Music
charleston
Discover: The Charleston
Best Age
Best Age
wk 16–104
Category
Music
Audio Track & Sing-Along Available in BabyNook
Listen to the full song, vocal melody, and soothing instrumental tracks directly in the BabyNook app.
About this music
The Charleston is both a dance and a musical style that defined the Roaring Twenties. Named after Charleston, South Carolina, it became a craze in 1923 after appearing in the Broadway show Runnin' Wild. The music features a distinctive syncopated rhythm — often notated as the 'Charleston rhythm' — that drives an energetic, kicking dance. It was the soundtrack of the Jazz Age: flappers, silent movies, and the spirit of a decade that wanted to dance after the shadow of World War I. For children, the Charleston's bouncy rhythm is immediately fun and invites movement.
How to do it (Step by step)
- Do exaggerated kicks and knee-lifts with your baby watching.
- Hold their hands and swing their arms to the beat.
- Play the silent movie version and make up a funny story together.