The camel walk is a

ragtime Ragtime, also spelled rag-time or rag time, is a musical style that flourished from the 1890s to 1910s. Its cardinal trait is its syncopated or "ragged" rhythm. Ragtime was popularized during the early 20th century by composers such as Scott ...

dance Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...

that was popular in the 1960s.

James Brown James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American singer, dancer, musician, record producer and bandleader. The central progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th century music, he is often referred to by the honor ...

often used this dance in his routine when he performed on stage.

Origin

The camel walk originated as a ragtime dance in the early 20th century. It was referred to as an "animal ragtime dance", due to the nature of the dance.

The dance

The original camel walk started out in

vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic composition ...

shows during the early part of the 20th century. It became popular with college students, most notably "

flapper Flappers were a subculture of young Western women in the 1920s who wore short skirts (knee height was considered short during that period), bobbed their hair, listened to jazz, and flaunted their disdain for what was then considered acceptab ...

s", as a social dance during the 1910s and 1920s. The dance received disapproval from the general public, as the female dancers would often rest their heads upon the lead dancer's shoulder as they danced. This was seen as vulgar at the time. Despite the negative reputation, the camel walk remained popular through much of the 20th century.

1950s/1960s variant

The camel walk entered the 1950s and 1960s as a retro dance. However, unlike the group dance that it was in the 1920s, this version of the camel walk was more of a solo act. One notable performer of this dance was James Brown, who performed it when doing concerts and stage shows. Another performer of this dance was Arkansas Rockabilly singer

Ronnie Hawkins Ronald Cornett Hawkins (January 10, 1935 – May 29, 2022) was an American singer-songwriter, long based in Canada, whose career spanned more than half a century. His career began in Arkansas, United States, where he was born and raised. He ...

. Parts of the 1950s/1960s camel walk were used in

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...

's version of the memorable

moonwalk dance The moonwalk or backslide is a dance move in which the performer glides backwards but their body actions suggest forward motion. The moonwalk is a popping move. It became popular around the world following Michael Jackson's moonwalk during the per ...

. He also used it in the 90s.

References

"Camel Walk."
StreetSwing's Dance History Archives (2006): n. pag. Web. 9 July 2010. {{DEFAULTSORT:Camel Walk 1910s introductions 20th-century dance Ragtime Novelty and fad dances Walking African-American dance Camels in art Flappers

Origin

The dance

1950s/1960s variant

See also

References