| Saskatchewan Lifestyles | Dance, Societies, and Cultures |
The 1920s
The
1920s was an era of war and hard times, so something had to be
done to keep their minds off of what was happening in the real
world. Dancing was the perfect solution. All across the country
jazz flourished. This was often called the golden age of jazz.
Couples would dance the fox trot, one step, two step, grizzly
bear, and the bunny hug.
In 1925 a craze for a dance called the Charleston was like the
waltz mania of earlier years.
In 1910 a dance called the Ostende was created. This dance was
very basic, went with a slow beat and consisted of stepping to
the left then the right to the beat of the music.
The dance was composed by Jacob Mahler.
In 1913 the first swing dance was composed. It was called the
Texas Tommy.
Swing dances would become increasingly popular over the years
and eventually the very popular Charleston would be composed.
The Charleston is characterized by outward heel kicks combined
with an up and down movement achieved by bending and straightening
the knees in time to the music.