The 'Charleston' Dance

The 1920’s were a time when dance clubs became extremely popular. Its popularity pointed in the late 1920s reaching up to the early 1930s. Different forms of music, such as classical pieces, operettas, folk music, etc. were all transformed into these popular dance melodies in order to satisfy the public craze for dancing. Dance clubs across the United States sponsored dance contests, where dancers were invented, tried, and competed with new moves. Professionals began to perfect their skills in tap dance and other dances of the era throughout the stage circuit across the United States. The most popular dances throughout this decade were the foxtrot, waltz and the American tango. However, a variety of unconventional uniqueness of dances was later on developed. The ‘Charleston’ is a dance named from the harbor city of Charleston, South Carolina. This rhythm was popularized in mainstream dance music in the United States by a 1923 tune called "The Charleston" by a composer and a pianist James P. Johnson which originated in the Broadway show Runnin' Wild. Although the origins of the dance are not clear, the dance has been traced back to African-Americans who lived on an island off the coast of Charleston, South Carolina (which is why the dance is called "Charleston"). The Charleston dance had been performed in African-American communities since 1903, but did not become internationally popular until the musical debuted in 1923. The ‘Charleston's popularity exploded after its feature in two 1922 popular Broadway shows. The year that hit the highest point for the Charleston as a dance by the public was between 1926 through 1927.  The music for the Charleston is ragtime jazz, in quick movements in the rhythm. This dance uses both swaying arms and the fast movement of the feet. The Charleston can be danced in a solo, or with a partner. Whichever style of Charleston a person chooses, whether dancing alone, or with a partner, or in groups, the basic steps resemble the natural movement of walking, which is usually performed in place. The Charleston dance became extremely popular during the 1920s especially with the Flappers.