Twist (dance)
A provocative rock-and-roll dance craze that swept the world.
It drew controversy from critics who felt it was too provocative and inspired other dances such as the Jerk, the Pony, the Watusi, the Mashed Potato, the Monkey, and the Funky Chicken, though none were as popular.
- field
- Dance
- known_for
- Worldwide dance craze of the late 1950s and early 1960s
- origin
- Late 1950s among teenagers, popularized by Chubby Checker
Lore & Background
The twist was inspired by rock and roll music. The dance is performed by standing with feet approximately shoulder width apart, with the torso squared to the knees and hips or turned at an angle. The hips, torso, and legs rotate on the balls of the feet as a single unit, with arms held out from the body and bent at the elbow. The feet grind back and forth on the floor, and the dance can be varied in speed, intensity, and vertical height. According to Time magazine, 'the dancers barely ever touch each other or move their feet. Everything else, however, moves.'
Reader's Guide
The twist's significance lies in its role as a defining dance craze of the early 1960s, bridging rock and roll music with a new, physically expressive style of social dancing. It sparked controversy for its provocative pelvic motions, yet its popularity endured, inspiring numerous other novelty dances. The twist also spread internationally, including to Latin America, where Bill Haley & His Comets recorded twist songs.
Did You Know?
- The twist inspired dances such as the Jerk, the Pony, the Watusi, the Mashed Potato, the Monkey, and the Funky Chicken, but none were as popular.
- The name 'twist' for dancing goes back to the nineteenth century, with a pelvic dance motion called the twist coming to America from the Congo during slavery.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Twist dance?
The Twist is a rock-and-roll dance that became a worldwide craze in the late 1950s and early 1960s. It originated among teenagers and quickly spread far beyond its initial scene to become one of the most recognizable social dances of the era.
Who is most associated with popularizing the Twist?
Chubby Checker is the performer most credited with turning the Twist into a global phenomenon. His high-energy stage performances in the late 1950s and early 1960s introduced the move to massive audiences and cemented it in pop-culture memory.
Why did the Twist draw criticism?
Some critics at the time found the dance's hip-rotating and body-twisting motions too sexually suggestive for mainstream tastes. That controversy, however, only fueled its popularity among young dancers who embraced it as a form of self-expression.
Did the Twist inspire other dances?
Yes, it spawned a string of follow-up moves including the Jerk, the Pony, the Watusi, the Mashed Potato, the Monkey, and the Funky Chicken. None of those derivative dances ever matched the Twist's level of worldwide popularity.
When did the Twist craze peak?
The dance first emerged among teenagers in the late 1950s and hit its peak popularity in the early 1960s. By the mid-1960s, the craze had largely faded, though the move remained a staple of rock-and-roll social dancing.
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