The Farms: Historical Dancing: Titanic to the Talkies
Experience Level: Beginner
Learn about the high-energy dances that dominated the early 20th century at Historical Dancing: Titanic to the Talkies on Tuesdays, Sept. 23 through Oct. 28 from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Music Barn. Instructor Jeanette Watts will help students explore the one step, castle walk, tango, foxtrot, Charleston, black bottom and other delights of early jazz.
In this era between about 1912 to 1930, the music was so infectious it required new kinds of dancing to go with it. Ragtime took over ballrooms with dances that shocked as well as delighted, while syncopated rhythms turned into the jazz of the Roaring Twenties. Meanwhile, Rudolph Valentino’s movie tango kept ballroom dancers like Vernon and Irene Castle popular.
$110/person for the entire series or $25/class. Register here. Registration will close Sept. 16 or one day prior to each class, or when capacity is reached. All sales are final.
— Sept 23
— Sept 30: Learn about Ragtime Waltzing, which was NOT your parents’ waltz! Tempos sped up while skirts got tighter, and whirling hoopskirts were replaced with walking. If you know how to walk, you can do the Hesitation Waltz.
— Oct 7: We will touch on some of the scandalous — and simple — dances of the early 1900s, like the Grizzly Bear, Bunny Hug, Camel Walk, Lame Duck and more. In the same way teenagers in the 1960s gave us The Swim and The Locomotion, ragtime teenagers found new animals they could mimic — and force dance masters to roll their eyes…
— Oct 14: Learn about Ragtime Waltzing, which was NOT your parents’ waltz! Tempos sped up while skirts got tighter, and whirling hoopskirts were replaced with walking. If you know how to walk, you can do the Hesitation Waltz.
— Oct 21: We progress to the 1920s, an exuberant time when skirts were above the ankle (gasp!), the war was over and alcohol sales were illegal so drinking was done in speakeasies. The dancing still included the tango, one-step and foxtrot, but youth decided to annoy their parents in this era with solo dances like the Charleston and Black Bottom!
— Oct 28: Let’s learn period dances like the Latin-feel Carioca! When The Jazz Singer was released in 1927, it ushered in tap-dancing extravaganzas and made stars out of Fred Astair and Ginger Rogers. Besides Carioca, the states were abuzz with Latin dances like the rhumba and samba! Meanwhile, home-grown crazes like the Lindy Hop, Collegiate Shag and Balboa were introduced. Come learn some of these 1930s favorites!
Learn more about the space where your course will take place here. If you will need disability-related accommodations to participate, please email Olivia Bunting at owarren@illinois.edu.
By attending, you consent to your image being used in Allerton marketing, social media and publications. Please alert the photographer or videographer if you do not want your image taken.
About the instructor
Jeanette Watts has been teaching historical dances for more than 20 years. She is the founder of the Terpsichorean Delights Dance Assembly in Dayton, Ohio, Queen City Vintage Dance in Charlotte, North Carolina, and spent covid writing an 8-volume series of instructional dance manuals for historical museums.
About The Farms
The Farms: An Allerton Folk School, offers classes, workshops, and gatherings focusing on art, outdoor education, science, storytelling, and wellness. All experiences value hands-on, experiential teaching and learning, and are facilitated by and for the members of the community.
See the complete Fall schedule here.
