Dance of the 1950
The decade of the 1950's witnessed the continuing growth of dance activity in North America. The Rock n' Roll explosion of this decade reflects the optimism in society after World War II and provided the chance for the younger generation to clutch to something exciting. This new trend however not only excited people's ears, it also excited their bodies, and initiated people to get up and dance whether it was in the privacy of their own home, at parties, or at the drive-in. Ultimately, Rock n' Roll became synonymous with dance crazes among the young people, for they both did the same thing; celebrated the joys of youth. Unlike dances such as the waltz, when gliding conservatively across the floor in a very conspicuous manner was the "proper" way of dancing, artists such as Elvis Presley introduced gyrating hips and torso moves and a body attitude that seemed to express "let loose and do your own thing," which many loved to imitate. Therefore, one could say that dance in the fifties became "dirtier" and more importantly, liberated, being the perfect rebellion
act for teenagers during this decade. ) the Circle, the Bunny Hop (an energetic line dance involving lots of hopping) and the Chalypso, (the combination of two popular fifties dances; the Cha Cha and the Calypso. Hosted by Dick Clarke, this music and particularly dance show was the most popular of its kind. Whereas the top dancers of the Savoy were stage and screen professionals of enormous dedication and accomplishment, the "bandstanders" were not selected for their dance ability, rather, they just showed up. Also, the tight confines of the studio were hardly favorable to flash dancing. Furthermore, the American Bandstand clearly illustrated the fact that dance in the 1950's was more like sport done for contests and social acceptance, as it often held dance competitions among the whites and blacks in a friendly, good spirited manner. However this sophisticated approach changed in the 1950s, when adolescents simply went to their living room for a feel-good experience every day after school. In the '30s and '40s, you went to Harlem's Savoy Ballroom for the ultimate source of swing era dance style. Most 1950's teens learned the dancing which accompanied hit Rock n' Roll tunes merely from their peers and idols featured on this television show. In order to conform to the carefully crafted bandstand image, Dick Clark did not permit aerials, lifts, dips, partnered charlestons, or jazz moves. Although the loud, fast beats of Rock n' Roll reflected the upbeat dancing that went along with the trend, slow dancing in the 1950's was common as well. Beginning on October 7th, 1952, a new obsession swept the continent, referred to as American Bandstand. The American Bandstand highlighted such dances as The Bop, The Hand Jive, (a fun, fast, 16 count dance which primarily involved one's hands with very little footwork involved) the Cha-Cha (a triple rhythm mambo) and The Slop (similar to West Coast swing). For example, huge groups of 1950's teens had independently taken a dance they called the Jitterbug and transformed it into the Carolina Shag by means of altering the moves to better suit the Rock n' Roll era.
Common topics in this essay:
American Bandstand,
Furthermore Rock,
Elvis Presley,
Dick Clark,
Ultimately Rock,
War II,
Hand Jive,
Savoy Ballroom,
Bunny Hop,
Dick Clarke,
n' roll,
rock n',
rock n' roll,
american bandstand,
kids american,
slow dancing,
1950's teens,
kids american bandstand,
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Acceptance Essays
