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Taming the Charleston
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Taming the Charleston
Mr E. Scott-Atkinson, professional tango champion, and Miss Dorothy Cole, the worlds tango champion demonstrate the old way to dance the Charleston - with legs and feet kicking outwards (bottom row) - a technique which led the dance to be banned in public places, and the new, tamer technique in which the feet were hardly lifted from the floor making it much safer for dancefloor enthusiasts! Date: 1926
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Media ID 23088310
© Illustrated London News Ltd/Mary Evans
Atkinson Banned Champions Charleston Cole Dancers Dangerous Demonstrating Demonstration Dorothy Oct18 Professional Professionals Scott Taming Tatler Technique Miss
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EDITORS COMMENTS
In this photograph from 1926, professional dancers Mr. E. Scott-Atkinson and Miss Dorothy Cole gracefully demonstrate the old and new techniques of the Charleston dance. The Charleston, a lively and exuberant dance that originated in the African American communities of Charleston, South Carolina, during the 1920s, was known for its energetic and daring footwork, with legs and feet kicking outwards (as shown in the bottom row of the image). This old technique, which was a popular sensation during the Roaring Twenties, led to the dance being banned in many public places due to its perceived rowdiness and potential for injury. However, as social norms began to shift and the dance gained wider acceptance, a new, tamer technique emerged. In this new style, the feet were hardly lifted from the floor, making it much safer for dancefloor enthusiasts. Mr. Scott-Atkinson and Miss Cole, both accomplished and renowned dancers of their time, expertly illustrate the contrast between the two techniques in this elegant demonstration. The Charleston became a symbol of the carefree and rebellious spirit of the 1920s, and its evolution from an outlawed dance to a widely-accepted and refined form of entertainment is a testament to the enduring power of cultural adaptation and the ever-changing nature of social norms. This image, taken from the pages of the prestigious British society magazine, The Tatler, offers a fascinating glimpse into the past and the rich history of this iconic dance.
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