The Camel Walk is a vernacular jazz movement with many possibilities. There isn’t one single way to do it—each dancer can shape it through their own rhythm, body, and personality.

For this video, I’m taking inspiration from Marie Bryant, an extraordinary African American dancer, singer, choreographer, and dance coach who worked with artists such as Duke Ellington and appeared in films including Carolina Blues (1944) and Jammin’ the Blues (1944).

What I particularly love about Bryant is who open, proud and full of rhythms are her movements driven. In the “Mr. Beebe” number from Carolina Blues, her Camel Walk has a particular rhythmic quality that caught my attention and inspired this variation.

Watch Marie Bryant’s original performance and see what you notice before or after practicing:

Watch Marie Bryant in “Mr. Beebe” — Carolina Blues (1944)

Focus: Rhythm · Produness · Texture · Personal expression
Inspiration: Marie Bryant
Level: All levels

All of this was filmed at the beautiful Kmita dance studios in Kraków.