The fifties provided a lot of fun dances, and many of them can be used for children’s dance recitals. Some of these dance moves are still regularly used, such as swing dancing. Here are a few dance ideas from the 50′s that you may enjoy teaching your students for a dance performance.

The Swing- Students will have a lot of fun with swing dancing. Although swing originated from the 1920s, the Lindy Hop was still a popular dance in the 1950s. Swing dancing features the combinations or triple steps and a delayed approach to rhytmic timing.

The Bop- The Bop is a popular dance move that is still used in many areas of England. Bop dancing relies a lot on heel and toe tapping. Have the children dance apart from one another with out holding hands while they alternate between dancing with one foot and tapping with the other.

The Stroll – The stroll requires two lines of dancers, where dancers do a step pattern to advance the line forward. There can be solos done through out the lines, and eventually the lines can eventually join together at the end. You can continue this type of dancing through out the song, with a fun finale at the end tying it together.

The Hand Jive – This 50s dance works well with rock and roll or the rhythm and blues music of the 1950s. This style involves a lot of hand moves and claps, as well as sometimes imitating the percussion instruments of the movies. This dance is sure to be fun for dancing students due to the fun thigh slapping, fist pounding, and elbow touching moves. If you are looking for inspiration for your choreography, check out the movie Grease’s musical display of the song “Born to Hand Jive”.

The Cha Cha – This dance is named after its Cuban music under the same name. Use classic 50s Cuban music to make the dance more authentic. This is a fun dance that shows a lot of energy with its steady beat.

Rock and Roll – Don’t forget classic rock and roll dancing, made famous during the 50s. Put on some Elvis songs and do the jailhouse rock. Partners no longer had to formerly dance together, but could dance in more twists and have choreographed dance moves similar to the Lindy Hop.

The Madison – Another fun dance style made popular in the late 50s to mid 60s. Look for examples of The Madison in the movie Hairspray. They use a lot of their songs and dance routines from The Madison era.

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