On the recent It Takes Two, ex-Strictly professional Janette Manrara gave us the low down on all things Charleston; from facts you never knew you wanted to know about the dance, to the history of the Charleston on Strictly and why it was such a significant part of the 1920s.

History of the Charleston Dance

The Charleston first became popular in America and was enjoyed by many young people during the decade known as the ‘Roaring Twenties.” As the United States of America had just entered the Prohibition era where alcoholic beverages were illegal, between the years of 1920 and 1933, many took this dance underground, forming illicit Speakeasies. At one point, there were thought to be over 100,000 Speakeasies in New York alone.

Even though these events were forbidden; they existed in abundance and allowed for social interactions to occur between people of different race, ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic statuses and without them, we may not have gotten where we are today in terms of integration.

These venues quickly became established institutions and prior to the setup of these new saloons, women would have had no place in bars; yet now exposed to this easy access, social and liberal change were in full swing in the ‘Jazz Age.’ With their short skirts, bobbed hair and daring attitudes, America had never seen anything like this before and put jazz music to blame for the ‘immorality’ that this newfound freedom gave women.

If you want to find out more about the social reforms of the 1920s, checkout MyCharleston’s blog Flappers & Feminism

Charleston on Strictly Come Dancing

Since the first Charleston performance back in 2009, Strictly Come Dancing has blessed our screens with a whopping total of 114 Charleston dances with an average score of 32. Although the Charleston hasn’t been a permanent fixture from the beginning of the show, there have been some of the greatest routines inspired by the Roaring 20s that have topped the leader board, and in some cases, were the winning dance.

Let’s take a closer look as to why these dances are so twenties-tastic and how they scored top marks.

Chris Hollins and Ola Jordan

Chris Hollins and professional partner Ola Jordan were the first couple to ever dance the Charleston on Strictly Come Dancing. Back in 2009, Chris and Ola performed a highly entertaining number to Paul Williams’ ‘Fat Sam’s Grand Slam’ from the iconic musical Bugsy Malone. Whilst watching this routine, that was choreographed by Ryan Francois, it is impossible not smile; the facial expressions and characterisation that they both portray are absolutely second to none. They performed this routine in week 11 and again in the final where they scored the top mark of 50 which resulted in them lifting the glitterball for Series 7. This dance has everything that you would want to see in a Charleston and the fact that it was the first ever one, highlights what the show was missing in previous seasons as it perfectly encapsulates what Strictly is all about- FUN!

Joe McFadden and Katya Jones

Joe McFadden and Katya Jones performed their Charleston to, “Alexander’s Rag Time Band” by Ella Fitzgerald back in 2017. The duo were dressed as toy marching band soldiers and they certainly brought the entertainment and cheekiness to the dancefloor whilst executing extremely technical choreography with finesse, which scored them a highly respectable 36 out of 40. The whole routine was very creative and matched both Joe and Katya’s energy perfectly which therefore allowed them to perform with passion- you can tell they are genuinely enjoying themselves. Despite their near perfect score, the couple did manage to win series 15 and take home the Strictly Glitterball!

Faye Tozer and Giovanni Pernice

Faye Tozer, best known as a singer from the popular British pop group ‘Steps,’ and professional partner Giovanni Pernice performed a unique Charleston to, “Lonely Goatherd” from the Sound of Music in 2018 which earned them the perfect score of 40.

Despite the slightly irritating choice of song that doesn’t fit the jazzy 1920s Charleston vibe that we all know and love, this could easily be one of my favourite routines that has ever been on Strictly. I think many loved this Charleston routine for that very reason- it does not fit a mould, it is unique. The way they were able to transform themselves into puppets was just mesmerising and every minute detail was danced to perfection, therefore further enhancing the illusion of puppets. It appears all of the judges agreed with how well the pair executed their Charleston because not only were they rewarded with a spot at the top of the leader board, but they also received a highly positive compliment from Darcey Bussell who stated it was, “Stunning to perfection.”

Since 2009, there has been some truly amazing Charleston dances; from the late Caroline Flack’s Charleston which scored the perfect 40 back in 2014 to AJ Odudu’s awe-inspiring 1920s number from series 19.

Which Charleston has been your favourite? We would love to hear your thoughts :)  

If you’re now feeling inspired to channel your own inner Josephine Baker or Leon James why not check out MyCharleston’s ‘Move of the Week’ and get those feet swivelling to transport you back to the 1920s…

By: Eleanor O'Donnell