SOCK HOP
In the 1950’s, school dances started becoming more popular throughout the years. Dancing started to grow and teenagers became very fond of it. The dances were held in the school cafeterias or gymnasiums. To prevent the floors from being scuffed up while dancing in the gym, dancers were required to move their shoes so they could dance in their socks, therefore the dances were called the Sock Hops. When the danced in their socks, they were able to do some of the dances much easier, such as the The Twist. School dances were chaperoned to make sure that a distance was kept between the couple, about a foot apart, and if they were any closer, they were sternly pulled apart. As the 1950’s continued through out the years, more and more dances were created such as the The Twist, The Cha-Cha, The Stroll, The Jitterbug, The Bop, The Hully Gully, The Bunny Hop, The Mashed Potato, and the The Pony. All these dances were very popular in the fifties and the teenagers just couldn't get enough of them.
THE HULLY GULLY
The Hully Gully was a line dance that was created by Frank Rocco. It was a simple dance that had easy steps to follow, but the only challenge was that you had to keep up with the speed of the song. The Hully Gully consisted of small side steps, criss crossing, and kicks. The dance was not usually danced at a Sock Hop, but was a fun dance to dance when you had quite of bit of friends to entertain in the 1950s.
THE MASHED POTATO
The Mashed Potato, similar to the Twist, was a popular dance that many teens danced to at a Sock Hop. In 1959, King Coleman, sang a song called,"(Do The) Mashed Potatos", all teens began to dance the Mashed Potato, becoming extremely popular during this time period. The Mashed Potato consisted of crazy movements of the feet. You had to step backwards and with the other the heel must be titled inward and then you would pivot. This dance required practice and patience, because one false move and you would be flat on the floor with a twisted ankle.
THE STROLL
The Stroll was one of the most popular line dance during the 1950's. Not only was it a dance, but it was a slow Rock and Roll song. The song was sang by a group called the Diamonds. The stroll was first being danced to in the black communities to a song by Chuck Willis. During the dance, the guys were lined up on one side and the girls on the other facing their partner, moving to the music that was playing. At the end of the lines, a couple would come together and dance all the way up the line together, until every couple had gone. This dance fitted the time period of the 1950s, because the couples had their space while dancing.
