Charleston

A specific jazz step, based on the Charleston, associated with Savoy Style, or old school, Lindy Hop. It takes the basic footwork of the Charleston, but makes it lower, longer, and more athletic. This step is the perfect example of how Lindy Hop synthesized traditional European dance with African movement to create, like its spiritual peer, jazz music, a uniquely American dance.

The basic solo Charleston is an eight count pattern. It is a recursive step, so you can start on any odd count. Here's one way: Kick back with left leg, hold, kick forward with left leg, step onto left foot, kick forward with right leg, hold, kick back with right leg, step onto right foot, repeat. Timing on eight count would be kick-hold-kick-step-kick-hold-kick-step.

In addition, there are many partnered versions of the Charleston, including side-by-side Charleston, crossover Charleston, and front-to-back Charleston.

The origins of the Charleston go back possibly to a dance very similar in the 1520’s named the Branle or other dance historians say the “Ash-Ante Peoples” of Africa originated the dance. There are also pictures and descriptions to a dance in Harper’s Weekly Magazine from October 13th, 1866 depicting a dance like the Charleston. The more familiar Charleston are believed to originate from Charleston, South Carolina as early as 1903 and appeared in Harlem stage productions 1913. The Charleston later lost popularity in the 1920's to The Lindy Hop, or later known as the Jitterbug.