In 1949 RCA Victor introduced the 45 RPM vinyl record and by 1951 the first 45 rpm record Jukebox was introduced to the public. Also, DJ Alan Freed is given credit for coining the term 'Rock and Roll in 1951, however it was already in use by the Black Community prior to 1948.

     During the 1950's, Swing dancing (Lindy and Jitterbug) was unsuccessfully to be renamed 'Rock and Roll'. This renaming of the dance shows that even the early dancers were aware that the dance could hold its own to other styles of music and was not music dependent, it could, would and was, done to other styles of music, not just "Big Band", but the name of the dance didn't need to change except thru marketing.

     The 1956 Harvest Moon Ball even had a Rock and Roll division in which the Swing dancers danced and carried the name for many years. Dance Education Books were written describing this "New Dance" which was nothing more than Swing, However, the explaining of the dance steps were many times described as what we would call today as West Coast Swing. While in other writings it was East Coast or Lindy. Dance studios as well including Arthur Murray were calling it 'Rock and Roll' dancing, in an attempt to create revenue from a dance already existing.

     Movies such as 'Rock around the Clock' and 'Don't Knock the Rock', 'Untamed Youth', 'Carnival Rock' would call it the Jitterbug. However the overtone of the movie was "Rock and Roll" while the dancing they were doing was West Coast Swing with the movie 'Rock, Rock, Rock' doing East Coast Swing.

Many people today use the term Rock and Roll to mean "Freestyle Dancing," while the Europeans use it for a particular style of Swing, usually of the Gymnastic type (others are Ceroc, Leroc, German R&R, Jive etc) . Using the term Rock in this example means to get down, do it hard, going to be great, etc = "Were Gonna Rock!"

Note:
     In a book titled 'A History of dancing' by Reginald St. Johnston, 1906, he says: " But there must be moderation in all things, and some of the forms of dancing on the stage today cannot be considered in any way as of health-giving value. I refer to those in which strange and unnatural postures are brought into use, such as an American form of dancing I have lately heard of, called "Rock Dancing." This is practically a dance of the ballet movements of the Italian school, performed almost entirely on the instep, a painful and ungraceful proceeding which might justly cause the performers to be called a contortionists rather than dancer."

      Also, Irene Castle created a dance called the Castle "Rock and Roll" in 1939. This is really interesting as most historians agree that the first use of the word Rock for music and or dancing was in the late forties... However they were probably just referring to the dance and music connection.

Birth Place

Creation Date

Creator

Dance Type

Posters, Lobby Cards etc.

Sheet Music Covers

Other

Various Rock & Roll Music Titles

Night Clubs

Theaters

Locations

Rock and Roll Films

Television

Ballets / Stage

R&R History DVD's

Newspaper and Magazine Publications

R&R DJ's (Radio)

Other Related Dances of the time...

Dancers, Choreographers etc.

Political

Books, Magazine Articles on the dance...

Title

Author

Date Published

Publisher

Musicians/ Bands

Singers

Writers

Links

Clothing of the era ...

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

Other...