Energetic couples,
Arthur Miller Dance Studios
Crows Nest Sydney
In the post-war era and till 1960, my late parents went square-dancing every week. I, on the other hand, learned ballet from 1952-1965 twice weekly. But I knew nothing about ballroom dancing.
The first time I thought about ballroom dancing was when Strictly Come Dancing (2004) and Dancing with the Stars (2005) appeared on tv and I wondered about this dance’s history, especially in Australia. Reading Ballroom: A People’s History of Dancing (2022) by Hilary French became a pleasant surprise. Her book was well recommended for anyone intrigued by the social history of dancing. This book also explored the vibrant history of the individual elements: dancers, lavish venues, competitions and instructors. It also traced the waning of competitive dancing and its resurgence recently with the hugely popular TV shows.
Where did Hilary French start? American ragtime and the Parisian Tango spun off a dancing trend in Britain post-WW1. Public ballrooms were built from scratch across the country, providing a glamorous setting for couples to dance. This was how the book provided a cultural history of social space, the “palaces” created to meet the huge demand for dancing. The new styles of dance were even more enthusiastically taught in the 1930s when the Astaire-Rogers dancing films like Flying Down to Rio (1933), Top Hat (1935), Swing Time (1936) and all the way to The Barkleys of Broadway (1949) boomed. This famous Hollywood duo excited the cinemas and starred together in 10 films. They ensured that ballroom dancing continued to be a popular pastime until the 1950s.
Many academic historians wouldn’t recognise ballroom dancers if they ran into them, fully dressed up in their costumes. But Hilary French had been a ballroom dancer herself for a long time, and was still a competitor. And her historical perspective totally appealed to me, another historian. But let me be honest here. I gave the book to my beloved who read 2 pages and handed it back. He was bored.
Where did Hilary French start? American ragtime and the Parisian Tango spun off a dancing trend in Britain post-WW1. Public ballrooms were built from scratch across the country, providing a glamorous setting for couples to dance. This was how the book provided a cultural history of social space, the “palaces” created to meet the huge demand for dancing. The new styles of dance were even more enthusiastically taught in the 1930s when the Astaire-Rogers dancing films like Flying Down to Rio (1933), Top Hat (1935), Swing Time (1936) and all the way to The Barkleys of Broadway (1949) boomed. This famous Hollywood duo excited the cinemas and starred together in 10 films. They ensured that ballroom dancing continued to be a popular pastime until the 1950s.
Many academic historians wouldn’t recognise ballroom dancers if they ran into them, fully dressed up in their costumes. But Hilary French had been a ballroom dancer herself for a long time, and was still a competitor. And her historical perspective totally appealed to me, another historian. But let me be honest here. I gave the book to my beloved who read 2 pages and handed it back. He was bored.
Hilary French's book
2022
I had not heard of Vicki Harman’s book on dancing, so here was the review of The Sexual Politics of Ballroom Dancing (2018) by Amazon. This book presented another interesting sociological investigation into how gender was negotiated and performed in ballroom and Latin dancing. It explored the key influences underpinning the popularity of dancing and highlighted what it revealed about the nature of gender roles in modern times. The author began with an overview of its rich social history and shifting class status, establishing the context within which contemporary masculinities and femininities in this community were explored. Real and imagined gendered traditions were examined across a range of dancer experiences that followed the path of a typical learner: from finding a partner, attending lessons and forming networks.
The analysis created a nuanced picture of a dance culture that was empowering, yet also very image-conscious; ritualised practices that both reinstated and transgressed gender roles. This innovative contribution to the feminist leisure literature appealed to students and scholars of anthropology, dance, sport, gender, cultural and media studies. It was a unique insight into the sociological issue of ballroom dancing, as gender, culture and leisure.
The analysis created a nuanced picture of a dance culture that was empowering, yet also very image-conscious; ritualised practices that both reinstated and transgressed gender roles. This innovative contribution to the feminist leisure literature appealed to students and scholars of anthropology, dance, sport, gender, cultural and media studies. It was a unique insight into the sociological issue of ballroom dancing, as gender, culture and leisure.
Latin dancing at MIT ballroom competition, 2006
Judge watches from the foreground.
Wiki
Thus Vicki Harman made an important contribution to the sociology of culture, leisure studies and gender studies. In the post-Strictly Come Dancing (started 2004) world, this book made a most valuable contribution to the leisure studies literature and to feminist work more widely. Ballroom dancing was a cultural phenomenon. This Uni of Surrey academic really got inside the field and demonstrated how social and gender relations played out on the dance floor.
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32 comments:
Planned in 1822 by Lorenzo Santi, decorated by Giuseppe Borsato in 1837, the Ballroom of Venice's Royal Palace is a very elegant, oval space with the chandeliers and its crystal faceted drops, musicians lodges, marble floors and classical columns. Here the Habsburg empire after defeating Napoleon Bonaparte and conquering Venice had planned their banquets and dancing parties. There were strong echoes of the Viennese waltz by Johann Strauss.
seevenice.it
I loved to watch Fred Astaire dancing an d much preferred him to Gene Kelly. We learnt ballroom dancing at school, not ideal at an all-girls' school. I was tall so had to dance the man's part. As teenagers we used to go dancing at the Palais, to dance the Twist.
Luisella
thank you for a lovely post. My two books started the history largely after WW1, but the Venice ballrooms helps us realise how important the architecture had already been. Plus the gorgeous mirrors, chandeliers, frescoes, decorated floors and windows.
jabblog
I went to a co-ed school, but the boys weren't invited to any dancing classes. Only in the final year of high school, preparing for the debutante ball, were the debs and their male partners included in the classes. The mid-1960s dresses and dancing were gorgeous, but the idea of being presented for the first time was ridiculous.
Surprised that you did not mention Bay Lurhmann's great film Strictly Ballroom.
Hello Hels, I am, along with Robert Benchley, a militant non-dancer, but I do have several books on the subject. One is Debutante: Rites and Regalia of American Debdom, by University of Minnesota professor Karal Ann Marling. (I don't care much about debutantes* but I am a fan of Professor Marling.) Another time I was in a used bookstore and bought Social Dances of the 19th Century. I think I was insulted, because the clerk said to me that they were wondering who would buy this particular book. As stated above, I have no interest in dancing itself, but I love the music, and the 19th century has all those complicated dance forms--lancers, five-step waltzes, polka-mazurkas, and the like.
--Jim
*Always excepting the cornet solo by Herbert L. Clarke. Here is Clarke himself playing The Debutante:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3OpIgGypqY&pp=ygUPY2xhcmtlIGRlYnV0YW50
It is a shame that such dances are pretty much a thing of the past, the only ballroom dancing I have seen is on TV. I personally cannot dance except in my dreams and even then I'm not much chop......lol
It is interesting to see ballroom dancing as a form of sexual politics!
Many relationships were made by people who participated in ballroom dancing, including that of my own parents.
Ballroom dancing is a lovely topic! However,it's something to be seen, not discussed. There are some wonderful videos on YouTube featuring a great variety of ballroom dancing to a great variety of music. "A feast to the eyes and the ears".
Dr F
I was only writing about books, but films were so much more colourful and musical. Baz Luhrmann's film Strictly Ballroom (1992) was terrific. And I assume I would still love the very early films like The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle (1939) and The Barkleys of Broadway
(1949).
Parnassus
I would never have picked you as a reader of Debutante: Rites and Regalia of American Debdom, looking from the colonial era to the modern day. Thanks for the reference.
Jo-Anne
When I was at school, the girls were offered optional classes in dancing, music, singing or sewing. I already had a long history in ballet, so I was thrilled to learn some ballroom dancing in Year 12.
Andrew
our grandparents wanted their children to meet their future spouses by sharing respectable activities, and your parents went to the absolutely perfect location. Did they participate after they married?
DUTA
My parents' experiences were a total feast to the eyes and the ears, very true!. But now I have to inspect and enjoy the great variety of music myself.
roentare
it is a very different perspective from the normal histories of ballroom dancing, yes indeed.
My brothers were all sent to ballroom dancing classes in the late 1950s/1960s as was I in 1965 for three years. For my brothers it was seen as normal step towards a social life and meeting a girl I suppose. I enjoyed my lessons and as it was my first time out alone I used to look forward to the classes enormously, feeling totally grown up. My oldest brother took to it very seriously and won medals. I got certificates but did not go on to the medal stage. My brother is now 80 and still a good dancer.
Rachel
I think your parents had excellent taste and raised you and your siblings well :) Either that, or the late 1950s-early 1960s were a more cultured era than later.
When I started dancing (private parties) at 15 we mostly danced Rock & Roll ! Later I went out with friends and we learned all kind of dances, which don't exist anymore.. I even have forgotten the names. Was a nice time !
Gattina
I am with you totally. Parties were always rock and roll, especially Australian singers (until I fell in love with the Beatles): Johnny O'Keefe, Easybeats, Aztecs, The Bee Gees, Billy Thorpe and The Aztecs. They were fantastic years.
By the end of 1970, I got married, left Australia and had to concentrate on earning money and having babies. The fun was over.
My father and step-mother were really serious ballroom dancers. They did everything from Latin American, Classic Ballroom, Jive and something called Apache Dancing. They were off to Brighton most weekends and, at family functions, people would form a large circle around them while they danced! Leah & I took a course of lessons before our wedding; we only knew the Waltz and Jive. It was a great success. We did Foxtrot, Quickstep & Cha Cha Cha!
bazza
I know from my parents and their friends that couples loved dancing once every week. It got them away from cooking, cleaning and crying babies; got the couple into their loveliest clothes; and gave a chance for a reliable social life. Especially since most of the men had been in the army until Jan 1946 and were desperate for marriage and a social life.
Well done for the two of you, learning enough formal dancing to display your skills on your wedding day :)
Boa tarde. Parabéns pelo seu trabalho maravilhoso e pesquisa. Aqui no Rio de Janeiro, tem várias danças de salão.
Luiz
It is so inspiring that Rio still has ballroom dancing palaces, especially if they are doing well even now. Do you dance yourself?
I never really got into ballroom dancing, but it always looks so romantic in old movies. The pretty clothes, the private conversations, the beauty of their movements...Dancing of any kind if a lot of fun, isn't it?
Erika
me either. I thought ballroom dancing belonged to my parents' generation, before and after WW2. But it is undeniable that the beauty, romance, femininity, clothing, culture, music and leisure in those large dancing crowds then still impress us now.
I have never understood the meaning of the word "Strictly" in the context of the title of the show "Strictly Come Dancing "Is it a spin off Of "Strictly Ballroom" the movie title . ??
mem
"Strictly Ballroom" seemed to have referred to the requirement that dancers be aware of, and obey the strict rules of etiquette. There were plenty of other dance forms, but ballroom dancing in particular wanted to control what young, handsome, well dressed singles might want to get involved in, on the dance floor. Or afterwards.
"Strictly Come Dancing" was called "Dancing with the Stars" in America. I wonder why the Americans didn't like absorbing the British programme lock-stock-and-barrel. What were they afraid of?
Very Nice
Hasnain
Agreed. It was a special era.
My ex-the-first's parents were ballroom dancers. S was a dressmaker too, so made all their costumes. They won a few competitions in their early days.
River
wouldn't it have been fantastic to watch... great dancing, beautiful costumes and successful in competitions. By the time we are old enough to talk to our parents and in laws as mature adults, their era had well and truly passed.
Now I would have trouble imagining my late parents having a ball back in 1946.
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