Move of the Week: Bunny Hops

Bunny Hops is a nice simple move to put in any Charleston routine. All you need to do is bring your feet together and think about shunting them backwards and forwards whilst switching directions.

You need to think about keeping your knees and feet together and your keeping your knees bent. It’s really important to get the sense of dragging your feet forward and back.

Your arms are bent and flat palms either side of the chest or you can lift them above your head.

Move of the Week: The Charleston Scarecrow

This week we are covering one of the most iconic Charleston steps from the Roaring 20s: The Scarecrow. There is a great step to throw in whilst dancing and works particular well with Charleston kicks and a basic Charleston step.

Over the years, the basics of the step have always stayed the same. To start this move you need to kick your right leg on the diagonal towards the front left corner of the room and then slide the same leg back towards the back right corner of the room. After the sliding motion, you need to bring both legs together, contract in and pose like a scarecrow by popping your legs, bending your arms and relaxing your neck. Use your core to really strike a pose!

Once you have posed you then need to kick back of the position with your right leg to restart the kicking and sliding motion so you can repeat the sequence.

Below is some great original footage of the Scarecrow before by Al Minns & Leon James which was filmed 1950s/60s.

Move of the Week: The Charleston Kicks

The most misleading thing about a kick in Charleston, is the word kick, so this week we are teaching you the truth behind the Charleston Kicks as our ‘Move of the Week’.

Having taught this move for a long time we have realised that when you say kick people lift from the hip, sending the leg straight up, like a can-can dancer.

This is not how kicks work in Charleston, the key is to think of it as two actions; 

Action 1: Bend the knee 
Action 2: Push the heel away (you don't need to go for a full extension)

The posture needs to be low with hips slung back and knees bent, use your core so your head isn't bobbing up and down like an Irish dancer. Let the arms work with the body to help with counter balance.

When you switch standing legs avoid hopping, try and make the switch clandestine as if you don't want anyone to see or hear.

Most of all this is an energetic move so feel the joy without throwing all your energy away.

Move of the Week: The Shimmy

This week we are breaking down the shimmy, a simple yet confusing move that sometimes throws our students in class. The key things to remember when learning to shimmy is the movement comes from your spine and shoulder blades not from your chest.

The shimmy is not about trying to make your chest wobble, it's about moving your shoulder blades to create the movement. Imagine you have a broom running up your spine and you are trying to grab hold of it with your shoulder blades. Keep your weight in the centre and engage your core to keep control and flow to the step. Remember do not let your chest collapse in.

This is a great move to mess about with, so try it around the house or next time you are out dancing!

Move of the Week: Apple Jacks

Apple Jacks is a dance move which is full of joy, so much so that I would guess this move has gospel routes.

It start with a flick ball change on beat 8, as you do this the chest should open in a celebratory manner. The arms Swoop across the body to make a big circle or sunshine arms as I often say when teaching children.

The footwork is then a series of little steps which lead with the ball of the foot and follows through with the heel pressing down firmly as if crushing grapes (no one ever gets that analogy, I’ve never crushed grapes in my life either but hey it works for me.)  Another way to look at it, is it's as if you really need the toilet, so your crossing your legs in front of one another as if your really holding on. 

The challenging aspect of this move is that your feet should feel grounded whilst the upper body is light and lifted. It’s what I would call a yummy move and when you feel it come together you’ll fell immensely satisfied.

Good luck practicing and don’t fall over!

Charleston Move of the Week: Squat Charleston Variations

Last week we started to look at Squat Charlestons and we thought this one was worth another look as there some great ways to combine single and double kicks with arms.

The key to remember with this move is to keep your knees bent and you start with your feet in a wide second position. Each time you kick your leg, you are kicking to your side rather in front of the body. Your feet are always flexed and never pointed.

In terms of your arms, you can do them in to style: Either crossing in front of you on the single kicks with pushes over the left leg or in a swaying motion from side to side.

To stop you from falling over, you must engage your core. 

Move of the week: Flapper Walks

The flapper walk is the perfect move to show off your swivel or to use as a transition move between your basic Charleston steps.

The most important thing in this move is to think about swivelling each time you walk and flicking your heels up. Each step forward includes a swivel and a flick - this is what makes it a Charleston step rather than a standard walk.

To add some height to the move bring your arms up above your head and flick your wrists from left to right whilst you are walking forwards. Imagine you are gently tapping a tall person on the head with the action. Keep your elbows straight and avoid having floppy arms as this can look messy.

Move of the week: Learn Knocky Knees

The knocky knees move is a staple to any Charleston routine and instantly recognisable as a classic 1920s step but can often confuse dancers when trying to move their hands and knees to create the illusion.

As a breakdown you need put your feet hip width apart and in a parallel position with both feet facing forwards. Once in the correct position, bend your knees and think about bringing your knees together and away from the centre of your body.

At the same time start with our hands on your bent knees and cross them when your knees touch in the centre so they are now resting on the opposite knee. You then reverse the motion by bringing your knees together and uncrossing them by putting them back into their original position.

When you feel confident with the step, try a variation by keeping both hands on one knee and swapping both hands onto the other knee each time your legs touch in the centre.

Once you are happy with both moves trying swapping between the two variations.

Remember the lower and more bent your knees are, the more effective the move will look.

Move of the week: Learn the Charleston

Learn the classic moves from the Roaring 20s with MyCharleston. Each week we will teach you a signature step in less than 2 mins.

Our move for the week today is the 1920s Charleston with Elena.

The Charleston is the founding move of the the genre and essential to any Charleston Routine.

It is a small step kept underneath us where we tap one leg forward then tap the other one back.

In the tutorial Elena is tapping forward on the right and then bring her weight back to the centre then tapping back on the left.

You could start that with either leg tapping forward first or backwards depending on preference.

Once you have mastered the basic moves have a play with swivelling your feet on each count.

Try the Charleston step to music starting on both your left and right leg.