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Turkey Trot, The Agony of Terpsichore
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Turkey Trot, The Agony of Terpsichore
Page from The Bystander showing Oscar and Suzette demonstrating various steps from the new ragtime dance, the Turkey Trot, which they were performing at the London Hippodrome in 1912. The background of a very distressed Terpsichore, muse of dance, reflects how this provocative dance divided public opinion at the time. Date: 1912
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Media ID 23275096
© Illustrated London News Ltd/Mary Evans
Controversial Hippodrome Moves Nov19 Oscar Provocative Ragtime Suzette Terpsichore Trot
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EDITORS COMMENTS
In this image from The Bystander, published in November 1912, we find ourselves transported back in time to the London Hippodrome, where the new and provocative dance sensation, the Turkey Trot, was causing quite a stir. Oscar and Suzette, two accomplished dancers, are shown demonstrating various steps from the ragtime dance that had taken the capital by storm. Their lively movements and infectious energy radiate from the page, as they gracefully glide across the print, leaving Terpsichore, the muse of dance, looking on in the background with a pained expression. The Turkey Trot, with its lively, syncopated rhythm and bold, modern moves, was a far cry from the traditional ballroom dances of the time. Its provocative nature divided public opinion, with some embracing the new dance as a symbol of youthful exuberance and others decrying it as a vulgar and immoral fad. Terpsichore's distressed visage in this photograph reflects the controversy that surrounded the dance, as she seemingly laments the loss of the "purity" of dance. Despite the controversy, the Turkey Trot continued to gain popularity, spreading from the dance halls of London to the ballrooms of America and beyond. This photograph serves as a fascinating snapshot of a moment in time, capturing the excitement and intrigue surrounding this groundbreaking dance and the polarized reactions it elicited from the public.
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