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January 01, 2009
Charleston: the dance, the accent.
The dance was popularized by a song and its accompanying footwork, "The Charleston," by James P. Johnson in the Broadway musical "Runnin' Wild" in 1923. Just like the unique Charleston dialect that linguists love and you still hear in the streets--especially in the district "South of Broad"--the dance has been traced back to descendants of slaves who lived on islands off the coast of Charleston and in the city itself. The Charleston had been performed in their communities since 1903. That gorgeous, royal-sounding accent? Most likely, it's a blend: of Gullah spoken by African Americans, and of English spoken by Europeans.
Posted by Holden Oliver (Kitzbühel Desk) at January 1, 2009 12:41 AM