What' s Rock 'n Roll?
Rock
'n' Roll is the most popular music and dance of the 1950s. Depending on
the music history of each region of America, it evolved frοm swing,
rythm 'n' blues, boogie woogie and, in all its forms, it was ideal for
dancing, signifying a rythm revolution for its era. It
came to talk about same things in a different manner: the joy
of life and love, through a bold and subversive body motion, challenging the moral society.
What does it look like?
As all dances, Rock 'n' Roll is much influenced form its predecessor, Lindy
Hop, the most popular dance of the 1930s & 1940s, and as
every new dance, came up with many new elements of its own. Less technical than Lindy Hop and upon a crazy music, Rock 'n' Roll allows everything as far as it' s based on the rythm. Rolling across the floor, making faces, showing petticoats, all are accepted and result from the music and dance craze that characterise the era! 
It
is danced
in couples, even between girls and boys and includes lots of turns
especially of the woman, drops and lifts in the air. Mirroring the
social roles of the 1950s society, the man leads and the woman follows,
which back then, was absolutely acceptable. It is a very dynamic dance,
based a lot upon improvisation, since music
rouses to overcome the steps.
It's the end of the '40s and the overtone of World War II. North American society has to cheer up and leave behind the unsafety of the previous years. Colours, big sized products, sun and the forgotten american dream are back in plan! The turn of the decade is close and a brand new life is ready to emerge, full of hope and joy. People need to have fun and amuse themselves, forgeting about the dark war days. A new fresh sound appeares to take everyday life off to its pic: Rock 'n' Roll! From the late '40s to
the early '60s, Rock 'n' Roll first appeared in black neighbourhoods and then rapidily spread among white teenagers and adolescents, basicaly since white singer, Elvis Presley, rocked 'n' rolled to! Soon enough, especially via television, the new rythm was embraced by all social classes and ages, but still had strong social fighters, accusing it for vilification of the american youth.
A 1950s night out
In the 1950s, now more than ever before, people used to go out dancing, often combining with dinner. Big and small music and dance halls could be found in every corner of the city, where people spent their night dancing and listening to live bands and artists. Women carried along their flat dancing shoes and changed when the time came. Famous artists such as Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, Bill Haley, Wanda Jackson, Gene Vincent, Danny & the Juniors, Frankie Lymon & the Teen-Agers and others, came together in great all-day shows or appeared 3-4 times a day in a row!
Everybody Rock 'n' Roll!
But Rock 'n' Roll couldn't stop there! People danced in schools, in the streets, in theatres, at pic-nics, in diners', on tv shows, in the movies and of course at home!Record shops sold all #1 hits, radio and tv shows spread r'n'r around the world. It played through juke boxes, portable 45 vinyl players and of course, live!
Rock 'n' Roll in Greece
As it was natural, Rock 'n' Roll of
course came to Europe and Greece to. In the beggining, people could
listen only through the radio and cinema films. Later on, records
arrived as well, often via sailors and relatives who had immigrated in
America and came home for vacation, as well as via the US military base.
There is no much evidence left of greek rock 'n' roll groups of the
1950s, some document though has been rescued in films from the end of
the decade and the early '60s, such as "Aunt from Chicago" (1957) and
"This Something" (1963).
 |
| "Aunt from Chicago" |
