Madison (dance)
The Madison is a novelty dance that was popular in the late 1950s to mid-1960s. Description and history. It was created and first danced in Columbus, Ohio, in 1957. The local popularity of the dance and record in Baltimore, Maryland, came to the attention of the producers of "The Buddy Deane Show" in 1960, which led to other dance shows picking it up. The Madison is a line dance that features a regular back-and-forth pattern interspersed with called steps. Its popularity inspired dance teams and competitions, as well as various recordings, and today it is still  sometimes performed as a nostalgic dance. The Madison is featured in the John Waters movie "Hairspray" (1988), and it continues to be performed in the Broadway musical "Hairspray". Both the film and the musical feature one of many songs released during the Madison "craze" in the US. The jazz pianist Ray Bryant recorded "Madison Time" for Columbia Records in 1959. "Billboard" stated that "The footwork for the Madison dance is carefully and clearly diagrammed for the terpers." The Ray Bryant version was the version featured in the film "Hairspray". The other popular version was by Al Brown & The Tunetoppers. Another  version was recorded by radio presenter Alan Freeman for Decca Records in 1962. An example of a 1960 song and album featuring music for the Madison is "The Tunetoppers at The Madison Dance Party", with calls by Al Brown. The Madison basic, danced in the film "Hairspray", is as follows: Called steps included the Double Cross, the Cleveland Box, The Basketball (with Wilt Chamberlain), the Big "M", the "T" Time, the Jackie Gleason, the Birdland, and The Rifleman. "The Jackie Gleason" is based on a tap dance movement known as "Shuffle Off to Buffalo". Additional called sequences are: Two Up  and Two Back, Big Boss Cross in Front, Make a "T", the Box, Cuddle Me, and Flying High. "Away We Go" may be the same as "The Jackie Gleason". "Time" magazine noted the Madison in April 1960. The Madison dance has become very popular in the Kingdom of Cambodia and Kampuchea Krom (Mekong delta). It was introduced to Cambodia in the 1960s and remains a very popular dance at wedding banquets and other parties. The largest Madison dance in the world took place in Siem Reap, Cambodia on 15 April 2015 in celebration of the Cambodian New Year, involving 2,015  participants.