Humanities › History & Culture What Is the Charleston and Why Was It a Craze? A Popular Dance of the 1920s Share Flipboard Email Print Walery, Polish-British, 1863-1929/Wikimedia Commons/Public Domain History & Culture The 20th Century The 20s People & Events Fads & Fashions Early 20th Century The 30s The 40s The 50s The 60s The 80s The 90s American History African American History African History Ancient History and Culture Asian History European History Genealogy Inventions Latin American History Medieval & Renaissance History Military History Women's History View More By Jennifer Rosenberg Jennifer Rosenberg History Expert B.A., History, University of California at Davis Jennifer Rosenberg is a historian and writer who specializes in 20th-century history. Learn about our Editorial Process Updated on July 27, 2019 The Charleston was a very popular dance of the 1920s enjoyed by both young women (flappers) and young men of the "Roaring '20s" generation. The Charleston involves the fast-paced swinging of the legs and big arm movements. The Charleston became popular as a dance after appearing along with the song "The Charleston," by James P. Johnson, in the Broadway musical "Runnin' Wild" in 1923. The 1920s and the Charleston In the 1920s, young men and women shed the stodgy etiquette and moral codes of their parents' generation and let loose in their attire, actions, and attitudes. Young women cut their hair, shortened their skirts, drank alcohol, smoked, wore makeup, and "parked." Dancing also became more uninhibited. Rather than dancing the popular dances of the late 19th century and early 20th century, such as the polka, two-step, or waltz, the freer generation of the Roaring '20s created a new dance craze: the Charleston. Where Did the Dance Originate? Experts in the history of dance believe that some of the Charleston's movements probably came from Trinidad, Nigeria, and Ghana. Its first appearance in the United States was around 1903 in Black communities in the southern U.S. It was then used in the Whitman Sisters stage act in 1911, and in Harlem productions by 1913. It did not become internationally popular until the musical "Runnin' Wild" debuted in 1923. Although the origins of the dance's name are obscure, it has been traced back to Blacks who lived on an island off the coast of Charleston, South Carolina. The original version of the dance was much wilder and less stylized than the ballroom version. How Do You Dance the Charleston? The Charleston can be danced by oneself, with a partner, or in a group. The music for the Charleston is ragtime jazz, in quick 4/4 time with syncopated rhythms. The dance uses swaying arms as well as the fast movement of the feet. The dance has basic footwork and then a number of variations that can be added. To begin the dance, one first steps back with the right foot and then kicks backward with the left foot while the right arm moves forward. Then the left foot steps forward, followed by the right foot, which kicks forward while the right arm moves backward. This is done with a little hop in-between steps and the foot swiveling. After that, it gets more complicated. You can add a knee-up kick into the movement, an arm can go to the floor, or even go side to side with arms on knees. Famous dancer Josephine Baker not only danced the Charleston, but she also added moves to it that made it silly and funny, like crossing her eyes. When she traveled to Paris as part of the La Revue Negre in 1925, she helped make the Charleston famous in Europe as well as the United States. The Charleston became extremely popular in the 1920s, especially with flappers, and is still danced today as part of swing dancing. Sources Howcast. "How to Do the Charleston Step | Swing Dance." YouTube, October 1, 2012. Kevin and Karen. "How to Dance: The Charleston." YouTube, February 21, 2015. NP channel. "1920s - charleston dance." YouTube, January 13, 2014. Cite this Article Format mla apa chicago Your Citation Rosenberg, Jennifer. "What Is the Charleston and Why Was It a Craze?" ThoughtCo, Apr. 5, 2023, thoughtco.com/the-charleston-dance-1779257. Rosenberg, Jennifer. (2023, April 5). What Is the Charleston and Why Was It a Craze? Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/the-charleston-dance-1779257 Rosenberg, Jennifer. "What Is the Charleston and Why Was It a Craze?" ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/the-charleston-dance-1779257 (accessed May 29, 2023). copy citation