100 Years of Dance

Gabriel Galley

Old House L6th Form Dolphin Editorial Team

Within this article I will be exploring the different dance trends of the decades, the genres of dance which became increasingly popular, as well as the cultures which contributed to them.

1920s

The Roaring 20s was an extremely iconic moment in history introducing many new dances, trends and fashions which are still appreciated today. The 1920s saw the rise of the ‘Flappers’ who were young, fashionable women who challenged social norms and defied strict etiquette of past generations by wearing shorter and more revealing clothing, bobbed their hair, listened to jazz and were a new generation of women who were intent on enjoying themselves as well as battling conventional behaviour of the time. The lifestyle of the flapper was seen as both outrageous and scandalous by many, however, these women began the change in society for the better as they had made enormous leaps in economic, sexual and political freedoms for women.

One of the dance trends which was popular with the flappers was called ‘The Charleston.’ The Charleston was a dance which involved fast pace swinging of the legs and big arm movements, however, it became mainly popularised from its feature in the song “The Charleston” by James P. Johnson, in the Broadway musical “Runnin’ Wild” in 1923. Experts believe that the origins of the dance came from areas of Africa like Ghana, Nigeria and Trinidad, and that its first appearance in the US was around 1903 in Black communities in the southern parts of the US. To dance the Charleston, one would step back with their right foot and kick their left foot backwards with their right arm moving forward, and then you would step forward with your left foot, whereas you would kick your right foot forward with your right arm going back. This is done with a little hop in-between steps and swivelling of the foot.

Famous American dancer Josephine Baker added her own moves whilst dancing the Charleston, such as crossing her eyes to make it appear silly and funny. Josephine travelled to France, managed to spread the dance across Europe and became more famous in France than her own home country. One dance which also became very popular at the time was given the name “The Fox-Trot.” The Fox-Trot originated in 1914 by actor Arthur Carringford who went by the name of Harry Fox. The Fox-Trot is composed of simple walking steps which most people imagine when they think of ballroom dancing and can be done with fast or slow-paced music. There are many variations you can do however the music is usually in 4/4 time with syncopated rhythm and so steps are usually done in 4.

1930s

Right before the turn of the decade, the Wall Street Crash happened in 1929. This was a major moment in history as it was known as the most devastating stock market crash in American history however, although this was a dark and unsettling time for America, all hope was not lost as forms of entertainment like dance and movies were able to bring some joy to the people suffering. It was still the jazz age and so dance marathons, ballroom and swing dances were still extremely popular. Swing itself was a very popular form of dance

with many variations such as “Lindy Hop”, “Jive”, “The Balboa” and the “Big Apple.”

Lindy Hop is an American dance which has its origins in African American communities of the time and is known as the father of swing. It is a fast-paced dance with lots of quick turns and tapping of feet on the floor and kicks with your feet as well. Lindy Hop was first danced in the famous Savoy ballroom by African American dancers in 1928, and it carried on being danced throughout the 30s and 40s. Jive was, of course, extremely popular and there are many variations of it such as Lindy Hop being one of the oldest forms of it and also Jitterbug Jive which was another type of fast swing. The Balboa originated from Balboa Island in California in a large ballroom, and is known for its smooth and tight footwork. The tight footwork was created on purpose as ballrooms had become increasingly crowded and therefore, there was less room for couples to dance and swing their partners. It is also known famously, as the dance done by the cartoon Popeye. Finally, The Big Apple is also a dance which began in the Black community and gained popularity very quickly and became widespread. The dance consists of individual jazz steps, all performed in a circle and called out by a leader.

1940s

Whilst half of this decade was during the Second World War, there was always room for dance for people to lift their spirits from the dismal and uncertain times they were living in. “It is not proposed to make total war total misery,” said the Home Secretary Herbert Morrison in 1942, as he announced in the House of Commons that dance was not to be included in the activities to be banned for interfering with the war effort, and so dance was still prevalent in the UK and US during this time.

The 1940s were very similar to the 1930s in the way that jazz and swing were very much still prevalent, however, there was a rise in Latin dances in the 1940s which also became influenced by the jazz culture of the time. Tango, Samba and Rumba were some of the dances which became much more popular throughout this period. Rumba is a type of ballroom dance of Cuban origin, that became increasingly popular during this time, with side-to-side hip movements as well as two quick side steps and one flow forward step. Samba was of Brazilian origin and consisted of simple forward and backward steps, tilting, rocking body movements and it is also danced to a 4/4 time with syncopated rhythm. Tango reached its peak in popularity in the 40s and was performed in many places in Argentina as well as around the world. Hollywood also pushed forward the genre of dance which again made it increasingly popular. A few dances had evolved as well such as the Fox Trot. Different genres like jazz and blues managed to create more variations of the dance and many big band charts like “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” were written for jazzy Fox Trot.

1950s

The 1950s was when America was at one of its most prosperous moments in history and was once again the centre of dance across the world. The 1950s has given so much to the world and still plays a massive part in popular culture today. The 50s also saw the rise of arguably the most famous singer in the world, Elvis Presley.

Elvis Presley, as most people know, was a huge icon in the 50s, breaking social norms and dancing in such a way which was perceived too sexual that he was filmed at one stage from the waist up. Teenagers of the time wanted to separate their style from their parents and so these more provocative dances were taken with open arms much to the dislike of the older generations. Alongside all the dances of the time, which were already extremely popular prior to the 50s, dances such as the boogie-woogie, bop and twist began to emerge. One perfect example of popular 1950s dances being used is in the film ‘Grease.’ Within the film you can see plenty of famous 50s dances in action, for example, in the Dance-Off scene at the prom. Rock n’ Roll was also a genre which took the world by storm and is still hugely influential today.

1960s

The Swinging 60s was a youth-driven cultural revolution where the youth began to break away from the societal norms and restraining traditions and beliefs of the time. America also saw the Civil Rights Movement as well as the Vietnam war with a lot of hardship and progression straining relationships between the people and the government. The decade however ended on a fairly good note with the first man on the moon. With all this tension came new dances as well. A couple of the dances which became popularised during this

time were the “Twist” which involves you twisting your body, hence the name. It was named after the Billboard number 1 “Chubby Checker.” Another dance which became extremely popular was called the “Mashed Potato” which is similar to the 1920s Charleston. The Mashed Potato consists of the dancer twisting their heels inwards and outwards as well as sliding one foot off of the floor at the same time.

1970s

The 70s was the time of disco and one of the films that represented this era the best was “Saturday Night Fever.” The protagonist practices disco dancing as

he wants to be one of the best dancers on the scene and some of the most popular dances from the 70s are showcased in the film such as the disco finger, which is when the dancer points their finger up and down diagonally. Another dance which became extremely popular during this era was, of course, the Y.M.C.A dance. In the 1970s Y.M.C.A.s had become one of the only areas LGBT people could safely be themselves in New York, so much so that gay icons, the Village People, wrote a loving ode to them. The dance itself was not created by the band though. During an appearance on American Band Stand, the audience mistook the over-head claps the band were doing for a Y and so the audience carried on making the other letters and so the Y.M.C.A dance was born and is still well known to this day. With martial arts films dominating the box office, a surge of love for Kung Fu had spread across America. The song “Kung Fu Fighting” by Carl Douglas inspired dances across the country and the moves were easy to pick up as you needed to imitate the skills of the fighters, obviously without having to

1980s

The 1980s was also a very important time for dance, as many iconic dance moves which we know and love today originated from this era. Dance moves like “The Running Man”, the “Worm” and the “Electric Slide.” Although the worm was created decades prior to the 80s, it fully reached its peak in popularity during the 80s funk era and is still massively popular today. One of the most iconic figures of the 1980s was, of course, Michael Jackson. Although Michael Jackson had already been extremely popular from his involvement in Jackson 5 and his solo career, his most iconic and well-known songs and dance moves are from the 80s. Michael Jackson’s 80s songs include “Smooth Criminal”, “Billie Jean” and “Thriller.” Smooth Criminal includes Jackson’s famous lean, “Thriller” includes one of his most famous dances, which is a staple for Halloween, and above all, the pioneering that Michael Jackson had already done, he also invented the moonwalk, one of the most famous dance moves to be created and is still baffling people to this day.

1990s

The 1990s were, of course, right before the new millennium, and it didn’t end the old millennium without

a bang. Many dances during this time became extremely popular through the rise of the internet, and it was through the internet that they could get further exposure in comparison to earlier decades. A few dances of this decade which made an impact were the Macarena and Vogue. We all know that the Macarena is an easy but fun dance to do and has Spanish roots. The dance consists of putting your hands on your waist, arms, head and jumping to the side. The song Vogue by Madonna, also popularised the voguing dance moves which consist of making sharp movements with your body and solid movements.

2000s

With a new century and a new millennium, came more new dances with most of these new dances coming from popular singers and songs. Many moves became popularised through famous pop singers like Beyoncé with “Single Ladies.” Many songs also managed to keep some form of longevity by having a choreography to go with it, such as the “Cha-Cha-Slide” which is one of the most well- known dances of the 2000s and “Party Rock Anthem.”

2010s

With the rise of the streaming era, mainstream music and apps, dance trends became more tailored to the fast-paced pop music of the time. Gangnam style is easily one of the most recognisable dances from the 2010s, and not only did it become a huge hit all across the world, but it also opened the doors to more Asian music and dance trends ,making them become more prevalent in the West. Choreography added to Asian pop music is also extremely popular nowadays, and people are constantly learning the difficult but energetic choreographies which go with the song. Back in the West, there were, of course, other dance moves becoming popular like the whip and nae nae. People have also created their own dance moves to a particular part of any song and try to make it grow popular as well.

2020s

The dances of the 2020s have yet to be made, however, I think it is safe to say that it will be extremely difficult for them to reach the flare which so many dances had achieved within the last century.