People tell me that no song quite captures the spirit of the 1920s like "The Charleston." For any of you young prom-trotters who might not know the song OR the dance, here's a moving picture that features both, plus a little lesson:
The Charleston--named for the town of Charleston, SC--was a dance craze that originated in the very early 1900s, but did not become popular until it was featured in a Broadway show in 1923. Then it took off like wildfire! It was considered so wild that some colleges and "respectable" venues banned it, but even so, Charleston contests were very popular events.
Speaking of Charleston contests, I'm told that some of you are deeply fond of this version from a little picture called "It's a Wonderful Life." (That one hasn't made it to the Orpheum yet--but of course, I'm about two decades too early.)
Did you know the Charleston even has lyrics? Enjoy!
Charleston, charleston
Made in Carolina
Some dance, some prance
I'll say better than finer
Than the charleston, charleston
Boy, how you can shuffle
Every step you do
Leads to something new
Man, I'm telling you
It's a lopazoo
Buck dance, wing dance
Will be a back number
But the charleston
The new charleston
That dance is surely a comer
Sometime
You'll dance it one time
That dance called the charleston
Made in South Caroline
Buck dance, wing dance
Will be a back number
But the charleston
The new charleston
That dance is surely a comer
Sometime
You'll dance it one time
That dance called the charleston
Made in South Caroline
No comments:
Post a Comment
Comments are moderated. Please remain civil, and bear in mind what Emily Post wrote in 1923: "The letter you write, whether you realize it or not, is always a mirror which reflects your appearance, taste and character. . . . A "sloppy" letter proclaims the sort of person who would have unkempt hair, unclean linen and broken shoe laces."