Crossword Genius

Powerful man alongside Nick Robinson at the start and end, dancing about? (10)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

charleston

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'powerful man alongside nick robinson' is the definition.
I can't judge whether this defines the answer.

'the start and end dancing about?' is the wordplay.
'start' says to take the initial letters.
'and' says to put letters next to each other.
'end dancing' becomes 'charles' (I can't justify this - if you can you should give a lot more credence to this answer).
'about?' becomes 'on' (as in a book 'on' a certain topic).
The initial letter of 'the' is 't'.
't' put after 'charles' is 'charlest'.
'charlest'+'on'='CHARLESTON'

'at' is the link.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for charleston that I've seen before include "US city - 1920s' dance" , "Town of South Carolina which gave its name to a 1920s dance craze" , "American port" , "Dance making" , "Lively 1920s' dance" .)

I've seen this clue in The Everyman puzzle in The Observer.
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