The evolution of dance in the 1920s followed the evolution of a

new icon: the female flapper. The flapper was a young, dramatic,
stylish, and unconventional woman that broke former social
confines for females gone were the restrictive clothing and
formal dance styles of the !ictorian era. "ancers of the 1920s
performed moves that observers would describe as #knock$
kneed and pigeon$toed.% "ance also evolved alongside music,
as &a'' and blues came to dominance. (ost of the people who
took part in this new dance cra'e were of the younger
generation, such as )atsby, *ick, and their friends.
+ne of the most popular dances of the 1920s was the
,harleston. The ,harleston was named after the city in -outh
,arolina, and had been traced to black communities off the coast
of ,harleston, -outh ,arolina, hence its name. .t made its
#formal% /merican debut in the 1920 1roadway musical Runnin
Wild, and has been known to epitomi'e the 2a'' /ge ever since.
.n fact, the name #flapper% comes from some of the ,harleston
dance moves, because dancers would flap their arms while
doing the dance. The dance involves swinging arms and 3uick
movement of the feet, and can be done alone, with a partner, or
in a group.
/nother popular dance of the 1920s was the 1lack 1ottom. The
rhythm of the 1lack 1ottom is based off the rhythm for the
,harleston, and also finds its origins amongst the black
community. .t originated in *ew +rleans as a stomping and
swaying dance. (usical producer )eorge 4hite first saw the
1lack 1ottom being performed in a 5arlem nightclub, and
introduced it to white audiences in the theatrical show Dinah in
1926. The dance eventually overtook the ,harleston in
popularity, though is not as widely known today.
"ance connects to )atsby because dance scenes were
fre3uently seen at )atsby7s lavish parties. +ne passage outlines
how workers laid down canvas to make a dance floor for
)atsby7s guests. The novel also mentions a character who is an
understudy of )ilda )ray in a musical. )ilda )ray was a dancer
who was known for populari'ing the #shimmy,% a dance where
one shakes their shoulders until their entire body wiggles along.
The shimmy was a 20s #precursor% dance leading to the
,harleston. /s many of )atsby7s guests were bold and young,
they would most likely be dancing the ,harleston and 1lack
1ottom at parties as well. ,ouple dances they may have done
include the fo8trot and tango.