"King of Twist", Chubby Checker

Tune in to WNYC’s Soundcheck this week to learn about dance crazes throughout history. Soundcheck, WNYC’s daily music and conversation program, has kicked off a week-long series dedicated to the subject. On the first show, host John Schaefer discussed the twist with dance historian and Florida State University professor Sally Sommer.  The second half of the show was devoted to TV’s important role in dance fads, along with the impact of icons like the late Dick Clark. Additional topics will include US dance crazes that were inspired by African-American social dances, the evolution of moshing and mosh pits, and the wave of Cuban and Latin dance crazes.  The full audio of the segments can be found here. Enjoy!