African American dance has folk origins. The informal dances of field workers evolved into theatrical dance expressions such as the "Cakewalk." Recreation for the rural poor meant not just listening to the blues, but dancing to it at juke joints or parties.
Jazz originated in New Orleans, as did the "Black Bottom," one of a series of popular dances that emerged from the African American community to sweep the country. Equally popular was the "Charleston," which first accompanied a musical piece of the same name by black composer James P. Johnson. The Charleston developed into the "Lindy Hop," a swing dance that originated in Harlem. Another swing dance, the "Jitterbug," took its name from a song by the African American entertainer Cab Calloway.
Soul, funk and disco are all forms of music closely associated with the African American community of which dance forms an integral part. Dances with ever more imaginative names, from the "Chicken Noodle Soup" to the "Alf," have continued to emerge from the streets and clubs. Hip hop is forever associated with "break dancing," so called because deejays would extend the instrumental break in a song to give the dancers time to show their skills. By the 2000s, breaking and "stepping" had become competitive dance forms.