Every year, as a part of the US History class 1920s day, students learn and perform a rendition of the Charleston. The dance is named after the harbor city of Charleston, South Carolina. The performance took place at lunch on Nov. 14.
“The Charleston started because 1920s day was a day where the entire small gym was turned into all of these different places in the 1920s. And then during COVID all of those sets got destroyed and it was really sad. And so we were like, okay, how do we create something that brings the entire junior class together?” said US History teacher Delise Anderson.
Everyone Can Participate
Participants include experienced students as well as those who would not normally dance. The dance is not only an opportunity for students to get out of their comfort zones. It is also an interactive experience with the goal of educating students in a fun and inclusive way.
“We do this to bring the kids together and give them a moment where they can have some fun and kind of live in the moment. We teach them the Charleston Dance, volunteers come in, and the kids have been training for three weeks. Now we have about two hundred of them that are prepared to dance here during lunch time,” said US History teacher Tom Dalldorf.
The tradition of the dance also requires the students to work together. It helps give the students a shared sense of community during the process and preparation.
“The biggest thing is to bring the Juniors together, make them feel more unified, and feel more as a cohesive group. They don’t get many opportunities like this,” said Dalldorf.
An Immersive Experience
In addition to the dance and regular lessons, students learn about the real life in the 1920s. As a result these activities fully immerse the students into the time period.
“Part of it is in class we are doing these slang activities where they have to incorporate those words into their sentences in class. The purpose of it is to relate kids more to the 1920s, relate more to the culture at the time,” said Dalldorf.
During preparation, the kids worked in the gym for weeks to prepare and learn the dance. Participating with classmates makes it easier to perform in front of people at lunch.
“We dress up and do the Charleston Dance to represent what we would have done back then. It’s just something really fun to do and we get extra credit for doing it,” said Cara Li (‘27).
A Uniting Tradition
The overarching theme of the tradition is togetherness and fun through the lens of the roaring twenties. The team of history teachers works to make an enjoyable experience for all of the juniors.
“I think it’s important because there are so many things that divide us, and it’s a time for us all to come together and have a shared common experience, which is so fun and beautiful,” said Anderson.
