Free Activity - THE CHARLESTON This activity is taken from from The Gingerbread Man, a junior performace piece from Bushfire Press Background to The Charleston In the Roaring Twenties a new form of poular music was emerging from the USA and spreading to the UK and Europe. It was called JAZZ and had its origins in the Black music of America, notably the form known as BLUES. Jazz was considered wild and, in some circles, dangerous. It was the first widely played form of black music in America, attracting audiences and muscicians from all parts of both black and white society. Many popular dances evolved. One of the most famous was THE CHARLESTON, which was a 'freestyle' dance form in which couples moved together or independantly as they flung limbs at odd angles, used waltz holds, danced cheek-to-cheek with their bottoms protruding ... and generally engaged in whatever creative and outrageous steps they could invent. Here are a few simple steps to get started with. Use them with the CHARLESTON music track provided and have dance competitions (solo or couples). Any sort of fun, silly, jerky movemes are good. Try these: Walk in a circle wiggling right index finger in the air. Walk back the other way, wiggling left finger. Kick legs up while waving both hands in the air. Hands on knees - move knees in and out (together or apart) You can even swap hands over as you go - an hilarious effect. When everyone has had a chance to explore the moves and invent their own, students can form a circle and take turns moving into the centre and 'strutting their stuff'. Download the backing track from the CD here from The Gingerbread Man, a junior performance piece using rap-style chant, simple percussion playing, simple acting parts and various simple dance forms to tell the old favourite tale of the Gingerbread Man. More information here.