Fieldwork Diary Entry (February 17, 2013)

Responses to the survey I sent out are coming through. To date I have 26 responses. The results can be viewed here by signing in with the user name of MrsMoz and the password is Mozaffar.

So far the results show that people do see Charleston as a dance of the past, an old-fashioned or vintage dance which they know about through popular culture mediums such as television, books, magazines and /or film.  Some have experienced dancing it at a class or night out. The keywords associated with how dancing the Charleston made them feel is fun, happy, silly and drunk.  Most of those who had not danced it were open to trying it out as it looks fun.  Its image is strongly associated with the 1920s Prohibition era; that being the flapper and gangsters.  It is perceived as genderless in that both sexes can dance it.   It is generally viewed as a fun, free, happy dance.  The music is seen as an important part of the dance as is dressing in the style of the 1920s.  A few respondents acknowledge the influence of Charleston on current dance but most seem to regard it as a gilded dance form of the past.

I have been doing some online searching for other Solo Charleston classes in London. My search led me to Adora Derriere, aka as Melanie Bryant who runs Sugar Blue Burlesque, a company that teaches vintage style dances in London and Perth, Australia - my home town.  I email her to see if she has any advice as to where I can access more solo Charleston classes in London and also to ask if she would be interested in being interviewed.  She responds almost immediately and suggests I get in touch with Sharon Davis; another Perth person who is now based in London and travels internationally, teaching and competing in a range of vintage dance styles.

I look at Sharon's website and I see that she has described herself as an international Charleston champion. Furthermore she has released an instructional DVD on 1920s Charleston and has put up a Youtube clip to give a brief overview of 1920s Charleston:

 

Clip featuring 1920s Charleston posted by Sharon Davis on Youtube

 

 

Sharon Davis performing a Charleston routine at

Rock That Swing Festival in February 2013

 

Sharon seems like an absolute minefield of information about Charleston so I email her immediately, explaining what I am doing and asking if she would be interested in being interviewed. I also ask if she knows of any solo Charleston classes or courses in London I could attend in the next few weeks.  I feel very hopeful that she will get back to me. After all, we're both from Perth!