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Arthur Murray and Miss Faith Dorsey of Georgia doing the Toddle . circa 1921
The Toddle

   May have sprung up from the earlier Todalo dance (Toddle-O) which was a booty shakin' dance, similar to the 'Chicago' version. It has a smack of Jazz and a splash of the shimmie. The Toddle came into popularity in 1917 and was extremely popular by the College and Flapper Set and found it easier to be springier and bouncy rather than smooth and graceful during a foxtrot. Later about 1921 the Toddle became briefly popular again aftera little polishing. The Toddle could be done by some as refined as the minuet or as crude as the Bunny Hug.

   This dance was basically a Foxtrot except with a rise to the ball of the foot on each step creating a bounce (except in Corte's and Doubles), with a sideways direction which was the only change from its original foxtrot steps and done with a non chalant air about it's movement , while sometimes done Cheek-To-Cheek to make it the "Toddle Dance." The dance was an offshoot of the Foxtrot with a leg flick and some of the steps/pattern names were the rocking step, the Shuffle, The Leg Lift, The Toddle Pivot and Backward Shuffle.

The Chicago was very similar to the Toddle, except that the toddle's basic rhythm was in the hips, rather than the feet, making it the Chicago.

Birth Place

Creation Date

Creator

Dance Type

USA

1910

n/a

Collegiate

       

Order "Dances thru time Video"

Posters, Lobby Cards etc.

Sheet Music Covers

Related Music Titles

n/a

1910 - I'm Satisfied (Todalo)

1910 - I'm Satisfied (Todalo)

     

1914 - Let's Toddle at the Midnight Ball

1914 - Let's Toddle at the Midnight Ball

     

1921 - The Toddle

1921 - The Toddle

     

1922 - Chicago (That Toddlin' Town) 2

1922 - Chicago (That Toddlin Town)

           

1930 - Toddlin' Along

           

1930 - East St. Louis Toodle-oo (Duke)

           

1959 - The Toddle

           

Don't You Toddle Anymore

           

Mississippi Blues (Home Town Toddle)

           

Please Put on your Wraps & Toddle Home (Waring)

           

$ Sales Tax Toddle

           

Tail Toddle (Scots Celtic Tune)

           

Toadie Toodle (1938-Kirk)

           

Toodle On Down (Louis Jordon)

           

Toddling the Todalo

 

Night Clubs

Theaters

Locations

Persian Room n/a n/a
Rainbo Gardens (Chicago)        
         
         
             

Film

Television

Ballets / Stage

$1950 - Cheaper by the Dozen [DVD] n/a 1930 - Nine - Fifteen Revue
        Toddles
         
         
           

Publications

           

7/3/1921 - Atlanta Constitution (Magazine Issue) How to Toddle

            Daily Illini (1920s)
             

Other Related Dances of the time...

Apache Dance

Castle Walk

Georgia Grind

Shimmy

Apple Jack

Charleston

Gilda Glide

Shivers

Argentine Tango

Chicago

Grapevine, the

Sloppy Sailor Walk

Baboon Baby Dance

Collegiate, the

Grizzly Bear

Sugar Foot Stomp

Ballin' The Jack

Cootie Tickle

Hesitation Waltz

Terripan Toddle

Baltimore Buzz

Cubanola Glide

Hesitation, L'

Texas Tommy

Baltimore Todalo, the

Cute Little Wigglin' Dance

Hitchy-Koo

Three Step

Bambuca

Dance Coquette

Horsetrot

Tickle Toe

Black Bottom

Darkey Todalo, the

Java

Tiger, the

Boston, the

Dengozo Maxixe

Kangaroo Hop

Tipperary Twirl

Breakaway

Raccoon Dance

Lame Duck

Todalo (held beats)

Bunny Hug

Eagle Rock

Maxixe

Turkey Trot

Buzzard Lope

Five Step

Mooch & Sugar

Two Step

Calenda

Flea Hop

One Step

Walking the Dog

Camel Walk

Fox Trot

Peabody

Waltz

Castle Glide

Frenchy Koo

Pussyfoot Prance

Whirlwind Waltz

Castle Innovation Tango

Funky Butt

Sea Sick Glide

Voodou

 

Gaby Glide

   

Dancers, Choreographers etc.

Political

Clifton Webb & Jeanne Crain

n/a n/a

Dorothy Day

   
     
     
     

Books, Magazine Articles on the dance...

Title

Author

Published

Publisher

$ Jazz Dance: Story of American Vernacular Dance
Stearns, Marshall 1994 DaCapo Press
$ Chicago Jazz: A Cultural History, 1904-1930
William Howland Kenney
1994 Oxford Univ Pr.
       
       
       
       

Musicians, Composers etc.

Singers

Poets / Writers

Benson Orchestra of Chicago

n/a n/a

Bert Grant

       

Duke Ellington

       

Kern, Jerome

       

Kirk, Andy

       

McRill, Chandos (1959)

       

Waring, Fred

       
         

Misc. Research Words that may be related ... to help your searches

Collegiate The Stroll   -

Flappers

       
         
         
         

Other...

Basic Steps

Fig.1.
Take one walking step with the right foot, draw up the left one to the right, rise gently on the toes, and come down on heels. Take the next walking step with the right foot, draw up left foot, rise on toes, down on heels. Take third walking step with right foot, draw up left, rise on toes and down on heels. All walking steps in the same direction.
Fig. 2.
Take one walking step with the left foot, draw up right, rise on toes, down on heels. Second walking step with left foot, draw up right foot, rise on toes and down on heels. Third walking step with left foot, draw up right, rise on toes, down on heels.
Figs. 3-4.
Reverse walk.
Figs. 4-5.
Man leading to left and dancing Fox Trot step 1, 2, 3, to the side. Repeating the same to the right.
Figs. 5-6.
Repeat the Toddle walking steps as given above, counting two for each step. In toddling any step of the Fox Trot may be toddled if the time of two counts to each step is allowed, altho' the "Old Corte" and doubles are rarely toddled.

January 5, 2010
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