March 2020: Intro to '20s Charleston

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One of the earliest partnered jazz dance sensations was the Charleston. Though it was invented earlier, it became a national dance craze beginning in 1923 after appearing in the all-Black Broadway show, Runnin’ Wild. The song named, “Charleston,” was written by African-American composer James B. Johnson for that show. Characterized by kicks and swinging legs, the stylistic elements of this dance continued to be mixed into other swing dances throughout the 1930s and beyond, but in this class we will dig into the moves and movements of the Charleston as it was danced in its first big decade in the spotlight: the 1920s.