Satan in the dance hall : Rev. John Roach Straton, social dancing, and morality in 1920s New York City / Ralph G. Giordano.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Giordano, Ralph G.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Ballroom dancing--New York (State)--New York--History.

Ballroom dancing.

Dance halls--New York (State)--New York--History.

Dance halls.

United States--Social conditions--1918-1932.

United States.

Straton, John Roach, 1875-1929.

Straton, John Roach.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (304 p.)

Place of Publication:

Lanham, Md. : Scarecrow Press, 2008.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Satan in the Dance Hall explores the overwhelming popularity of social dancing and its close relationship to America's rapidly changing society in the 1920s. The book focuses on the fiercely contested debate over the morality of social dancing in New York City, led by moral reformers and religious leaders like Rev. John Roach Straton. Fed by the firm belief that dancing was the leading cause of immorality in New York, Straton and his followers succeeded in enacting municipal regulations on social dancing and moral conduct within the more than 750 public dance halls in New York City. Ralph G.

Contents:

Introduction

The war, the flu, and New York City

Dr. Straton tells of buying drinks

The dance of death and Satan's circus

The dance masters respond to issues of morality

Flappers and the dance of life

The devil's music and the Scopes trial

Searching for Satan in the dance hall

Fighting the devil in modern Babylon

Eulogy for the last dragon slayer.

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Description based on print version record and CIP data provided by publisher; resource not viewed.

Includes bibliographical references (p. [223]-226) and index.

ISBN:

1-282-52015-6

9786612520150

0-8108-6363-4

OCLC:

609846888