Oral histories from enslaved people say that the cakewalk began in the enslaved quarters of Southern plantations. The cakewalk was a grand-promenade type of dance, where couples would take turns performing. The couple with the best dancing skills would then "take the cake," an idiom that is still common today. The phrase "takes the cake" also originates from this tradition. The cakewalk also gave a chance for enslaved people to ridicule those who tyrannized them. The dancers would dress up in th