U.S. School Activities and Events: Dance


Figure 1.--We have no information about this photograph, exceot that it comes from a school in Yonkers (New York City). We would guess it was taken during the 1930s. We are not sure if this is dancing lessons at the school or a school social. The children look like junior high school students.

Many schools did not have dance programs, but some did. This varied widely from school system to school system. We have very limited information at this time. Nor do we fully understand the chronological trends. Dance in the schools is not a subject we know much about. Hopefully HBC readers wsill provide some insights here. Most school systems did provide lessons in social dancing beginning in junior high school. We do not recall dance classes in primary school in the United States during the 1950s, but American schools vary widely from school to school. There are after all 50 individual school systems. We believe that some schools did have dance programs. Most commonly this was social dancing, but younger children may have done iterperative dance in some schools. I do remember dance lessons in junior high school. We did basic social dancing and square dancing in gym class. We believe that some schools did have dance programs. Most commonly this was social dancing. We are not sure if this continues todat, as basic ballroom dancing no longer seems common among young people. With younger children in primary school there were ometimes interperative dance in some primary schools. Here there seems to have been substantial differences among schools. schools.

Extent

Many schools did not have dance programs, but some did. This varied widely from school system to school system. We have very limited information at this time. Dance in the schools is not a subject we know much about. Hopefully HBC readers wsill provide some insights here.

Chronology

We do not fully understand the chronological trends concerning dance programs at American schools. We are collecting information on dance in the schools over time. Some images we have found are difficult to assess just what is happening. We note younger children doing interperative dancing in the early 20th century. Many schools provided lessons in social dancing, but we are not sure about the chronology. One major development I think in the 1930s was the effort by Henry Ford to promote folk dancing in the schools. As a result, for many years we see schools teaching square dancing, often in the gym classes. This was popular through the 1960s. We are not sure about dance programs currently conducted in American schools.

School Level

The dance programs at American schools varied significantkly as to the academic level. We notice some interperative dance at primary schools. Most school systems did provide lessons in social dancing beginning in junior high school. I do not recall dance classes in primary school in the United States during the 1950s, but American schools vary widely from school to school. I do remember dance lessons in junior hogh school. We did basic social dancing and square dancing in gym class.

Dance Types

Some schools did have dance programs, although our information on these programs is still very limited. There are a wide range of dance types. We have, however, noted only a few types of dance used in school dancing programs. Most commonly this was social dancing. I think most public schools offered dance lessons as part of gym. Some schools also did square dancing. This was common in the 1950s and 60s. I'm less sure before and after. A reader writes, "When I was in elementary school (in Washington) and Jr High (in California), during the late 50's through mid-60's, we learned to square dance in gym class. I should stress we HAD to learn to square dance. In Junior High, we did it in our PE uniforms. In elementary school, it was in our regular school clothes. When I was in 5th and 6th grades there were Friday night square dances that we held in the next town that we sometimes attended." Younger children may have done iterperative dance in some schools. I do not recall this in the schools I attended, but have seen photographs of these classes.







HBC





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Created: 10:33 PM 11/14/2004
Last updated: 10:33 PM 11/14/2004