Life to match rock music + fewer

Life to match rock music + fewer

Life in the 1950s was meant for fun, excitement, and innovation, especially in the areas of music and dance. After the World War II, people’s life began to prosper as well as the economy. People started to gain more access to things they want, and teenagers and young adults desperately wanted something new, cool, and exciting. The era of 1950s was the creation of rock and roll-the most popular music of the time. It is a blend of the Southern blues, gospel, country music, and a strong back beat.

Also, country and western music were quite popular, and their popularity must be credited to the artists who sang them heartfully.As rock and roll displayed a different beat and mood, the styles of the dance also changed, and varied from place to place. The styles differed from low and smooth, wild and angular, and constant swing moves to dancing with steps without swing. *Influences on Dance Styles: -Music: rock’n’roll -Rebellious teenagers created different styles of dance and names for them (Ex. Jitterbug, Swing, Lindy & Bop) -African Americans were main sources for new styles -TV shows (ex. American Bandstand) encouraged teen to dance by playing DJ music *Popular Dances -Swing: 1) An extension of 1940’s Jitterbug and swing ) Danced with partners 3) Differences were made to swing from 1940s by 1950s’ teens + dancing steps were changed to match rock music + fewer swing moves + fancier; switching dancing moves + an addition of cha-cha rhythm -The Stroll 1) A style of swing and often done by girls 2) Two lines of dancers with an open space in between 3) Lead dancers do the solo dance while partners dance forward with patterns 4) Dance routine stays the same through out the music, and partners joined at the end -The Hand Jive 1) A pattern of hand and arm movements ) Can be done either sitting down or standing up 3) Became popular by the song “Willie and the Hand Jive” sang by Johnny Otis -The Bop: 1) An individual dance includes toe and heel tapping -The Madison: 1) A group dance with a little complexness 2) Specifies certain dance steps with dance sequences 3) References included TV shows like Jackie Gleason -The Cha-cha: 1) A popular night club dance 2) A mix of the Puerto Rican Danzonette and the Cuban Danzon -Rock’N’ Roll: 1) An individual dance; dancers often dance on their own beat with the music Popular Music Artists: -Elvis Presley-“The King of Rock’n’Roll” 1) Combined both whites’ and blacks’ music to form rock 2) First 45rpm record sold 20,000 copies in a few weeks +one side of the record was a blues song called “That’s All Right” +the other side was a country song called “Blue Moon of Kentucky” 3) Possessed a feel and a sound of an African-American 4) Danced with a combination of tapping the foot, snapping the finger, and swaying back and forth +his hip dance moves ttracted many teens, but were controversial to older people 5) Popular songs included “Hound Dog”, “Don’t Be Cruel”, “Love Me Tender”, and “Heartbreak Hotel” -Carl Perkins: 1) One of the creators of rock music 2) “Rockability” style- a combination of country and R&B music with a blend of rock 3) The song “Blue Suede Shoes” made Perkins and rock popular -Johnny Cash and Hank Williams: 1) Cash helped to spread country music with a mix of rockability + The music contained a theme (ex.Life, sorrow, and relationships) + Performed in prisons, and the most famous performance was in Folson Prison 2) Williams helped to bring the Honky Tonk style of country music to popularity + Honky Tonk is characterized by a blend of piano, ragtime, country music, and rock ability + Popular songs included “Hey Good Looking” and “Your Cheatin’ Heart” -More Influential Singers of the1950s 1) Bill Haley and the Comets 2) Little Richard 3) Jerry Lee Lewis 4) Nat King Cole 5) Chuck Berry