Dance Marathons: Performing American Culture in the 1920s and 1930s

by Carol Martin

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.

Genres: Nonfiction, History

182 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 1994

About the author

Carol Martin is Associate Professor of Drama at New York University. Her books include Dance Marathons and A Sourcebook of Feminist Theatre and Performance.

Reviews

[Krista · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a really interesting book. I especially like the section that talked about the portrayal of private actions (weddings, sleeping, grooming, eating) and the blurring of gender boundries. I would have really liked to have seen those thoughts explored more. It would have also been interesting to see more pictures and read more first-hand accounts of what it was like to be in a dance marathon. But overall, a good look into a bizarre and depressing (think 'They Shoot Horses, Don't They?') fad. And someone (Kara maybe?) should write how dance marathons were the first reality shows.