How Did Jazz Influence The Dance Of The 1920's

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Jazz and dance was the life of the 1920s! It filled the era with happiness and it became one of the biggest forms of creativity. Jazz styles and crazy dances were a way for two races to come together. Two people can be together and show individuality with the hot dance fads. Two people could also play what they felt and were able to show how fun life could and can be. Jazz and dance of the 1920s lead to creativeness, individuality and style as the arts of the twenty-first century use them today.
To start off, jazz music was a unique change in the 1920s. Jazz has such a big impact that the Roaring Twenties is also known for being called the Jazz Age. (O’Neal 96). Jazz is a genre of music with a base from early African-American styled music. …show more content…

While the hot new dance trends were coming out they were actually already there, “Many new dances returned to an older style of dancing with a partner but free of their close embrace.” (“1920s Dance” 5). Older dances were the foundation for these upcoming dances. They were similar except that the new dances showed more individualism while having a partner to dance with. However, the most popular dances were still the older dance styles. Tight brace dances like the blues, tango, and fox trot were still the top dances at the ballroom, cabarets, and nightclubs. (“1920s Dance” 4). Dance has always been around, but as time goes on these dances get updated to the latest era’s taste, and becoming the base for newer dances. Some of the dance crazes from the 1920s were Black Bottom, Shimmy, Turkey Trot, Bunny Hop, Texas Tommy, and Two-fist Stomp (O’Neal 7). These dances were crazy ideas to the older generation, but the young paved a way for rebellion from the old and it was a spirit to express. A place to show off the new dance styles were dance marathons. Dance marathons were where partners dance for as long as possible until there is one pair left. The longest marathon was 157 days, some people died, others got injured or hurt, so eventually states outlawed them. (O’Neal 25). These dance marathons were a great way to see what the new trend was and to also see who the best dancers were. Some famous dancers promoted the challenge for new dances. Dancers like Frankie Manning, Norma Miller and “Shorty” George Snowden performed the Charleston and they challenged each other to create grander moves which was fueled by the energetic jazz music. (“1920s Dance” 5). These people are some of the main factors that sparked creativity in the twenties to be more extra, to do more different things and to always get change moving. Dance styles and trends of the 1920s gave off a creative vibe and