Making music in the USA: Music in the 20's.

After the World War I, a new era was born, a new world that had nothing to do with the previous one. A new era of prosperity known as the ‘’Happy 20’s’’. The USA started to show its cultural supremacy. Jazz became a symbol of modernity and the Swing was on its highest moment or peak. The most popular dance at this moment was the ‘’Charleston’’. Extravagant as few, this variety of foxtrot showed the world how people felt during this decade. Charleston takes the name of a South Carolina’s city, which is obviously Charleston, and it was, on its origins, a dance for black people. It is said that Charleston was danced in the ‘’Black community’’ since the beginning of the XX century, but it wasn’t till the 20’s when it became popular in al communities, arriving fast to Europe, being officially introduced in Paris in 1925 in the Révue nègre of Joséphine Baker. Even in Spain, a country that was far of the new tendencies, Charleston had its place. The crazy dance was imposing itself. But when the 20’s were over, the ‘’Charleston’’ was almost over, and it kept being present in films and theatre. In America, some interesting Charleston films are Chicago, whose director is Maurice Dallas Watkins, Don’t Knock the Rock, whose director is Fred F. Sears, and, in Spain, we find amazing films such La Corista, produced by José María Elorrieta. Charleston was not only present in theatre and films, also in cabarets and shows at party houses. We have explain too much about this kind of dance but… What is it? Charleston is a four times compass dance, which alternates arms and legs movements mainly. It requires great mobility of feet. It can be danced by one person, or accompanied, but when it is danced by an only person, movements, are more free and spontaneous. One of its main characteristics is the improvisation and energy, because this kind of dance is a long and fast one. Sadly, in the last years of the 20’s the Charleston, this wild, crazy and awesome dance started to disappear, but, fortunetly, we can see beautiful pictures and videos of it, as the ones you have under the text!