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Article

Rock ’n Roll Dance By Malnig, Julie

DOI: 10.4324/0123456789-REM1788-1
Published: 26/04/2018
Retrieved: 19 March 2024, from
https://www.rem.routledge.com/articles/rock-n-roll-dance

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Rock ’n roll dance was a major American dance form that became prominent in the 1950s and soon thereafter spread to the UK. The dance was performed to a new musical style that was a combination of country, gospel, and rhythm and blues, and was associated with both black and white musicians, including Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Bill Haley. Rock ’n roll dance was also a cultural phenomenon that galvanised a large, primarily white, youth culture. The dances themselves, which were disseminated nationally through the modern invention of television, were mostly of African-American origin and displayed a new configuration of body movement involving pelvic and hip rotations, greater use of the arms and torso, and call and response patterns. The Twist was one of the most iconic solo dances of the era, while popular line dances included the Madison, Stroll, and Hand Jive.

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Published

26/04/2018

Article DOI

10.4324/0123456789-REM1788-1

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Citing this article:

Malnig, Julie. Rock ’n Roll Dance. Routledge Encyclopedia of Modernism, Taylor and Francis, https://www.rem.routledge.com/articles/rock-n-roll-dance.

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