My vintage partner in crime, Miss Tetsie, and I are readily preparing for our Grackle Sister debut at this year’s SXSW. Part of our song and dance act involves a tap dance number, so last night as we were doing our hair I pulled up some videos on the Black Bottom Stomp for us to try out.

Une Petite Histoire: The Black Bottom is a dance that originated in New Orleans in the 1900s. The rhythm is based on the iconic Charleston dance, although it’s more sexual in nature. You bump your bottoms together, people! (See above diagram)  I read several places that The Black Bottom was more popular than the Charleston, but in our modern minds, the aforementioned Charleston is just more iconic of the flapper era.

Jelly Roll Morton wrote, “Black Bottom Stomp” and recorded it in 1926.
The Black Bottom is pretty simple to do – and it has a good learning curve. If you’re not into polished choreography dance, you can incorporate the stamps and little come-hither motions with the arms to give a flavor to your dancing.

Perry Bradford and his Georgia Strutters, “The Original Black Bottom Dance” from 1926
I love youtube videos of old men nerding out over their record collections. This collector does a really good job of introducing the record and giving some history. He has a beautiful phonograph too!

How to do the Black Bottom:
Hop down front, Doodle* back,
Mooch* to your left then Mooch to the right
Put your hands on your hips, Mess Around,
Break a Leg* until you’re near the ground
Now that’s the Old Black Bottom Dance

*Doodle = Slide
*Mooch = Shuffle forward with both feet. Hips go first, then feet
*Break a leg = Hobbling Step

This video has some great still images in the beginning of Joan Crawford doing the Black Bottom. You can also hear strains of the “Way down yonder on the Swanee River” dotted throughout. The popularity of the Black Bottom in society is shown by photos of nurses and teachers doing the Black Bottom too!

If you’re interested in the Black Bottom, you must watch this video in its entirety! It features a young Ruby Keeler and a dancing cow. It shows some of the origins of the dance along with a slow motion diagram of the dance. I think also that Baby Rose Marie dances, but I’m not sure if it is her.

Annette Hanshaw – Don’t Take that Black Bottom Away

“Snake Hips” dance from 1929, with Sharon Lynn
This song and dance is amazing, and features the lyrics “Do the wiggle waggle woo.” It’s not a strait-forward version of the dance but certainly shows influence of the Black Bottom and Charleston. Watch those costumes! OH! I’m such a sucker for glitzy chorus lines that are nothing but leg after leg marching on the screen.

When we get better at our routine I promise that I’ll share my version of The Black Bottom!

yours till Cats Kill Mountains,

Amelia