Image credit: Screencapped from Netflix
In
“The Hobo Code” Episode 8, Season 1 of Mad Men, we see for the first time
most of the men and women of Sterling Cooper interacting outside of the office,
in a bar. As they finish off their slow dance to the mellow song “Choo Choo Cha
Cha” by the Rinky Dinks, someone inserts a coin into the jukebox and Chubby
Checker’s “The Twist” blares onto the speakers. The women squeal and jump
gleefully at the catchy tune and start to shuffle around the dance floor with
the men as they twist their bodies and sway their angled arms along with their
feet. The Twist was the dance craze of the 1950s and 60s which was created to
go along with Chubby Checker’s popular song. Adolescent Americans took a liking
to this dance immediately and soon The Twist became a song/dance that
symbolized the bursting energy of young adults and culture of the 1960s.
Interestingly
enough, The Twist’s roots have actually come from forms of African Dance during
the slavery era and has relations to jazz as well. At a time immediately
following the end of segregation, it is fascinating to see that African dances
had such a big influence on America’s dance culture. Not only that, The Twist
seems to have been a sort of impetus for a different kind of social culture,
one in which men and women could dance along carelessly together to a beat
without it being considered too promiscuous. Since the creation of The Twist,
many dances that have come afterward have been inspired by the upbeat,
feel-good dance move. Dance moves such as The Chicken, The Carlton (from The
Fresh Prince of Bel-Air), and most recently, The Dougie to name a few, have
elements of The Twist. It is amazing to see that a dance move from the 1960s
has influenced dance culture all the way up to this point and is a dance still
recognized by most people today. In fact, as of October 11, 2012, the people of
Deland, Florida hold the Guinness World Record for most people (around 4,000)
twisting in the streets at once.
It’s
difficult to say what dance move symbolizes 2012, or even 2000 for that matter
because our generation has increasingly become consumed with viral YouTube
videos of ridiculous dance moves that constantly changes the “fad.” Lately,
music videos such as PSY’s “Gangnam Style” from South Korea has captured the
attention of viewers around the world, and along with it, have people doing the
oddly hilarious dance. These dances not only allow for a good time, but for
cultural infusion as well. Similar to the Gangnam Style dance, The Twist was
not just a song that people could dance along to. Yes, it was (and still is) a
party favorite, but it was so much more than that. The moves of The Twist were
a blend of two different backgrounds that have added to America’s cultural
melting pot and changed elements of male and female interaction in the 60‘s.
Along with its origins dating back to the slaves who came to the United States
and widespread popularity, the Twist is truly more than just the swiveling of
hips and shuffling of feet - it is a characterization of an era of budding
cultural and social change in America.
Sources referenced:
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