Twist (dance)

Lore & Background

The twist is a dance inspired by rock and roll music, originating among teenagers in the late 1950s and popularized by Chubby Checker. It became a worldwide craze from 1959 into the early 1960s, drawing controversy from critics who deemed it too provocative. The dance is performed with feet roughly shoulder width apart; the torso may be squared to the knees and hips or turned at an angle with one foot forward. The hips, torso, and legs rotate as a single unit on the balls of the feet, while the arms are held out from the body and bent at the elbow, remaining mostly stationary. The feet grind back and forth on the floor, and the dance can vary in speed, intensity, and vertical height, though vertical motion is minimal and the posture is low. One leg may occasionally lift for styling. Moves include the mashed potato, swimming, drowning, twisting, arm swing, and single leg twist. Another description notes a prizefighter stance with one leg extended forward and arms extended from the elbow; hips swivel side to side as if rubbing with a towel, knees slightly bent, with arms moving opposite to the hips. Foot movement is described as twisting as if putting out a cigarette, with the entire body moving forward, back, and side to side. *Time* magazine observed that dancers barely touch or move their feet, but the upper body sways, hips and shoulders twirl, and arms thrust in and out. The dance inspired the Jerk, Pony, Watusi, Mashed Potato, Monkey, and Funky Chicken, though none matched its popularity.

Reader's Guide

The twist is a dance inspired by rock and roll music that became a worldwide craze from 1959 into the early 1960s, drawing controversy from critics who found it too provocative. Its performance involves standing with feet about shoulder-width apart, rotating the hips, torso, and legs as a single unit on the balls of the feet while the arms remain mostly stationary, with the feet grinding back and forth on the floor. The dance can vary in speed and intensity, with moves including the mashed potato, swimming, drowning, twisting, arm swing, and single leg twist. One description of the moves popularized by Chubby Checker involves a prizefighter stance, hips swiveling side to side as if rubbing with a towel, and feet twisting as if putting out a cigarette. The dance’s significance is rooted in its role as a defining craze that bridged rock and roll with a new, physically expressive style of social dancing, inspiring other dances such as the Jerk, the Pony, the Watusi, the Mashed Potato, the Monkey, and the Funky Chicken, though none matched its popularity. It sparked controversy for its pelvic motions, yet its popularity endured as it became acceptable among adults. The twist spread internationally; in Latin America, Bill Haley & His Comets fueled the craze with recordings like “The Spanish Twist” and “Florida Twist,” particularly in Mexico. The dance’s name has earlier roots, with a pelvic motion called the twist coming to America from the Congo during slavery, and references in minstrelsy and blues songs, but the simple dance known today originated among teenagers in the late 1950s and was popularized by Chubby Checker.

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.