Charleston
36 performances · avg 28.33
Charleston
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Charleston
Category: Swing / vintage (DWTS specialty)
Also known as: Solo Charleston, Partner Charleston
DWTS performances in dataset: 36
Average total score: 28.33
First appearance: Season 9, Week 4 — Melissa & Mark (Charleston)
Lift rule on DWTS: Allowed (non-core / specialty style on DWTS).
Origins and history
Named after Charleston, South Carolina, the Charleston began as an African-American solo dance and exploded as a 1920s social craze. Josephine Baker was among its celebrated performers; by 1926 it had entered ballroom contexts. Partner and tandem forms feed modern swing scenes and DWTS specialty weeks.
Sources
- OUPblog: The origins of dance styles — Charleston, SC; 1920s craze; Josephine Baker
- Wikipedia: Charleston (dance) — Solo origins; partner forms
How it is danced
| Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
| Time signature | 4/4 |
| Tempo (MPM) | Varies |
| Tempo (BPM, approx.) | Often ~200+ for classic Charleston feel |
| Character | Twisty, syncopated 1920s jazz-age dance; kicks, swivels, hand-to-knee motifs. |
| Hold / frame | Solo or tandem/partner holds; DWTS often theatrical partner Charleston. |
| Basic steps & figures | Basic Charleston (swinging legs front/back), sidekick Charleston, tandem Charleston, breakaways. Syncopated accents. |
| What judges look for | Period character, clean syncopation, joyful attack; lifts allowed (non-core). |
Competition tempi cite WDSF Competition Rules E.3.2 and related DanceSport charts where applicable; theatrical styles are song-driven.
History on Dancing with the Stars
Statistics below are computed from the Data with the Stars SQLite performance and score tables (not invented).
- Times danced: 36
- Score range: 19.0 – 40.0 (total judges’ score as stored)
- Perfect nights (every judging mark = 10): 6
Average score by era
| Era | Performances | Average total |
|---|---|---|
| S1-10 | 3 | 25.0 |
| S11-20 | 8 | 29.0 |
| S21-30 | 22 | 28.59 |
| S31+ | 3 | 28.0 |
Best scores
- 40.0 — S25 W10: Jordan & Lindsay — Bad Man (Pitbull feat. Robin Thicke, Joe Perry & Travis Barker)
- 38.0 — S20 W7: Nastia & Sasha — Honey, I'm Good. (Andy Grammer)
- 38.0 — S23 W9: Terra & Sasha — If My Friends Could See Me Now (Cy Coleman)
- 37.0 — S24 W7: Simone & Sasha — Charleston (Bob Wilson & His Varsity Rhythm Boys)
- 36.0 — S19 W5: Sadie & Derek — Crazy Stupid Love (Cheryl feat. Tinie Tempah)
Lowest scores
- 19.0 — S29 W3: Justina & Sasha — Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious
- 21.0 — S17 W9: Bill E. & Emma — Yakety Yak
- 23.0 — S9 W4: Kelly & Louis — Cabaret
- 23.0 — S23 W4: Calvin & Lindsay — Bella Donna Twist
- 23.0 — S27 W2: John & Emma — New York's My Home
First perfect nights (all marks 10)
- S17 W11: Amber & Derek — Bang Bang (total 30.0, 3 judges)
- S22 W9: Wanyá & Lindsay — Shame on Me (total 30.0, 3 judges)
- S25 W10: Jordan & Lindsay — Bad Man (total 40.0, 4 judges)
- S27 W7: Juan Pablo & Cheryl — One Shot (total 30.0, 3 judges)
- S27 W9: Milo & Witney — Living in New York City (total 30.0, 3 judges)
Most-used songs
- Bang Bang — will.i.am (3×)
- Living in New York City — Robin Thicke (3×)
- Charleston — Bob Wilson & his Varsity Rhythm Boys (1×)
- Cabaret — Liza Minnelli (1×)
- Put a Lid on It — Squirrel Nut Zippers (1×)
- Forty-Second Street — from 42nd Street (1×)
- Fat Sam's Grand Slam — Bugsy Malone (1×)
- Let Me Drown — The Wild Party (1×)
Charts
- Data CSV:
data/charleston-by-season.csv - SVG:
charts/charleston-frequency.svg,charts/charleston-score-trend.svg
Watch top performances
- Joseph Baena and Daniella's Charleston (Week 04) - Dancing with the Stars Season 31! — S33 W5, score 24.0, _ A Star Is Born _
Educational fan reference. Dance histories paraphrased from cited sources; DWTS stats from project data. Not affiliated with BBC Studios or Disney.
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