Economics
...dancing throughout the 1920's
Economics affects the way people spend their money and their time. During prosperous times, people are more willing to spend money, and they are also more willing to spend time doing things other than working and trying to get by, like dancing.
During the 1920’s, the United States’ economy was growing and expanding. It was just after World War I, and everyone was trying to return to a normal lifestyle. World War I caused an economic expansion by causing the growth of consumerism. People were not working as many hours, they were making more money, they were investing in the stock marker, and they were buying things. This flourishing economy made people happy. They were more likely to go out and enjoy some form of entertainment because they did not have to worry as much about working and making enough money to support themselves and their families. When people went out they might go dancing or go to a musical or dance performance. With more people attending these events the arts were making more money and therefore were thriving as well. It seemed as though dance was on the rise with the economy, until October 24, 1929.
The stock market started to decline and reached its low on October 29, Black Tuesday. From that day the economy turned around as the United States sank into a depression. One would expect the Great Depression to have an affect on society that was basically the opposite effect of the “Roaring Twenties.” However, that is not quite true. People did lose their jobs and many were barely surviving. They did not go out as much for entertainment because not only was there not any money, but they had to spend most of their time trying to find work. Nevertheless, dance is part of the culture. And as for dance marathons, during the Great Depression they became jobs for some. As far as theatrical dance, modern choreographers were creating works influenced by the depression. Martha Graham made a piece involving isolation and depression that was inspired by the stock market crash and the Great Depression.
The economic situation during the 1920s and early 1930s affected both the social and theatrical dance during that time. In some ways, although people were suffering financially, dance and culture were still able to prosper.