The Charleston song was written in 1923 by James P. Johnson and became an instant hit when it was featured in the Musical Runnin’ Wild. The Charleston dance soon ensued, with the famous swivels and Charleston arms, but as with every dance craze the movements weren’t newly invented so much as part of an ever involving art form. The roots of Charleston are in a dance called the Juba, invented in Africa and popularised later in Charleston, U.S.A hence the name!