We've all heard the term, some of us even use the action weekly, but how many of us reaaally know where this hip and shoulder shaking move (typically used in the world of burlesque) actually comes from? Meet the matriarch's of the risqué wiggle in this informative piece and do enjoy engaging with some vintage film clips.
There are many claims as to the origins of "The Shimmy" such as a 'Haitian Voodoo Dance,' a dance called the "Shika" that transformed into the "Shake and Quiver" at the turn of the century in America (brought by Nigerian slaves), a German shoulder shaking partner dance of the 15th century, Russian 'gypsy dance' and of course the age-old 'belly dance' techniques of Egypt and Turkey.
For those unfamiliar, the basic movement involves shaking the shoulders and/or the hips in isolation (ie. the rest of the body is still) which achieves the effect of delicious wobbly bits being jostled about. Great huh?
For those unfamiliar, the basic movement involves shaking the shoulders and/or the hips in isolation (ie. the rest of the body is still) which achieves the effect of delicious wobbly bits being jostled about. Great huh?
Perhaps the Queen of the Shimmy-shake is Gilda Gray of the Ziegfeld Follies. Born as Marianna Michalska at the turn of the century, this Polish-American actress popularized in the 1920's the move we use in burlesque today. Hers was a rapid, giddy dance incorporating both hips and shoulders that was considered very provocative and alluring. Apparently, she simply couldn't command her body to keep still whilst she was singing and because the audience loved her entertaining movement so much she incorporated it into her dancing when she joined the Follies in 1922.
Upon being asked about her dancing style, she is reported to have replied "I'm shaking my chemise [French for 'blouse']." As she had quite a heavy Polish accent in her younger years, this apparently sounded to the English-speaking audience like 'shimmy'. Gray denied having ever said this, which may or may not have been the case as the shimmy was already a popular dance move in the 1920's. The 'quote' stuck however and did her no disservice at all - in fact she is still credited with truly popularizing the shoulder shaking move in America. Well... she does share this throne with one other...
Upon being asked about her dancing style, she is reported to have replied "I'm shaking my chemise [French for 'blouse']." As she had quite a heavy Polish accent in her younger years, this apparently sounded to the English-speaking audience like 'shimmy'. Gray denied having ever said this, which may or may not have been the case as the shimmy was already a popular dance move in the 1920's. The 'quote' stuck however and did her no disservice at all - in fact she is still credited with truly popularizing the shoulder shaking move in America. Well... she does share this throne with one other...
Just to be flamboyantly controversial no doubt, in her
autobiography Goodness Had Nothing to Do with It, Mae West claims to have been THE agent of re-titling the "Shim-Me-Sha-Wobble" (a song associated with the dance composed in 1917) as "The Shimmy" after witnessing the movements in some black nightclubs (where the diaspora would be using the voodoo and Nigerian dances in a new context). The verity of her assertion is a tad doubtful as the word shimmy was used in the sheet music for the "Bullfrog Hop" in 1908 and the move could be seen in an old 1902 Edison film entitled "Princess Rajah."
autobiography Goodness Had Nothing to Do with It, Mae West claims to have been THE agent of re-titling the "Shim-Me-Sha-Wobble" (a song associated with the dance composed in 1917) as "The Shimmy" after witnessing the movements in some black nightclubs (where the diaspora would be using the voodoo and Nigerian dances in a new context). The verity of her assertion is a tad doubtful as the word shimmy was used in the sheet music for the "Bullfrog Hop" in 1908 and the move could be seen in an old 1902 Edison film entitled "Princess Rajah."
Apparently the Ziegfeld Follies version of the shimmy was a lot smoother than West's. Unfortunately I've been unable to find any footage of either Ms Gray or Ms West performing this dance move in the fleshly flesh (yes, the latter "original blonde bombshell" is far more fleshly than the folies flapper Gray).
Famous for her witty one-liners, West continues to represent a liberated 'new woman,' both onscreen and off, who do not feel the need to adhere to social pressures for women to be demure, de-sexualized homemakers. Classical showgirls such as Gray also represented the typical 'demi-mondaine' who heralds from the latter half of the 19th century in the dance halls of Gaye Paris. Women who earn a substantial amount of money through their own craft, are not kept by their families or husbands, and are allied with characters who run ambivalent sexy entertainment establishments were on the rise in that epoque. These mademoiselles were viewed with moral suspicion and indeed some sort of reverence to the lay folk. Florence Ziegfeld Jr started his show troupe in the USA through an inspired idea from his wife at the time (naturally), Anna Held, who had performed in France and on Broadway and suggested that America would be ripe for a Parisienne je ne sais quoi flair. And subsequently, the name 'Follies' was a direct reference to the Folies Bergère, cabaret musical dance hall est 1869 in Paris. Each dancer of Ziegfeld's flock were celebrated women, on stage, in silent films and in public opinion (for a large part). Yet Mae West was perhaps more famous in the film era, perhaps because she presented a very bawdy dynamic to the female entertainer and because she was still in the film industry past the silent era her candid quips are immortalized. Also the fortunes of Ziegfeld were lost in the Great Depression and he passed away in the mid thirties, thus the Ziegfeld Follies disbanded and no longer enjoyed the same platform of fame.
Famous misquoted line in melodrama She Done Him Wrong (1933): "Why don't you come up and see me sometime." I only actually realized the misquote when I listened to this clip. Mae's character actually says "why don' you com'up sometime and see meh?"
So, since there is so little material available on Gray and West in the direct context of the "shimmy", do enjoy this cute Ragtime clip I found. It illustrates what was felt at the time about this 'risqué' dance move both for solo and partner dancing, during the ambivalent era of 1920's and 30's America. Whilst it was considered a couple's dance in the 1930's, the shimmy is no longer considered a dance but more a dance movement.
I'm going to be putting up some how-to video tutorials of my own in the near future, including dance moves that are very useful to know for anyone interested in creating a burlesque aesthetic on the dance floor. Do let me know under 'comments' if you'd like a more demure instructional piece, or a saucier snippet of some "shimmy" action :P
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