with the weight on the balls of the feet. All while making the kick up in the air and accentuating the weak (off) beat.
20’s glide is similar to 20s Charleston twist but is done without lifting the feet off the floor this way creating continuous gliding on the floor.
Finally, to do the reverse Charleston twist we shall keep the legs bent low and keep the whole foot on the ground with the weight mainly of the heels.

In this video you can learn 6 basic versions of how to do the Charleston “basic” step: groove walk, kicks, swinging kicks, 20’s twist, 20’s glide, and afro version “reverse twist”.

35 Charleston variations

Here is a video of two legendary dancers Al Minns and Leon James perform jazz dances talk show "Playboy's Penthouse". You can hear Marshall Stearns discusses the dance history with Hugh Hefner. This was probably filmed around 1960. Stears explains that there were 35 variations of the Charleston step. Minns and James show a few: original 20's charleston, scare crow, squat, around the world, high kick and hand to hand variations.

How to do the 20s Charleston dance style?

20s Charleston is not only a step, it’s a style. A style that is defined by music, clothing style, manner and expression. 20s Charleston was a craze during the Jazz Age. It is danced to ragtime, hot jazz and Charleston. In order to look authentic we should remember a few important technical elements on how to do the 20s Charleston:

As it is danced to ragtime and hot jazz (early jazz, Dixieland, New Orleans jazz). The music is syncopated and has a “rag” rhythm though it is still quite even. The accentuation is on 2 and 4 and so will be the bounce, as the bounce always reflects the music rhythm.
As the music is ragged and the body can embody this quality the best when being more “puppet” like. It is better if we use more joints rather than muscles for the light, ragged, fast movements of 20s Charleston
The accentuation is on 2 and 4 and so should be the accent when doing the 20s kicks. The accent is in the air and not on the floor.

How to achieve this light yet energetic and powerful state when dancing Charleston 20s? How to handle this hell of a tempo and curvy, twisty moves? We need to adopt the right body state. The imagery for the Charleston body that I love to use is a puppet or marionette. This loose movement, fully working on release, using movement of the joints, so that every kick and move pops to every beat and syncopation in the music.

The magic of Charleston dance is as well in the feet. Every single step is a twist. They create that recognisable angular and asymmetric signature Charleston look. Imagine, you are dancing on a hot frying pan, how would you move your feet?

In this video below you can learn about the Charleston 20s body and the twists!

To dive deeper in the fury of Charleston footwork, try this class on Happy Feet move, one of the signature steps.

Aesthetics of the 20s

There is a lot to learn from seeing the connection of the Charleston dance aesthetics with cultural elements of 20th century America.

Deep connection to African roots reveals elements of improvisation, spontaneity as well as grounded body position.
There is connection with flappers and their revolutionary new image of a woman and sexually charged movements.
Comedy connects to 20s Charleston with its silly moves and irony.
We can see connection with silent movies through the exaggerated overly dramatic expressions.
Finally eccentric dance is a part of this dance culture with its legomania and bizarre movements.

You will look super authentic if you will include those qualities, impressions in your dance.

Its important to mention that this dance was immensely popular during the period of 1920's Prohibition as well as 1930's Great Depression. When US stock market crashed and part of the society was left in complete poverty, dancing for many was an anti - depression pill. It swept the worries away.

Look at the fantastic Bee Jackson, the “Queen of Charleston” and get ideas on how to do the Charleston! Miss Bee Jackson of the Piccadilly Cabaret and Kit Kat Club demonstrates her gimmick - dancing on a very small floor space.

In this demo video you see me demonstrating the concept of a “Silent Movie”. I am slowing down and speeding up in the real time (without FX), while searching for exaggerated overly dramatic face expressions. The idea comes from the fact that the music was layered on silent movies after the film was done. Oftentimes the music played an atmospheric role. Therefore the dance and movements looked out of time with the actual beat of the song.

Animalism and African roots

I'd like to accentuate the connection with animalism in dance movements as the Charleston dance belongs to the family of African-American vernacular dances. To know more on what are the characteristics of African-American dances that as well reflect in the this dance, read the blog on “ A brief cultural history of black dance”

In this video class from the course Secrets of Charleston 20s, where you can learn how to do the step called the “Cow Tail”. Animalistic move, in a way it was inspired by the cows waving their tail to get rid of the flies.

All of this and more you can learn by taking a course Secrets of Charleston 20s, course with over 40 video.

Iconic Charleston dancers

Some of the iconic dancers to watch, learn and get inspired:

Josephine Baker
Ann Pennington
Bee Jackson
Al Minns
Leon James
Mildred Melrose
Joan Crawford
Jenkins Orphanage Band boys

In this video playlist on Secrets of Solo channel I collected videos of the most famous dancers, historical figures. Watch to get inspired.

The difference between 20s & 30s style Charleston

As we mentioned before the Charleston dance style has changed with time and music. I use this categories to spotlight the difference that was strongly affected by the music, more specifically rhythm section.

20s

In 20s Charleston with hot twists and eccentric moves was danced to ragtime, hot jazz music. It has half time pulse and accentuated the 2 and 4 beat. It replicates the bass tuba or the double bass. Bass tuba line for early jazz was either 1 and 3 or 2 and 4. When double bass came to stage, the players wither played half time notes or doubled up on the same note twice. 1/2 feel reflects in half time pulse in the dancers body. The movement is more even, more vertical and ragged.

The 20s style is based on the twists and twisted kick. The most important image is the "crossed" twisted leg. The legend says, some dancers got "Charleston twist" of the knee, when they twisted too hard.

In this video you can hear a very rag song. Notice that the dancers are holding their bodies more upright. Their pulse is ragged (even jumpy at times).

30s

In 1930's the dance changed with swing music to so called lindy kicks. You could see now dancers doing big wide kicks and travelling across the floor. The feel of the Charleston is 4/4 (4 on the floor). It reflects the double bass in swing tunes, that has a walking line. So called "walking bass". Musicians say "the bass walks", when the player hits every single note. 4/4 feel reflects in constant pulse in the dancers body. The movement is "spreading", it is more horizontal. It looks softer and smoother.

In this video you can hear the 4/4 feel on the bass and clearly see how dancers reflect it in their smooth pulse. Note, when dancers go to lindy Charleston kicks, how much they lower their upper body and start to hover over the ground.

Music to dance Charleston

Ragtime

The first tune you would think to dance Charleston to is, of course, famous ragtime tune "The Charleston", written by James P. Johnson. The Charleston beat is considered a clave rhythm.

As a musical entity ragtime was, and is, an instrumental work in 2/4 time composed for the piano. The style surfaced in the early 1900's and was developed by composer Scot Joplin. It was the forerunner to jazz. It combines a syncopated series of melodies accompanied by a steady, even rhythm. The left hand plays a steady, almost march-like succession of bass notes and chords while the right hand plays syncopated melodies in a "ragged" manner. Hence, the name of the style.

Here is a Spotify playlist of ragtime tunes. You will hear the music of Eubie Blake, Scot Joplin, James P. Johnson.

Dixieland

Other music style that one can dance 20s Charleston is early jazz. Early jazz, that is as well called “New Orleans jazz”, Dixieland jazz, hot jazz are the terms referring to the same style of jazz based on the music that developed in New Orleans at the start of the 20th century. Its 4 main influences were ragtime, military brass bands, the blues, and gospel music.

New Orleans jazz or Dixieland Jazz was incredibly popular through the 1920s, Jazz Age. One of the first uses of the term "Dixieland" with reference to music was in the name of the Original Dixieland Jass Band (later changed to "Jazz"). They recorded their first vinyl in 1917. What defines the sound of Dixieland music is that one instrument plays the melody (often trumpet) and all the other musicians improvise around it.

Here is a Spotify playlist with a very popular songs for 20s Charleston. You will hear music of such artists as Original Dixieland Band, Fats Waller, Sidney Bechet, King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band, Frankie Trumbauer and his Orchestra, Fletcher Henderson, Bix Beiderbecke, Jelly Roll Morton, Benny Goodman and other. Or else you can listen to my YouTube Charleston compilation.

Written by Ksenia Parkhatskaya

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The 1920s is the decade of jazz in the United States. Part of the African-American population, who moved from the South to the North in search of work, brought with them music: jazz, blues, ragtime. New movements appeared in dances, sometimes similar to the habits of animals. Dancing is becoming a new leisure activity for the masses. In place of long and complex dance patterns comes improvisation. Social boundaries are also being erased, dances are now for all strata of society.

Charleston

Its origin is unknown. Residents of the city of Charleston in the southern United States attribute the invention of dance to themselves. Others call it the birthplace of the island of Cape Verde. Be that as it may, one thing is clear - the Charleston has African roots.

At first, it was danced by black hard workers to jazz music, so the Charleston was associated with the lower strata. The church did not favor him because of the sharp, unleashed movements and the closeness between a man and a woman. However, it was appreciated in basements, illegal casinos and pubs, where the Charleston was picked up by anti-prohibitionists and flappers - girls who advocated for the emancipation of women.

Gradually, the Charleston spread throughout the country, and then crossed the ocean and reached Europe. Representatives of high society, who wanted to learn how to dance, asked their servants about this - there were simply no proper official schools then.

The Charleston is danced with a partner, alone or with a group. The main feature is the movements of the legs - while the hands remain in a relaxed position and lend themselves to the general beat. The movements, despite the speed and pace, are not too complicated - professionals say that there are about 74 of them. However, there is no clear pattern by which you need to dance. Improvisation and the right mood are important here.

Foxtrot

This pair dance appeared in the 1910s, but became widespread in the 1920s. According to one version, it was invented by actor Harry Fox: at one of the film screenings, a young man had to fill in a pause between films, and then he began to dance with a girl. According to another version, the foxtrot is translated as "to walk with a fox's step" - for the similarity of movements with the habits of an animal.

During the foxtrot, the dancing couples quickly move around the hall, which at first glance resembles a waltz. However, the pace is completely different, due to the fact that the dance is performed to ragtime.

Over time, many versions of the foxtrot have appeared. Now known fast foxtrot (or quistep), slow foxtrot and folk. In the fast version, the tempo of the music increases and the dance becomes more energetic, almost crazy. The slow foxtrot, on the contrary, looks romantic. It was popular in England and Soviet Russia - directors Vsevolod Meyerhold and Nikolai Foregger even staged it in their performances.

Tango

Tango was created by immigrants in Buenos Aires. Initially, it was performed only by men. It was a kind of competition - sometimes for a woman, and sometimes just for fun. Only later did a partner appear in the tango, dressed in a tight skirt with a slit to the very thigh, fishnet tights and high-heeled shoes.

For a long time, tango remained a dance for the lower strata, it was danced in taverns and other not very decent establishments. However, then he ends up in Europe, where he has a tremendous success. The dance was especially appreciated in Paris. The church considered the dance vulgar and corrupting.

Tango is characterized by a fast rhythm and connection between partners. Tango is always about emotions and passionate love.

Blackbottom

Black bottom is one of the few dances whose origins we know. It appeared in the state of Georgia, USA in the impoverished "black bottom" area (which, in fact, gave the dance the name "Black-Bottom"). At the beginning of the century, it was performed in the south of the country by the African population and consisted of combinations of shoulder and hip movements. In 1924, its modernized version appears on stage in the play "Dinah", after which the dance quickly gains popularity and captures all of America. From the cabaret, he moves to the people and finds himself in a series of social dances that people perform for entertainment.

Basically, black bottom was a solo dance, but it could also be performed opposite your partner or in groups. The dance consists of kicking, jumping back and forth, stomping, hip rotation and more. At the same time, the hands, as in the Charleston, succumb to the general wave of the dance. However, unlike the Charleston, the solo performance of the black bottom movement is more energetic, and its repertoire contains more cheerful forms.

In the second half of 19In the 1920s, black bottom was more popular than other dances. However, in the next decade, interest in him disappeared.

Shim-sham Shimmy

Shim sham is part of the tap dance. It is danced almost on the spot, and the main movements are performed with the feet in a certain sequence. Shim-sham was created by the duo of dancers Leonard Reid and Willie Bryant. They performed with the Whitman sisters, who had one of the longest running shows in the States (from 1900 to 1943). In the 1920s, the sisters invited young people to come up with an ending that they could all perform together as an encore after vaudeville. It had to be something that not only tap dancers could handle, but also singers and musicians. The part really turned out to be quite simple, so that any artist could perform it without preparation. So Reed and Willy became the creators of shim sham. Initially, it was performed as a comedic dance with cheerful music "Turkey in the Straw" and was called "Gufos". But over time, it turned into an independent number that was performed on stage.

The variety of dances of the 1920s does not end there. In addition to those listed, there were many more subtypes that could be performed differently in each tavern. It was they who gave rise to swing, lindy hop, boogie-woogie and many other dances that gained popularity already in the 1930s.

You can get acquainted with many dances of the 1920s at the Swing.School. Anyone can sign up here for free lessons in the Garden. Bauman, and for readers of diletant.media there is a special offer - free two weeks of training in the Hot Club group using the promo code DILETANT28. Registration for classes - by link.

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History of dance. CHARLESTON

Dance history. CHARLESTON

FOR REFERENCE: CHARLESTON. American ballroom dance of the 1920s and 30s in the character of Ragtime. Time signature - 4/4. The pace is fast. The basic step consists of eight counts and is danced together with partner or alone. The dance is characterized by sharp syncopated steps and swirls on the balls of the feet.

Charleston - one from the progenitors Lindy Hop , which appeared in 1930s (a transitional form between they are considered Breakaway ). Spread in the 1930s and 40s a slightly different form of the Charleston that leans towards the Lindy Hop. In this late form charleston rhythm hot jazz 1920's was adapted to the music swing of the 30s and 40s.

Dance The Charleston style has several common names, most commonly used Lindy Charleston, Savoy Charleston, Charleston 20's, Charleston 30s and 40s”, “Swinging Charleston”.

Charleston considered one of the forerunners of the Quickstep ballroom dance.

Here I am talking about the Charleston on Rank Cocktail:

Charleston — a dance that became popular in the 20s of the last century, in the jazz era, "speakers" and "flappers". For Americans, these are symbols of that era. "Speakeasy" - an underground bar where you could drink alcohol during the period of the "dry law", and " flappers " (from the word flap - cotton) called emancipe women, who cut their hair short in an a-page style, smoked, drove cars, listened to jazz, drank alcohol and wore a certain style of clothing.

"Flapper" often translated as “cracker”, and although this is a correct and almost literal translation, a closer translation of this word is “dummy”. We can easily learn flapper fashion. Eye-covering hats, short dresses with straight silhouette, a long string of imitation pearls casually thrown over shoulder fox skin or ostrich feather boa, cigarette in a long mouthpiece, lips painted with a bow and blackened eyes ... In general, if you watched the Soviet film "12 chairs", then you know that Ellochka the Cannibal and Fima Dogs dressed like typical flappers, only they themselves are unlikely to talk about it. guessed. In the US, flappers and Charleston are inseparable.

Charleston danced to ragtime in a fast 4/4 tempo. He was literally indiscriminate hobby. In the view of young people, this dance expressed a protest against the foundations of the then society and allowed others to demonstrate their emancipation.

Origin and history origin of the dance

That the Charleston has African-American roots is beyond doubt. However, unequivocal there is no data on where and how this dance originated. Some sources called the birthplace of the Charleston island of Cape Verde, others - the port city of Charleston (South Carolina), where, according to one version, Negro dockers in minutes of rest danced, repeating energetic simple movements with their feet, and on the other - a dance invented by children from an orphanage. Whatever it was, but the name of the dance associated with the name of the city of Charleston. And its existence is recognized for a long time before the triumphant appearance on stage musical "Runnin' Wild" , where together with the debut of James P. Johnson's "Charleston" was a dance of the same name. However, it was from this moment that the popularity of the Charleston began to rapidly gain momentum.

American woman teaching English boys to

dance the Charleston. Great Britain, 1925

First in more degree, this dance was associated with young emancipated girls, who were called flappers. They were the ones who could afford to dance one by one and demonstrate in the dance contempt for the old traditions. In spite of accusations of immorality and swagger, undermining the foundations of the spirituality of the nation, Charleston was carried away by all segments of the population of America.

Charleston fell in love with men , because here they could show their strength and masculinity, and women - they removed corsets, layered skirts and dark cotton stockings. Short dresses, silk stockings and bandeaus are in fashion!

The Charleston Champions is so popular that everyone danced it - even the police and janitors, the Crown Prince of Great Britain was also seen dancing it. But at the same time there was no not a single official dance school where one could learn how to dance the Charleston. Therefore, wealthy people began to take lessons from their own servants: cooks, maids and laundresses who mastered this dance much faster.

Unlike other dances, Charleston became both spectacular and performing: its could dance and watch.

Passion wave this dance reached Europe in 1925 , when the legendary Josephine Baker. Her triumphant performances in Paris and Berlin blew up society!

Despite scandalous reputation, at the beginning of the last century Charleston became the king of dances.

Dance specificity

Charleston was performed solo, in pairs or in a group. In general, there was nothing complicated in the performance of this dance. He was considered easy to learn, it was only necessary to learn how to make energetic movements with his arms and legs to fast music.

It is impossible not to be infected by the desire to dance this provocative, easy-to-perform dance!

#CatDanceStudio, #Dnepropetrovsk, #charleston, #flappers, #jazz, #era_jazz, #charleston, #flapper, #speakeasy, #dixieland, #ragtime, #USA, #lindyhop, #lindyhop

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