About

The Charleston is a style of jazz/swing dance that was popularized in the US and Europe during the 1920s. On YouTube, a classic footage of Al Minns & Leon James performing the dance has spawned a series of remix videos, typically dubbed with modern techno and electronica music.

Origin

The B&W footage of Al Minns & Leon James' performance was originally recorded at the Savoy Ballroom in the 1950s and later featured in The Spirit Moves: A History of Black Social Dance on Film (1983).^[1]

The first remix version was uploaded by YouTube user charlesfondue^[2] on May 11, 2006. Titled "charleston style," the video shows Minns & James' dance footage dubbed with Daft Punk's "Around The World". As of January 2013, this video has been viewed 4.3 million times.

The Charleston

The Charleston is a step & swing dance that was often associated with Flappers^[3] during the Roaring Twenties. The steps are thought to have originated with the "Jay-Bird", a similar style of folk dance popularized earlier in the African-American communities in Charleston, South Carolina. However, its mainstream breakthrough came with the Broadway show Runnin' Wild (1923) and was further developed by influential Harlem dancers like Al Minns & Leon James.^[4] Today, Charleston beat still remains relevant in the world of modern dance, especially through recent revival of Lindy Hopping^[5] in the 80s and 90s.

Spread

Marked by its similarities with more modern dance styles, some YouTube users responded with their own "old meets new" remixes using techno/electronica.

Notable Examples

Search Interest

External References