The New York Times October 01, 2013 | Page 8

The Shimmy

This dance style was based on powerful vibrations of the body without moving. Usually the pelvis was shaken, sometimes only the hips or the buttocks. The short lady's dress whith its loose threads showed the rhythmic shaking very clearly.

The Cake Walk

The idea of the Cakewalk was that of a couple promenading in a dignified manner, high stepping and kicking, mimicking whitey's high society. The special movements of the cake-walk included the bending back of the body, and the dropping of the hands at the wrists, amongst others, were a distinct feature in certain tribes of the African Kaffir dances.