It used to be common to have a new dance craze every year.
They were new. They had catchy names, funny steps and some stack around for a while.
Since the Renaissance, European monarchs hosted many dance fads that became social crazes.
The minuet, the mazurka and the waltz are in this long list. However, it was in the
20th century that these dance crazes reached the peak of their popularity.
One could say that "The Charleston" was the mother of all dance crazes.
Believed to be born in the American harbor city of the same name, "The Charleston" has
many variations. Solo, with a partner, quick and slow. Here we go:
Popularized in 1920's, we believe that it takes its name from famous vaudeville actor
Harry Fox, but the dance itself was created by African American dancers a decade before that.
The "Fox Trot" looks similar to a waltz,
but it has a different tempo. Let's see:
From Fox to Fox, this dance became a huge trend in Paris in 1936.
The French celebrated New Year's Eve with a "Hot Fox". It looks like a Charleston with some variations,
but it was described as faster, crazier and hotter. However, it didn't last too long.
An old English Tune modernized by the Americans.
The original song dates to the seventeenth century and it is believed that it was already a dance.
Later, in the late 1930s, it was orchestrated and choreographed for ballroom dancing.
As opposed to the previous dances, created closer to the 20s,
"The Chestnut Tree" was a very innocent dance and it didn't have any sensuality.
Many would say, “What's the point then?”, but the truth is that it became very popular.
Now, this was another very popular Party Dance. It used to be hugely successful in the UK
and in many countries of the Commonwealth. Listening to the lyrics of its tune tells
us a lot about the social values of the early 40s. Pay attention:
While the band is playing
to a waltz we will say
Then you'll see us strut along down
Swinging our Blues away.
And if we should quarrel
We'll make up and understand
Strolling in the Park Parade
Yip-pee, ain't love grand.
American soldiers brought the "Lindy Hop" to Europe in 1942, but English dance instructors
and ballroom gurus found it foreign and vulgar. So they developed an elegant version of it,
called “The Jive”. It became a World Wide phenomenon and in 1968 it was adopted as the
5th Latin dance in international competitions.
And we get to the 60s.
Since the 20s the World hadn't seen such popularity of dance crazes.
There used to be a new dance craze every week, with songs like "The locomotion"
and "The Mashed Potato" hitting hard. This one, the "Golly Golly" was particularly popular in
London clubs in 1962.
In the mid 60s, a dance called “The Shake” became the new trend.
Easy to describe, the dancer shakes the body until the tune stops. Nothing more.
It might sound dull, but “The shake” transcended
the dance craze of the summer category
and it became a standard move in many dances still danced today.
Did you think this was vintage or old fashioned?
Think of "The Macarena", "Saturday Night", "The Shuffle" or "Gangnam Style".
Not so long ago, was it?
Let us know which dance crazes you remember by leaving a comment below.