PRIVATE DANCES

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 70, Issue 260, 21 August 1950, Page 6

PRIVATE DANCES

CHARLESTON POPULAR The come-back by the Charleston the frenetic dance of the ’twenties, is making distinct progress' at private parties, states the “Evening Standard,” London. As yet, however, few of the people jigging vigorously to the Charleston tune have much idea of the steps. And if they wish to practise at home, no records are yet available from the big gramophone shops. Dancing schools and teachers differ about the Charleston. One old-estab-lished teacher said curtly: “Young people should learn the usual dances properly before they start on this. “I have almost forgotten the steps, but if they demand it, we will be prepared to teach it,” another said. Two schools have definite plans for teaching it in the autumn. And it will be in the BBC’s autumn series of dancing lessons. Already it is played regularly m some West End restaurants. Ytiung people expend much energy on it, their elders try a modified version. They may care to be reminded of the words of a “dance critic” of the days when everyone was trying the Charleston/, the Black Bottom, the Kinkajou, the Yale Blues, and so on. He wrote: “The Charleston is too energetic for the middle-aged, and even too tiring at its fastest for the young bloods.”