When Flappers Ruled: How Dance Helped
Women's Liberation
By The Guardian, adapted by Newsela staff on 05.11.17
Word Count 783
Level 830L
Actress Joan Crawford is seen dancing the Charleston in “Our Dancing Daughters” from 1928. Photo: AP Photo: AP
In 1908, Canadian dancer Maud Allan debuted her dance piece called "The Vision of Salomé."
Allan performed wearing little more than a jeweled top and a see-through skirt. Her skimpy
clothing was shocking for the time. So was her bold dancing.
Several theaters barred Allan from performing. But, for many young women, Allan was someone
to look up to and imitate.
This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com.
Women achieved many gains in the early 1900s. They fought for the right to work at men's jobs
and the right to vote.
At the same time, many women also pushed for other
kinds of rights. They wanted the right to dress as they
chose. They wanted more control over their own
bodies. For them, winning these rights meant winning
greater freedom.
Dancing like crazy
As time went on fashions for women grew simpler and
skirts rose higher. This gave women new physical
freedoms. Unlike the heavily clothed women of the
past, they could run, walk fast and ride a bicycle
easily.
They could also dance. Dancing soon became a craze.
Over time, it played an important part in the story of
women's liberation.
On dance floors across the nation, women began
dancing in ways that women had never danced before.
Dance crazes like the Bunny Hug, the Turkey Trot and
the Grizzly Bear caught on everywhere. They were
completely different from stiff and proper ballroom
dancing. Performed to ragtime music, they featured
wild new ways of moving.
The new dances started turning up right before World War I. They encouraged dancers to kick up
their feet and rock wildly from side to side. Many criticized the new dances as inappropriate for
proper young ladies. Others saw them as part of new and growing freedoms for women.
Flapper had a signature look
In the 1920s, ragtime dances were replaced by the Charleston and the naughty Black Bottom
dance. The young women who took part in these new dances were known as flappers. One famous
flapper was Zelda Fitzgerald, the wife of writer F. Scott Fitzgerald. She became known for lifting
her skirts high above her waist as she danced.
Off the dance floor, flappers wore short skirts and had short, bobbed hair. They were known for
their liveliness and eagerness to have a good time. The way they behaved was completely unlike
the way proper young women were traditionally expected to act.
In 1923, actress Tallulah Bankhead appeared in the smash-hit play "The Dancers." The play told
the stories of two very different women who loved to dance. Bankhead's character Maxie dances
for a living and her dancing symbolizes her independence. Maxie earns her own money and makes
her own way in the world, unlike women who depended on men.
This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com.
The other main character is a woman named Audry. Her need to dance gets her into trouble.
Audry spends her nights in the world of nightclubs, wild parties and drinking. Her life is
ruined. Few young women took the danger of ending up like Audry seriously.
Josephine Baker shines in Europe
Black contributions to the new dance craze also
opened up new racial freedoms, just not in the United
States. During the 1920s, many Black American
musicians and dancers moved to cities in Europe. Ada
"Bricktop" Smith, a Black cabaret singer, became
famous in Paris nightclubs. Smith even taught
England's prince of Wales how to dance the
Charleston. Dancer Josephine Baker was another
Black American in Paris. She also made a big splash in
Europe. Baker was called a genius for her jazz
dancing.
Back home in America, Baker had been discriminated
against by whites. Now suddenly in Europe, she was
advertising beauty products. European white women
wanted to copy her short glossy hair, brown skin and
slim figure. It was huge for her career. It also showed
the power of the new dances, and the new music and
clothes. It all went beyond race.
New dance, new fashion and new body images
There was a downside to the new fashions, though. Though they made many women feel freer,
these fashions also created new pressures.
Women no longer had to hide their bodies. Yet now they had to worry about being fat. Dieting also
became a new craze as more women tried to look like the thinner flappers.
Still, the flappers represented something new and exciting. As they swiveled their hips on the
dance floor, they were not just having fun. They were also winning a little freedom for all women.
This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com.
Write Prompt
Significance: Why is the event described in the article taught in schools today? What are t
he lasting lessons that we can learn from studying this event? Support your response with evide
nce from the text.
The event described in the article is taught in schools today for a few reasons. Womens history month,
to teach students on how brave women took matter into their own hands and fought for their rights, etc.
The lasting lessons we can learn from studying this event are, we have to fight for our own rights
because no one else will,being brave and sticking up for ourselves can inspire others to do the same.
However, just because we have basic rights, it doesn't mean were equal to men, so we have to keep
fighting in an attempt to achieve total equality. Even though these mysogynist ideals are so deeply
engrained into society, we can try our best to minimalize it. According to the text, "In 1908, Canadian
dancer Maud Allan debuted her dance piece called "The Vision of Salomé."
Allan performed wearing little more than a jeweled top and a see-through skirt. Her skimpy
clothing was shocking for the time. So was her bold dancing.But, for many young
women, Allan was someone to look up to and imitate."
This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com.
Quiz
1
Which of the following are two MAIN ideas of the article?
1.
2.
3.
4.
2
3
During the early 1900s, women gained more freedoms.
Dancing became an extremely popular method of expression.
Flappers wore short skirts and had short haircuts.
Dieting became important to many women.
(A)
1 and 2
(B)
1 and 4
(C)
2 and 3
(D)
3 and 4
Which option BEST summarizes the section "Josephine Baker shines in Europe"?
(A)
Black Americans such as Ada "Bricktop" Smith became popular in Paris. Smith taught the prince of
Wales how to do popular dances.
(B)
Jazz dancing was more popular in Europe than it was in America. Josephine Baker was a famous jazz
dancer.
(C)
Black Americans made many contributions to the dance movement. Due to discrimination in America,
many moved to cities in Europe.
(D)
Josephine Baker contributed to modern beauty trends in Europe. Many European women favored her
style, while Americans did not.
Read the first paragraph of the article.
In 1908, Canadian dancer Maud Allan debuted her dance piece called "The Vision of Salomé."
Allan performed wearing little more than a jeweled top and a see-through skirt. Her skimpy
clothing was shocking for the time. So was her bold dancing.
Which phrase from the paragraph helps you understand the meaning of "skimpy"?
4
(A)
dance piece
(B)
jeweled top
(C)
see-through
(D)
bold dancing
Read the sentence from the section "Josephine Baker shines in Europe."
She also made a big splash in Europe.
Which sentence uses "splash" in the SAME way as the sentence above?
(A)
The kids raced to the pool and jumped in, making a huge splash that drenched everyone nearby.
(B)
The new pop singer made a huge splash with her hit song, which was played on the radio.
(C)
"Always wear goggles in case you splash your chemicals," the science teacher told her students.
(D)
"Can you add a splash of milk into my coffee, please?" the customer asked the waiter.
This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com.