1942: Dancing, Modern Social

The war year 1942 saw ballroom dancing reach new heights in popularity. The general tenseness of the times acted as a stimulus to freer social activities, and dancing, always the pace-setter of social relations, reflected this 'escapism.'

The trend toward sociability manifested itself in a greater exercise of the so-called participation dances. Social workers have found this type of dance to be most conducive to 'mixing.' Its popularity has been especially noted in places where Service men convene — at canteens, recreation centers, and USO halls. Everybody wants to see a lad in uniform 'mix,' and hostesses are always on the lookout for a good participation dance so that the wallflowers in uniform might be more easily induced to 'give it a whirl.'

One of the most successful participation dances, during 1942, was the polka. This old-fashioned folk dance was helped no little by the great popularity of several excellent polka recordings, which blared from juke boxes all over the land, and sent many rural feet a-flying in all directions. Such tunes as the 'Beer Barrel Polka,' which carried over from 1941 into the beginning of the past year; the novelty 'Strip Polka,' and the now-popular 'Pennsylvania Polka' all enjoyed a wide sale and were in no small way responsible for the continued popularity of the polka. It has been said that war times bring back a nostalgia for old-time dances, such as the polka, but that is a matter for the psychologists to ponder. At any rate, the polka, as well as the other participation dances, was exceedingly popular in civil gatherings as well as the military, and shows signs of continuing through the current year.

The war has also shifted emphasis to South American dances, in line with our national policy of extended Pan-Americanism. The countries in the continent to the south have given us many folk- and ballroom-dances, but 1941's newcomer, the Samba, showed the greatest rise in 1942. A bit more complex than the Rhumba, the Samba comes to us from Brazil. Its introduction in America was preceded by a wave of Brazilian music, played by South American dance orchestras, and introduced in films, on the stage and on the radio by such Brazilian songstresses as Carmen Miranda. American dancers, already masters of the Rhumba, have turned to the Samba as a more lilting step, more challenging, and as 'something new.' Also, the Samba has more 'pep' than the Rhumba, and this, too, might be interpreted as a reflection of the speedier pace of the times.

The Rhumba, which appears to be a constant favorite, continued to rise in popularity, despite the inroads made by the Samba. Those who already danced the Rhumba, continued to exercise their graces in social dancing, and in 1942 many more fans were introduced to the lilting pleasures of this dance. Its charm, its grace and its beautiful rhythm have entranced ballroom dancers all over the world, so there is little wonder that the Rhumba continued to climb in dance-conscious America.

True to prediction, the Conga, recognized as a novelty dance, although an interesting one, when first introduced a few years ago, began to recede in popularity during 1942. The logical reason which presents itself is the fact that the Conga, like all novelty dances soars to unprecedented heights in a comparatively short space of time, but like the skyrocket, burns itself out in an equally short time.

Still in the Latin-American department, we must consider the Tango, which remained dear to dance-lovers in 1942. The reason this graceful and beautiful dance does not enjoy still greater popularity is the fact that it appears too slow for the ordinary ballroom dancer, and because it requires only the highest skill in its execution. Poise, restraint, perfect rhythm — these are dancing attributes not shared by many. In the spots where superior dancers congregate, however, a lilting Tango from the bandstand is still greeted with cheers from the dance floor.

Of our native dances, the fox trot continued to hold the championship. Although the Tin Pan Alley output concerned itself with war songs, most of these were in ballad form and fox trot tempo. Dancers, so proficient in the execution of the fox trot, cannot be expected to put aside a skill born of many hours of patient learning. That other favorite, the waltz, held its popularity in 1942 because there are people who will always dance the waltz, and with good reason, for besides being one of the oldest types of ballroom dancing, the waltz is also one of the most graceful. Its popularity may be termed constant, unlike the novelty dances which come one year and go the next.

The Lindy Hop and other jitterbug dances regained some measure of popularity, and for interesting reasons. These mad-paced dances have always been the Terpsichorean expression of youth, and 1942 saw new freedom for youth. The swing-shifters in our war factories demanded enervating dances, and inasmuch as these war workers were largely 'teen-age boys and girls, the fast-paced dances came back into the lineup. Older folks, learning to dance, also embraced the jitterbug routines, in an effort, perhaps, to hold on to their fleeting youth.

At least two new dances made their appearance in 1942, and both show signs of continuing to gain in popularity. One is the Victory Walk, introduced by Arthur Murray following a request by the Office of War Information for a dance which could be performed to marching tempo. The Walk was introduced in the fall of 1942 and immediately showed signs of nation-wide acceptance upon the official stamp of approval of the OWI. Another new dance, also created by Arthur Murray, is one called 'Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition,' a participation dance performed to the popular song of the same name. These dances have a patriotic background, and as long as the nation continues in the throes of intense patriotism, they can be expected to hold their grip on the dancing public.

1941: Dancing, Modern Social

Closely paralleling the 'dance craze' of 1914-19, the new crop of social dance trends which came into prominence during 1941 show a marked relationship to the turn of world events. Civilian nerves, frayed by screaming headlines, tense radio bulletins and vivid newsreels of the war, found in social dancing not only a valuable recreation facility but also an indispensable safety valve for the stored-up energy of trainees. The cumulative tension of watching the War gradually approach our own shores and finally, our entry toward the end of the year, produced a heightened popularity for social dancing since, among other socialized media of expression, it provides free activity for counteracting mental anxiety.

The widespread distribution of the 'juke box,' or coin-controlled phonograph, the boom in record sales, the rise to prominence of several popular orchestras, and of course, the radio, provided music practically at one's fingertips. Dancing achieved much of its increased popularity from the ubiquitous presence of new music and more from the tempo of the times.

During the year there were unprecedented demands for professional dance instruction, with the Arthur Murray schools alone enrolling more than 800,000 students at 45 centers throughout the country and at leading summer and winter resorts. Trained teachers were sent to army camps and service organizations' headquarters to provide free instruction, and classes for men in uniform were held regularly in New York.

In form, the new dances show unquestionable influence from actual history-in-the-making. Couple dances manifested more movement than in pre-war years; group-participation dances were brought back from the vigorous frontier era. And, at least one result of our fruitful 'Good Neighbor' policy was an unprecedented favoring of Latin-American dance rhythms and patterns.

It is interesting to note that the Argentine Tango fell slightly out of favor during the year; its languid and sophisticated rhythms seemed unsuited to the frenetic tempo of the time. The need for energetic steps helped to retain the Conga's popularity. Of Afro-Cuban origin, the Conga had already caught popular fancy in 1940, but during the past year it was considerably retailored to fit home and crowded public dance floor limitations. Also, though it rose to fame as an active line dance, it has lately been more widely performed by separate couples, thereby allowing more people on the same dancing space at one time. The one-two-three kick, pattern was changed to one-two-three pause, retaining favorite 'breaks' in which the separate partners may execute steps and improvisations as intricate or as simple as they wish.

Another South-of-the-Border dance, which also increased in public favor during the year, was the ballroom Rumba, a refined version of the Cuban Danzon. The Brazilian Samba, featured in several motion pictures of the year, was soon performed on the dance floors of leading ballrooms and hotels. Like the Rumba, the Samba is danced by couples in a two-four step pattern with a six-eight musical accompaniment. But, where the Rumba includes a syncopated pause on the fourth beat, the Samba substitutes a lift of the torso, accounting for the sense of greater airiness and bounce which, again, seems more in keeping with the tempo of the times.

Since the introduction of swing music there has been a popular fascination for Lindy and Jitterbug dancing. Last year saw the short-lived popularity of the Congaroo in the East. This combined elements of both Jitterbug and Conga, but proved, however, too exhibitionistic for regular public performance. The current trend toward sophisticated swing music has witnessed the rise of the more routine version of Jitterbug dancing, divested of much of its original abandon and improvisation. This was accepted readily at the better hotel ballrooms and sanctioned by army morale divisions and defense recreation authorities.

The country sensed a deepening of patriotism, and this is perhaps one of the most potent factors in the upward swing in popularity taken by American folk and group dances. Increased study of our native folklore and culture patterns had produced a general interest in these dances a few years ago; but in 1941 square and barn dancing became an integral part of urban dance affairs throughout the country. Traditional calls resounded through ballrooms, school gymnasiums and community centers while large groups were directed to:

'Balance to your partners, ladies, Salute your partners, all, Swing your partners, gents, And promenade the hall.'

The year also saw the Polka danced in both its original folk form and in the less breath-catching ballroom style which does not entail as much hopping. The Swing Polka was popular for some time, combining as it did, the Polka step and modern swing music.

Also considered in this group are game and group-participation dances. Since the innovation of the Big Apple there have been several variations of this group dance. The outstanding version in 1941 was the Coky Coky. This was performed in a circle, with the group acting out the movements included in such a verse:

'Now you're doing the Coky Coky, Now you're doing the Pepsy Coky. Coky Coky, Pepsy Coky, what's it all about?

'You put your right foot in, You put your right foot out, You give yourself a shake, shake, shake, And turn yourself about.'

Basically, the Waltz and Foxtrot retained their customary hold on the dancing public. But in this year of new dance forms, even these old standbys were varied with patterns stemming from the war. The middle of the year saw the creation of the V for Victory dance. A set of couples danced the ordinary Foxtrot, ending each number in a group V formation. Towards the end of the year came the Thumbs Up dance. In this, a line of open couples follow a leader, swinging their arms alternately to the left and right and pointing their thumbs upward on signal.

Before the close of the year another dance was inspired by social conditions. This was the Double-Partner Waltz, designed to meet the contingency brought about in civilian circles by the decrease in the number of men, and in army circles by the paucity of women. The Double-Partner Waltz is danced by groups of three — either one man and two women or a woman with two men. In the latter case, the trios begin by performing the basic waltz step with the men standing, each on one side of the woman. The woman then dances vis-à-vis with one man while the other dances around them. The woman soon changes partners, allowing the odd man to take up the solo improvisation.

Social dance trends during 1941 serve as a reliable index of the effect world events had on the country as a whole and as a gauge of popular reaction to each succeeding turn. Increasing collaboration with our South American neighbors was mirrored in our widespread favoring of Latin dances. The growing wave of patriotism witnessed a revival of indigenous group dances. The creation of our first peace time army brought about a new evaluation of social dancing as a recreational and relaxing activity for the boys in training. And to the civilian population, dancing loomed as a near-at-hand outlet for tension.

1940: Dancing, Modern Social

Dancing in 1940 proved to be the most highly colorful and varied in years. Owing to the reaction of this war, as in the war twenty years ago, dancing as an expression of relaxation, diversion and much needed gaiety has reached a new peak of importance.

Dances from all corners of the earth contributed varied motifs. The Rhumba from Cuba, the Conga, the Argentine's Tango, La Varsoviana from Warsaw, the Java from Australia, the Polka from Czecho-slovakia (once Little Bohemia), the Lambeth Walk, Chestnut Tree, Boomps-a-Daisy from England, the Hula-Formal (a ballroom version of the Hula-Hula from Hawaii), the Viennese Waltz of the old Vienna, and others — all have created the real dance stimulation of the American ballroom.

Dances born in America, such as all the old squares, have run the imports, as mentioned above, a good second — the squares, the ever popular fox trot, the waltz, and game-participation dances have also been highly popular in 1940.

Hill-Billy music, Back-to-the-Soil slogans, Gay Nineties trends, or possibly the ever-obvious evolution of everything brought back this definite vogue in square dancing. Dances like the Oh Susanna, the Virginia Reel, Captain Jinks, and many others were being done in all the swank hotels and night clubs on both coasts.

In complete contrast to the dignity and romance which accompanied the dances which came from other countries to America, and in definite contrast to our own fondly-remembered square dances, the Lindy Hop became acceptable to both the jitterbugs and the socialites. Seen on Broadway this dance took on almost an acrobatic form; seen in a country club in Westchester it had a jumpy elegance. On the whole, and to every type of person, the Lindy Hop offered both exercise and amusement.

The participation dance — or the game-dance — grew in popularity in 1940; the idea being that participation dancing was completely sociable. Exhibition dances, or watching others dance, became less popular as the dining and dancing crowd developed the desire to take part in the party themselves. This feature, during 1940, was possibly the most definitely new one in dancing. Through this development, the 'Champagne Hour' was introduced in hotels all over the country, when the teachers would first demonstrate the dance then ask the guests to take part, the guest winning the most applause would then be awarded the prize. This 'hour,' or Interlude, would generally end in participation dances, such as the Oh Susanna, the Koky-Koky, etc., when all the contestants would take part.

La Varsoviana, a dance known west of the Mississippi as the Little Foot, became popular during 1940. With a strange history — coming out of Warsaw, into Paris, then Mexico with Maximilian, then into our Southwest, the Little Foot made its own history, Combining the old Mazurka and Schottische steps, this dance offered the American ballrooms a new flavor of an old country.

The Latin-American dances had reached a high peak that was hard to retain; 1940 found the Rhumba accepted practically as one of our standard four: Tango, Fox Trot, Waltz and Rhumba. The Conga did a lot to wear itself out.

Hawaiian music and dancing came into the foreground, many Hawaiian night clubs opened, and the Hula-Formal — a ballroom adaptation of the Hula — gave Hawaiian dance music a new importance.

A 1940 summary of ballroom dances, as endorsed and participated in by over 750,000 pupils of modern dancing would be: the Fox Trot, Rhumba, Waltz, Tango, Conga, Americonga, Rhumba-reel, the Hula-Formal, Little Foot, American Waltz, the Java, Polka, all square dances and game dances, Lindy-Hop, and numerous ideas that come under the heading of Participation Dances which are 1940's outstanding gift to America's dancing public.

1939: Dancing, Modern Social

The year 1939, which saw the outbreak of what newspapers were quick to describe as the 'Second World War,' also witnessed a decided advance in the second 'dance craze.' This dance craze had its beginning in the vogue for swing music, and in 1937 manifested itself in such 'jitterbug' dances as the Big Apple, Peelin' the Peach, the Shag, Truckin', Peckin', and the Susy-Q — all distinguished by frenzied movements. Its parallel and predecessor was the great dance craze that flourished between 1912 and 1915, the period of the Turkey Trot, the Bunny Hug and Grizzly Bear as well as of the Castle Walk, the Hesitation Waltz and the Maxixe.

There is a striking similarity between the two periods, a similarity which has not escaped the attention of newspaper editors. Then, as now, war clouds hung black and ominous in the sky and the tension among people was at its peak. Escape valve for this tension was, and again in 1939 proved to be, dancing. Substitute 'jitterbug' (colloquial term applied to enthusiasts of the new swing music) for 'jazz' dancing and the Shag for any of the dances of animal nomenclature and the parallel is unmistakable.

Among the younger element in the middle class economic group, the jitterbug type of dancing was even more widespread in popularity during 1939. Although the Big Apple and the various steps that comprised this group dance were no longer being danced — indicating the transitory quality of the dances — a host of variations took their place. However, no one 'name' dance made its appearance during the year. The jitterbug dances, on the contrary, showed a decided tendency to discard the standardized routines in favor of steps created individually, on or away from the dance floor. These improvisations led to strenuous and intricate steps which more often than not had to be practiced in advance. Other manifestations of the second dance craze were to be seen in the open air dance jamborees staged at the World's Fair where popular dance orchestras attracted thousands of dancers daily; in the tremendous crowd which turned out to view the Harvest Moon Ball contest in Madison Square Garden sponsored by the New York Daily News; and in the greatly increased enrollment in dancing schools reported by dance masters throughout the country.

Among less phrenetic dancers, the fox trot and the waltz remained the most widely performed steps. Even here, however, the tendency to relieve frayed nerves with new and different dances was noticeable. The reception given the Lambeth Walk, imported from London in the summer of 1938 and widely popular until the early part of 1939, called for a successor, and this was found in the Chestnut Tree, a 'game dance' based upon the well-known English nursery rhyme and acted out to the rhythm of a tune of the same title. By mid-year, this dance had run its course and still another English importation was launched. This was the Boomps-a-Daisy, the third English importation which, unlike its predecessors, was danced to waltz tempo. The dance closely followed and called for movements described in the lyric of the music written for it.

The Boomps-a-Daisy was still struggling to gain a national foothold by the end of the year. It is interesting to note that these three imported dances each depended upon a single musical composition for execution. The decline in popularity of the song, therefore, doomed the popularity of the dance which depended upon it for existence.

Especially in more sophisticated circles in large cities throughout the country, the rumba increased in favor. This is a refined version of the Cuban danzon. An exciting dance step, it is based on the rumba rhythm: one, two, three, pause; one, two, three pause; and, since the knees are actively employed, the dancers face each other about six inches apart.

The present vogue for the rumba is matched by la conga, a dance of Cuban origin. La conga, little heard of heretofore, sprang into wide prominence co-incident with the opening of the fall social season. Not unlike the rumba and similar dances requiring skill acquired through instruction from an expert, la conga had hitherto been confined to small groups of people. The sharply increased demand for instruction indicates that it has definitely 'arrived' and probably will grow even greater in public favor during 1940. In the conga, dancers form a chain, couples filing behind each other with one arm forward and hand resting on the shoulder of person in front. Members of the chain follow the leader of the line and duplicate whatever steps he does, the rhythm being one, two, three, kick.

A well-defined tendency noted during the fall of 1939 was a revival of group participation dances, harking back to the square dances and the Virginia reel for their spirit of gaiety and merriment. Here again can be traced the desire of men and women to seek relief from mental nervous tension brought about by reading and listening to a constant stream of war bulletins. Square dances were being performed in hotel ballrooms, and European folk dances were also making their appearance on dance floors. Most popular appeared to be the polka, a vivacious hopping dance of Bohemian origin.