The Stroll was created on the television show "American Bandstand," a music show that featured popular acts and young people dancing to their music. Dancers originally created the steps to go along with the song "C.C. Rider" by Chuck Willis. Dick Clark, the host of "Bandstand," helped promote the dance, and it soon became a hit across the country.
While the dance originated with the song "C.C. Rider" other songs soon appeared that were aimed at the new dance craze. One of the most popular was the eponymous "The Stroll" by The Diamonds, netting the band a No. 4 hit on Billboard's charts. The dance can be performed with many slow swing songs like "Lavender Coffin" and "My Baby Just Cares For Me."
In addition to the dance's popularity on television, The Stroll is also featured in George Lucas' homage to 50s Americana, "American Graffiti." The kids at the local high school are dancing "The Stroll" to the hit of the same name by The Diamonds in the scene where Curt talks to Mr. Wolfe about college.
The Stroll is performed with two lines of dancers, usually separated by gender. The lines face one another and perform a couple of simple moves by crossing their legs in time. Then one person from each line steps forward, and the couple promenades past the two lines.
"The Stroll" was very popular in the late 50s and early 60s, but was eventually replaced by faster dances inspired by rock 'n' roll. In the present day, the dance is still performed by line dancing groups and hobbyists who practice contra dancing.