The Majestic swing line dance is a tribute stroll to the fabulous 50s and 60s. This line dance was choreographed to fit the phrasing and lyrics of Dion DiMucci’s 1961 recording of “The Majestic.” While it captures the dance styles of that time period accurately, it’s a modern addition (choreographed in 2016) to the landscape of dance crazes from yesteryear. We hope you’ll learn it too and help us capture that era and bring recognition to a long lost tune that deserved top billing on the billboard charts.

By the late 1950s and into the 1960s, dance crazes were sweeping the nation. It seemed that a new dance would be invented every other week. Dances like The Stroll, The Twist, The Mashed Potato, The Hand Jive, The Hully Gully, The Hucklebuck, The Swim, The Fly, The Madison (which combined many steps into one line dance) and the list goes on. In the same light, many musicians of that time period released music in the hopes that their recordings would spark a new dance sensation thus catapulting their originals onto the top of the music charts. Many did just that from Fats Domino to Chubby Checkers to the Temptations and other vocal harmony groups.

Dion DiMucci released the tune The Majestic in 1961 as a single with hopes of sparking a new dance sensation. But remarkably it was the B Side of the 45 record that garnished the most attention. “The Wanderer” became a Top 10 while The Majestic never achieved nearly that level of popularity. Still, Dion performed it in the 1961 film Twist Around The Clock. It became a favorite of ours more recently when we discovered the tune around 2000.

choreography by Paolo Pasta Lanna

Photos

Videos

THE STEPS

The Fish Tail 
The Grape Vine 
Birdland (Two pivots) 
Cross over into The Camel Step 
4 Triple Steps 
3 Cross Steps 
3 Hops Back
Back & Forth Twice 
The Deam Collins Break Step (combining a Rock Forward on RT,  Twist and cross, then a spin or).
Note: During the spin, the dancer then rotates 1 and ¼ Turns Setting up the next wall ¼ to the left. The spin can be achieved by alternating steps RT, LF, RT, LF.

Since this is a stroll, the line rotates walls ¼ at the end of each completed run of choreography).

 

This film clip of Dion Dimucci from the 1961 film “Twist Around The Clock” showcasing The Majestic with the official sound track recorded for public release.

“Get in a Big Boss Line”