Dancin' Through the Decades

So… this post isn’t going to be strictly about music, but I do think music and dance do go hand in hand a bit.

 

I’ve been thoroughly infatuated with popular dances of the past 100 years or so. To me, it’s fascinating to watch how dance has evolved throughout history, and it evolves just as the music evolves. You also can see influences from earlier dances in more recent dances. It’s crazy to think about the fact that during the 1910s, there was a craze of Animal Dances, like the Fox Trot, Kangaroo Hop, Duck Waddle, Chicken Scratch, Turkey Trot, or Grizzly Bear. From my research, they all seem to be fairly similar, one-step ballroom type dances. What’s also rather amusing to me is that when the Fox Trot first came on the scene, it was considered shocking

 

The 1920s is one of my favorite eras – especially in dance. It’s just so much about letting go and having a good time – and The Charleston is so much fun (and a pretty good cardio workout). There was also The Black Bottom, The Shimmy, and The Varsity Drag. As I’ve gotten better at these dances, I’m finding they’re all pretty easy to combine, but of course when you’re dancing in this style, it’s helpful to have 1920s jazz on. It makes it a lot more fun.  In the 1930s, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers style ballroom dancing was at the forefront of popular dance and as “jazz” merged into “swing” through the late 1930s and early 1940s, a number of swing dances became popular, like the Lindy Hop or the Jitterbug. There were also a number of Latin dances, like the Rumba, that caught on while on the dance floors. I thoroughly enjoy swing dancing, though, it’s really hard to properly swing dance without a partner!

 

As Rock ‘n’ Roll became popular, the Jive joined the Jitterbug on the dance floor – most of the rock ‘n’ roll dancing was a more wild version of swing dancing from decades before. Also, the Hand Jive and the Stroll made some appearances throughout the decade. A hybrid of the Rumba and Swing evolved as well, known as the Mambo. The ‘60s is one of my favorite decades of dance, because it’s so bouncy and fun – kind of like the style in the ‘20s. And you don’t need a partner – which is good for me because I can’t always find someone willing to dance with me! The Twist is probably the most famous of the 1960s dances, but there were a ton of jerky Mod dances – like The Pony, the Watusi, the Swim, the Monkey, the Jerk, the Freddy, and the Mashed Potato.  As the ‘60s rolled on, Psychedelic dances started – which are completely experimental and freeform and all about “feeling the music”. And of course in the 1970s, we’ve got the explosion of disco. I don’t know too many disco dances, but I think I’ve perfected The Hustle! I’ve yet to do too much research on dances of the 1980s and 1990s (though, I think I can remember the Macarena), and I don’t know if I could ever bring myself to do the Gangnam Style dance…

 

I think, however, my favorite dance from a previous decade at the moment wasn’t even really a popular dance craze. While I was doing my research on dances from the 1970s, I ran across the music video of Kate Bush’s song, “Wuthering Heights”. I love the song, but had never seen the video before. I think her style of dance would fit more in the freeform, psychedelic area, and while it may look a little silly as I dance with Kate in my living room, it’s a whole lot of fun!