Combining rare and often hilarious archival footage with engaging interviews, this groovy documentary chronicles the evolution of the titular postwar rock ’n' roll dance craze that took America by storm. Featuring singers and musicians who helped define the phenomenon like Hank Ballard, Chubby Checker, and Joey Dee, as well as clips from TV shows like “American Bandstand,” TWIST tells the overlooked story of how shaking your hips went from being a sign of social degeneracy to the dance form that rocked the world.
Direction
Ron Mann's kinetic editing makes 70-year-old footage feel alive.
Production
Deep archival digs—American Bandstand clips are pure time-capsule gold.
Director
Ron Mann
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Hank Ballard originally recorded 'The Twist' as a B-side in 1959; Dick Clark's insistence on a 'cleaner' version for his show launched Checker's career instead.
The twist's hip-rotating motion was considered obscene because it required no partner—decoupling dance from courtship terrified moral guardians.
US
CA
