1920’s Dances Manolo, Brian, and Lynsey

The 1920s was an era of war and hard times, so something had to be done to keep their minds off of what was happening in the real world. Dancing was the perfect solution. All across the country jazz flourished. This was often called the golden age of jazz. Couples would dance the fox trot, one step, two step, grizzly bear, and the bunny hug. The longest dance record ever recorded was a record of 3 weeks of dancing.

The Roaring Twenties was alternatively known as The Jazz Age. This "movement" in which jazz music grew in popularity by immense standards in the U.S., also influenced other parts of the world.

In 1913 the first swing dance was composed. It was called the Texas Tommy. Swing dances would become increasingly popular over the years and eventually the very popular Charleston would be composed.

In the Jazz Age there were a few individuals who captured the quintessential essence of the era. One such person was Bee Palmer, musician, songstress, Ziegfeld Follies performer, dancer, and song writer who had an all-around beauty and naughtiness that made her a very popular act in the Roarin' Twenties. Known as the Shimmy Queen early in her career.

The name "Charleston" originated in Charleston, South Carolina. In the beginning, this dance was considered scandalous and irreverent. The 1920's were the prohibition period and to enter the speakeasies you needed to know the secret password. This is where you could see the flapper girls performing the Charleston. However, the Charleston was short lived due to its controversy, and so it evolved with kicks and hops and more and more people began to pair up doing side by side movements.

Originally, the Charleston was a black folk dance known throughout the American South and is especially associated with Charleston, South Carolina. Its’ movements have strong parallels in dances of Trinidad, Nigeria, and Ghana. In its’ early form, the dance was performed to complex rhythms beaten out by foot stamps and hand claps. In 1920 professional dancers adopted the dance, and it became a national craze after appearing in the black musical Runnin’ Wild (1923). As a fashionable ballroom dance it lost some of the exuberance of the earlier version.

The Charleston, a lively dance with origins in South Carolina and African American styles, became immensely popular. The dance, which can be done solo, with two, or in a group, received attention after being shown in Runnin' Wild, a 1923 musical. One man, John Giola, from New York managed to do the Charleston for 22 hours and 30 minutes! This particular dance was introduced to Europeans in Other dances of the era included the Cake-Walk, the Turkey Trot, the Black Bottom, and the Bunny Hug. With the increased popularity of dances, events such as dance marathons were also created.

Dance marathons were something everyone went to every weekend. Extremely popular during the great depression compete for money prizes, as well as stars seeking fame, basically anyone could enter.A marathon consisted of a emcee, band and or Phonograph, Nurses, Doctor, Cots, Dance floor and Contestants, Manicurists, Barbers, Podiatrists etc. The dance marathon did not display humanity at its best. After the 6th or 7th day of straight dancingthe women would grow to hate their partners, and would scratch, and scream at the men, while the men resorted to more physical violence. Sleeping was permitted, but it had to be done on the dance floor, and only one partner at a time. Some contestants were professional dancer/actors longest running marathon lasted for 22 weeks, 3 1/2 days.A Dance Marathon is not crazy, but to dance for two weeks is. There was a dance contest in Mary Promitis was on the news because she "Pickled" her feet in vinegar and salt water to help her dance for two weeks nonstop. A quote from New York World stated "Of all the crazy competitions ever invented, the dancing marathon wins by a considerable margin of lunacy."

In the late 1920's in Harlem, Lindy Hop was breaking out wherever people were partying. But it wasn't until the opening of the Savoy Ballroom that Lindy Hop got its name and a home. At the Savoy, the Lindy Hop got hotter and hotter, as people (including the late Malcolm X and friends) danced to the top Big Bands. The dancers created new steps for the dance. Popular Saturday night competitions at the Savoy and Apollo pushed good dancers to greatness. As it is often said, a young dancer named Frankie "Musclehead" Manning created the first airsteps (aerials), and the Lindy Hop "soared."