Dance marathons : performing American culture of the 1920sand 1930s / Carol Martin ; foreword by Brooks McNamara.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Martin, Carol J.

Series:

Performance studies (Jackson, Miss.)

Performance studies, expressive behavior in culture

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Dance marathons--United States--History.

Dance marathons.

Dance marathons--Social aspects--United States.

Dance marathons--Social aspects.

History.

United States--Social life and customs--1918-1945.

United States.

Manners and customs.

Physical Description:

xxv, 182 pages ; illustrations ; 23 cm.

Place of Publication:

Jackson : University Press of Mississippi, [1994]

Summary:

This penetrating analysis of one of the most extraordinary fads ever to strike America details how dance marathons manifested a potent from of drama. Between the two world wars they were a phenomenon in which working-class people engaged in emblematic struggles for survival. Battling to outlast other contestants, the dancers hoped to become notable. There was crippling exhaustion and anguish among the contenders, but ultimately it was the coupling of authentic pain with staged displays that made dance marathons a national craze. Within the well-controlled space of theatre they revealed actual life's unpredictability and inconsistencies, and, indeed, the frightful aspects of social Darwinism. In this grotesque theatrical setting we see also a horrifying metaphor - the ailing nation grappling with difficult times.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (page) and index.

ISBN:

0878056734

0878057013

OCLC:

30516586