Dancing Through the Centuries—Dawn of a New World: Two-Step to Lindy Hop (1890s-1940s)

For those who can't get enough of Dancing with the Stars, this dancu-mentary illustrates how various popular dances arose from a number of influences: a single song that inspired new steps, changes in women's clothing that allowed flappers to move more freely, and a routine from Argentine bordellos that was transformed into an international rage called the “tango.” Director-host Renee Camus looks at each dance within a larger historical context, starting with John Philip Sousa's “Washington Post March,” which set off a frenzy of two-stepping among late Victorians, through the Ragtime era's many “animal trots” (turkey, squirrel, and most enduringly, the fox), up to the dawn of the Lindy Hop in the late 1930s. Although at times over-lighted, this is an interesting look at a specific period of social dance. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (R. Reagan)