Charleston

(1923 - Present)

The 1920s

Charleston Styling

• Charleston Styling: On every odd beat (1, 3, 5, 7), when the actual steps (and touches) occur, the toes are turned out (see 1 and 3 below). On every even beat (2, 4, 6, 8), when the feet are moving between steps, the toes are turned in (see 2 below) [OD23, AM26a, AM26b, BW26]. In addition, "a toddle movement (a double rise or jiggle of the body up and down)" is used throughout all of the steps [OD23]. It is noted, however, that "discretion should be used as to how pronounced the Charleston [...] movements are made for ballroom dancing" [OD23]. Unless otherwise specified, this styling applies to all of the variations below.
  

  

Basic Charleston Movements

Most Charleston variations are made up of a combination of touches and steps. These touches and steps can be made in a variety of directions (forward, back, side, closed, crossed). In most cases, all touches and steps are accompanied by Charleston styling, meaning that the heels are turned in for every touch or step, and turned out in the time between every touch or step.

The characteristic step of the Charleston is what most sources call the Double Charleston:

• Double Charleston: Touch left forward (1), step back left (3), touch right back (5), step forward right (7) [OD23, PN25 AM26b, BW26, NW26].

• Charleston Walk: Back the Follow as in a slow One Step (1, 3, 5, 7) [OD23, PN25, AM26a, AM26b, BW26, NW26]. This can also be done backing the Lead [BW26]. The Double Charleston can be inserted into the Charleston Walk (Oscar Duryea's "Routine II") [OD23].

Variations in Place

Like the Double Charleston, these variations oscillate in place:

• Single Charleston: Touch left forward (1), touch left back (3). This can be repeated, or followed with a step forward left. It can also be done on the right foot [OD23, AM26b]. The Single Charleston can be inserted into the Charleston Walk (Oscar Duryea's "Routine I") [OD23].
• Single Double: A combination of the Single and Double Charleston: touch left forward (1), touch left back (3), touch left forward (5), step back left (7), then repeat opposite [PN25]. Note: This source calls this a Double, and the Double a Single.
• Single Charleston, Forward and Back: Step forward left (1), step forward right (3), touch forward left (5), step back left (7). Then step backward right (1), step backward left (3), touch backward right (5), and step forward right (7) [BW26].
• Charleston In Place: With weight on right foot, touch heels together twice (1, 3), taking weight the second time. Then repeat with the right foot (5, 7) [NW26].

Variations that Travel

Here are some variations of the basic Charleston Walk:

• Crossed Charleston Walk: A Charleston Walk in which the stepping foot crosses the stationary foot [AM26b].
• Double Walking Charleston: Touch forward left without weight (1), then without moving the feet, take weight left (3). Repeat on the right foot, continuing to move forward (5, 7). The style is applied as usual, which means the heels come together twice per step: once on the touch and again on the step [AM26c].
• The Murray Charleston: Touch side left (1), and step forward left, left foot in front of right (3). Then touch side right (5), and step forward right, right foot in front of left (7) [AM26c].
• Traveling Double Charleston: Touch left forward (1), touch left back (3), step left forward (5), touch right forward (7), touch right back (1), step right forward (3), touch left forward (5), touch left back (7), step left forward (1), touch right forward (3), touch right back (5), step right forward (7) [BW26].

• Charleston Chasse: Step side left (1), close right to left (3) [AM26c].
• Charleston Side Step: With weight on right, touch heels together in place (1), step side left (3), and touch heels together twice in place (5, 7). To keep traveling to the left, take weight on count 7. If you don't change weight, your right foot will be free to do the side step back to the right [BW26]
• Single Charleston Travel: Step forward right (1), touch left forward (3), step side left (5), close right instep to left heel (7) [PN25]. Note: This is a French source that assumes you started walking with your right foot. To Americanize it, simply do it on the other foot.
• Double Charleston with Cross Step: A variation of the Double Charleston in which the right foot is crossed in front on the fourth movement, traveling slightly to the left. Another version has a reversed Double Charleston (starting with the right foot touching forward) which ends with the left crossing in front of right on the fourth movement, traveling to the right [BW26].

Other Variations

Here are a variety of other Charleston variations:

• The Swinging Step: Step forward left (1), and swing right forward off the floor. Then step back right, and swing left back off the floor (7). No Charleston styling specified [NW26].
• The Collegiate Charleston: A variation of the Swinging Step: step forward left (1) and lift right forward (4 inches off the floor), crossed six inches in front of left (3). Then step back right (5) and lift left backward, crossed behind right (4). The Follow's directions are opposite and her crosses are parallel to the Leads'. In this variation, the usual Charleston styling applies [AM26c].
• The Figure 8 Right: Step forward left (1), diagonally forward right (2), cross left in front of right (3), step diagonally back right (4), step back left (5), cross right behind left (6), step side left (7), and step forward right to where you started. No Charleston styling specified [NW26].
• The Figure 8 Left: Step forward left (1), cross right in front of left (2), step side left (3), step right behind left (4), cross left behind right (5), step side right (6), cross left behind right (7), and step forward right to where you started (8). No Charleston styling specified [NW26].
• Charleston Polka: Side left (1), close right to left (2), side left (3), touch (or strike) right toe to the floor (4), then touch (or strike) right heel (5), toe (6), heel (7), toe (8). Then repeat to the right [NW26].
• Routine III: Two steps forward (1, 3), followed by a two-step to the left (5, 6, 7), followed by a "kick up" of the right foot behind from the knee. Then a two-step and "kick up" to the right (1, 2, 3), followed by a Single Charleston of the left, touching forward and back (5, 7) [OD23].
  

  

• Side Step (Pas de Côté): Step side right (1), then "strongly beat" the left knee and foot against the right knee and foot (3). Then repeat opposite, to the left (5, 7) [PN25]

Learning the Charleston

While the steps are pretty easy, many people find the basic Charleston styling difficult to learn. Recognizing this, many sources provide not only descriptions of the variations, but methods of learning the basic style. For example:

• According to Arthur Murray, there are four stages to learning the Charleston style:
  • First Stage: Start with heels together, toes apart (Fig. 1). Spread heels apart and touch toes together (Fig. 2) (count 1), then return the original position (count 2).
  • Second Stage: Same twisting action as First Stage, but lifting the right foot off the floor (slightly, no more than two inches) when you spread the heels apart (count 1), and bringing it back down when you bring heels together (count 2). Even though only one foot is being lifted, make sure that both heels and both toes are moving.
  • Third Stage: Same as the Second Stage, but lifting the left foot instead of the right.
  • Fourth Stage: Same as the Second Stage, but alternating which foot is lifted: first the right, and then the left [AM26a].
• In the same year, Ned Wayburn proposed a similar exercise, but with the opposite emphasis:
  • Start by bringing the the heels together on the odd counts, and apart on the even counts. One could argue that this an objectively better exercise than Murray's, because Wayburn's timing is the same as it is in the actual dance.
  • Practice doing this with your weight on your right foot, then your left foot.
  • Then practice doing it while touching the free foot in all possible directions (forward, back, side, closed, crossed in front, crossed behind) [NW26].
• Bemis Walker's progression combines elements of both Murray and Wayburn:
  • Exercise A: Bring the the heels together on the odd counts, and apart on the even counts.
  • Exercise B: Same as A, but lifting the left foot on the even counts.
  • Exercise C: Same as B, but with the right foot.
  • Exercise D: Alternating B and C: lift the left foot twice, then lift the right foot twice.
  • Exercise E: Touch left forward, touch left back, and repeat.
  • Exercise F: Same as E, but with the right foot, starting back.
  • Exercise G: This is the Double Charleston [BW26].

Sources

• OD23 — Oscar Duryea. (1923). Charleston Fox Trot accompanying sheet music for The Original Charleston. New York.
• PN25 — Pradère-Niquet. (1925). Théorie du Charleston accompanying sheet music for The Original Charleston. Paris.
• AM26a — Arthur Murray. (1926, January 10). "The Charleston." The Sunday American-Statesman Magazine (Austin, TX).
• AM26b — Arthur Murray. (1926, January 10). "Advanced Steps of the Charleston." The Atlanta Constitution (Atlanta, GA).
• AM26c — Arthur Murray. (1926, February 14). "The Society Charleston." The Atlanta Constitution (Atlanta, GA).
• BW26 — Bemis Walker. (1926). How To Charleston Correctly. Minneapolis.
• NW26 — Ned Wayburn. (1926). How to Dance Ned Wayburn's Ballroom Charleston. New York.

© 2018 Nick Enge

For more dance descriptions, see our three books on dancing:
The Book of Mixers: 100 Easy-Teach Dances for Getting Acquainted (2022) by Richard Powers and Nick & Melissa Enge,
Cross-Step Waltz: A Dancer's Guide (2019) by Richard Powers and Nick & Melissa Enge, and
Waltzing: A Manual for Dancing and Living (2013) by Richard Powers and Nick Enge.

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