“Release your inner flapper!” cried Nikki Santilli, a jazz dancer and instructor, to a group of 40 Islington women eager to learn the iconic signature dance moves of the 1920s.
At a Charleston class last week, held by the N1 Women’s Institute at St James Hall in Angel, women were encouraged to embrace the choppy rhythm and fast pace of the dance associated with jazz and the American speakeasy.
Ms Santilli – decked out in 1920s garb of a cream beaded flapper dress, bolero and matching headband – instructed us to keep our thighs as close together as possible.
She explained three of the Charleston’s core steps, and although they were beginner-level and could be followed by a child, it took us about an hour to grasp because of all the giggling – the fun atmosphere was as infectious as the rhythm.
We began by walking around the room in a circle while keeping our thighs close together – a move that most of us could master.
Things then got a bit tougher when Ms Santilli taught us a move that involved standing on the spot and tapping each foot to the side twice while keeping our hands together. Resisting comparisons to penguins was not easy. Fellow newbie Laura Mark certainly saw the funny side: “I’m not saying we’re really good at it but we’re having a good time!” she said.
The third move was the most recognisably “flapper-esque” and the funkiest – we were told to take one step forward and one back while simultaneously swinging our arms, palms flexed and facing the floor. This was surprisingly strenuous. Louise Checkley said she was sweating in places she “didn’t think possible”.
“The hardest thing is trying to remember what to do with your arms, your head and your legs at the same time – it’s brain-hurting,” said Bobbie Lewis. “And then, when you try to think about your head and moving forwards.”
One of the more surreal moments was when Ms Santilli explained the evolution of “animal arms” throughout twentieth century dance. This had us flapping around like butterflies after we learned that this has been all the rage among Flappers. If we’d all followed the few who had dug out their feather boas and beaded skirts for the occasion, we’d have looked like a rowdy group after a few too many drinks on a Gatsby-themed hen night.
But the dancing isn’t stuck in the past, according to Ms Santilli. “We like to think we’re much more avant-garde these days, more daring and modern,” she said, “but you can’t get more modern than what was going on in the 1920s.” The Charleston was once considered scandalous and provocative because of its associations with ‘loose’ women.
Most of the women, like me, had never tried it before and seemed to consider it as much a social event as an opportunity to conquer a legendary dance craze. But this was apt, for the social dance. It was one of the first dances to migrate from the stage to the ballrooms – blurring the barrier between performance and social dancing, and can be danced individually, in pairs or in a group.
Ms Santilli has been dancing since the age of four and teaches herself the vintage routines by watching old film clips. She’s been hooked on authentic dancing ever since her first swing class. “Afterwards, we went to the pub next door – they put on some music and everyone started dancing what they had just been learning in the class. I couldn’t believe it, it was wonderful.
“You’re always interacting with people and you can easily grab your partner and dance together. That’s something we’re missing more and more these days.”
Retro dance styles have made a comeback in recent years – with fifties club nights sweeping through university campuses and the Lindy Hop gaining popularity in London. Ms Santilli thinks this is for good reason. She claims the benefits can set you up for life: “Everything from coordination, being able to follow instructions, which sounds daft, but it really helps in life generally.
“There’s a feel-good factor and obviously it’s really healthy for you.”
I didn’t exactly feel like I’d done a workout when I left the class – the sweat was down to a combination of central heating and the fact that I chose to wear a jumper. But it was an exciting, novel experience that I would recommend as a way of meeting fun-loving people – the instructor puts you at ease and after seeing each other hopping and skipping about. You’ll be left with no inhibitions.
Here’s our finished routine:
Head to Nikki Santilli’s website for details about getting involved in vintage jazz dance classes.
And check out our Islington Life section to find out more about the many wonderful things happening in the borough!
Hi you have managed to write an entire piece about the WI without actually talking about the WI- its not a dance class its a women’s organisation that meets regularly and often tries different hobbies/debates/crafts/campaigns this branch is a local group part of a wider nationwide organisation
Such a shame there was no mention of this at all. It reads like you went to review a dance class and you are encouraging other to try it… A look at the N1 WI website suggests they are doing something quite different next time.
Ya know, I hate that line of thinking that wearing hijab equates to being a nun. Especially hate it when so many women have social pressure to wear hijab and do it to conform, not because it has some magical, special significance in her life. I especially adore hijabis who smoke ci#e2attes&g8r30; but that’s just me. 🙂