Through the years: A look back at the art of dance

Dancing as a leisure activity was forced underground by the dominant Protestant culture that declared dancing socially unacceptable and linked it with drinking and lewdness. Even when European immigrants brought traditional dances to America during the nineteenth century, they were limited to celebrations at ethnic social halls.

Dancing became more mainstream after the turn of the century, when music and more organized bands earned enthusiastic followings. The advent of prohibition in 1920 separated dancing and drinking to a certain extent, and made dancing more socially respectable. Many commercial dance palaces were set up during this period, and in New York City alone, dance halls had revenues of $8 million in 1920.

A combination of social, economic, and demographic factors contributed to the decline of ballroom dancing and the dance school industry in the 1950s and 1960s. Fewer extravagant, romantic movie musicals were filmed. The advent of counter-culture rock-and-roll music was accompanied by alcohol use, transferring much social dancing into another industrial category. Moreover, the mass exodus to suburbia during this period resulted in a decreasing number of couples visiting urban dance halls. During the 1960s and 1970s, improvised singles dancing grew increasingly popular, and organized couples dancing became reserved for weddings and other special occasions.

Ballroom dancing regained popularity in the 1980s, spurred by a modest revival of music from the first half of the century. As the decade of conspicuous consumption progressed, ballroom dancing provided an outlet for prosperous men and women to dress up and spend money. Dance studios and halls also benefited from the fitness craze, as people danced for exercise and to relieve tension. The return of traditional formal weddings also contributed to this industry's growth in the 1980s. Dance teachers also credited the Public Broadcasting Service, which carried major ballroom dance competitions beginning in 1981, for promoting the activity. Dance studios began to coordinate more competitions, which encouraged students to take more lessons in preparation for competition.

The International DanceSport Federation (IDSF, formerly the International Council of Amateur Dancers) spent the latter half of the twentieth century working toward the acceptance of ballroom dancing as an Olympic event. In 1987, IDSF designated the United States Amateur Ballroom Dancers Association as the sole governing body for amateur ballroom dancing in the United States. Ten years later, the International Olympic Committee gave full recognition to the IDSF and its affiliates.

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