Felix the Cat learns the Black Bottom

We've all heard of the Charleston dance, and seen it performed in numerous movies, but by 1927, that dance had been replaced as a favorite among America's Dancing Daughters by the Black Bottom. .

The Black Bottom is based on a dance that had been around in black communities of the South since at least the early 1900s--and as it began to gain national popularity, one dancer stated that it was "as old as the hills." It came to national attention when it was performed in variety shows in Harlem and on New York City's Broadway. The most famous performer of the Black Bottom at the time was Ann Pennington, an already famous dancer who rode the Black Bottom craze to even more fame, including numerous bit-parts in films throughout the 1930s.

As the national Black Bottom craze was still climbing--and even going international--Ann Pennington did a shoot for "Photoplay" magazine in which she taught Felix the Cat how to performe the dance. The photos appeared on a two-page spread in the issue of "Photoplay" cover-dated January 1927.

You can read more about the Black Bottom at Wikipedia. Meanwhile, here's Ann and Felix performing the Black Bottom!

Hop down front then doodle back.

Mooch to your left...

...  then mooch to your right.

Do the mess around.

Break a leg until you're near the ground [this is a hobbling step]

Finally, here's video showing performances of both solo and couples versions of the Black Bottom.