CHARLESTON DANCE

  

The Charleston Dance was the most popular terpsichorean craze of the Roaring Twenties. The dance originated as early as 1903 in the African American community of a small island off the coast of Charleston, South Carolina. Enthusiastically taken up by blacks in Charleston, the dance was named after the city. By 1913, the Charleston Dance was being staged in Harlem, New York nightclub shows.

A 1923 hit Broadway musical called Runnin’ Wild featured the song "Charleston." The song was written by composer James P. Johnson, Fats Waller’s jazz piano teacher and idol. The black revue featured the male chorus line singing and stepping the Charleston Dance.  The 1920s' Jazz song became one of the biggest hits of the period. Evoking the high-spirited abandon of the times, the Charleston Dance was considered the cat’s pajamas.

The best accompaniment to the 1920s' Charleston Dance is Ragtime or New Orleans/Dixieland Jazz, written in 4/4 time with syncopated rhythms. The breakneck pace and rapidly shifting rhythms are challenging. Since it was considered too difficult for nonprofessionals, many thought it would only be performed for audiences in exhibition. However, within a year of its Broadway debut, the Charleston Dance was the rage of Flappers and took the country by storm.

 

Learning the Charleston Dance---Toot Toot Tootsie!
Basketball Players Learn the Charleston Dance---Toot Toot Tootsie!

Capitol Charleston
Two Girls Charleston with the Capitol in the Background---Capitol Charleston
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Marathon dancing, an endurance contest which eventually offered prize money, became popular in the Roaring Twenties. When a 32 year old American woman named Alma Cummings broke the United Kingdom record by dancing nonstop for 27 hours, wearing out six different partners, she garnered national attention. Alma inspired others to compete against her record in order to achieve fame; some hoped to break into films. Although many dancers found work as extras, only a few who were veteran performers, like Red Skelton and June Havoc, realized entertainment careers. Couples who entered the contests performed popular moves of the day, including the Charleston Dance. But, marathon dances were never about technical ability; stamina determined the outcome. Endurance dancing put the health of participants at risk.

Promoters soon capitalized on the money making potential of marathon dances. Admission was charged and a Master of Ceremonies was hired who endlessly asked, "How long can they last?" To break the monotony, promoters engaged vaudeville and burlesque performers, exhibition dancers, boxers, and local celebrities. Like the reality shows of today, the contests showcased real life along with theatrical drama.  Major promoters had "horses," a stable of dancers they could depend on to carry the event. These professionals traveled at the expense of promoters and were privy to the performance aspect of the contests, including the usually fixed outcomes. Horace McCoy’s novel, They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?, depicts the unsavory world of the dance marathons. The critically acclaimed 1969 film of the same title starred Jane Fonda, Michael Sarrazin, and Gig Young.

Illustration of 2 Marathon Dancers

 



CHARLESTON DANCE STEPS

Suggested Music

"Charleston"     "Ain't We Got Fun"

"Toot Toot Tootsie"     "Yes Sir! That's My Baby"
 

1.  Place feet together

2.  Right foot - Step back                                                              

3.  Left foot - Kick back

4.  Left foot - Step forward to beginning position                                      

5.  Right foot - Kick forward

6.  Return to beginning position and repeat
 

1.  Hold arms out, bend elbows, point hands up

2.  Swing arms from elbows to right and then to left

3.  Combine feet and arm movements
 

You are performing the Charleston Dance!  Please join us for our:

Poster---Christmas Eve Dance! Town Hall, Epping, Dec. 24, 1924, Music by Elkin's Boys of Pep, Admission 50 cents

 Bibliography

Jazz Dance Styles and Steps for Fun, Helene Andreu, Authorhouse, 2003

A Golden Haze of Memory: The Making of Historic Charleston, Stephanie E. Yuhl, The University of North Carolina Press, 2005

They Shoot Horses, Don't They?, Horace McCoy, Simon and Schuster, 1935