The history of African-American social dance

Dance is a language and social dance is an expression that comes from a community. Social dance is all
about the connection which means that if the steps are known then it means that the individual is part of the community. It affects the state of the body and the mind very positively. Dance can help in many ways from seeking out a positive look towards life to feeling confident. The other reasons for dancing
are as follows:-

● To express
● To move and let loose
● To heal and remember

Discussing African-American social dances, it is shown how African and African-American tradition have influenced history. In this article, we will be talking about such African-American dances and their history.

Contents

Juba Dance

Juba dance is a dance that was originated from the enslaved African’s experiences on the very plantation. This dance acted as a reminder for all the enslaved Africans of who they were and from
where they come from. This dance was all about keeping the culture alive

The Cakewalk

The same spirit of Juba dance created the Cakewalk dance. This dance was created to parody the upper class of Southern society. This dance was a way for the enslaved to throw shade at their masters. The astonishing fact is that this very cakewalk dance was performed by the slaves for the masters were the
masters failed to acknowledge that it was a form of making their fun.

The Charleston

The Charleston is a dance from the 1920s which made its way into the Lindy Hop, swing dancing and more. This dance was originally known as the Funky Charleston and was started by a tight-knit black community near Charleston, South Carolina. The Charleston permeated dance halls where women
would suddenly have the freedom to kick their heels and move their legs according to their will.

Twist

The twist was brought to America during slavery from Congo. Just before the civil rights movements, this dance form was popularized by Chubby Checker and Dick Clark. After that everyone starting from white teenagers to the kids in Latin America is doing the twist.
Social dance has actively helped in blurring the boundaries of the groups. Along with hip-hop, African American was also acknowledged by a mass of people across the globe. It has shaped the culture and was also shaped by the very culture.

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