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Tag: 1940’s dancing

Vintage Photos Of The Social Dance

Spring has sprung here in Toronto and I know in many other places all over the world (thank goodness!). Hearing the word spring made me think of the themed dance ‘The Spring Fling’ and then I wanted to find all the photos related to this dance to share with all of you.

Well friends..I was out of luck, there really are no photos entitled “Spring Fling”. This really surprised me because I thought that this type of dance was popular in day’s gone by? Yes? No? If any of my readers have the answer please let me know in the comment section. So that said, for today’s Vintage Photo Tuesday we are going to just focus on images from the 1930’s-1950’s showcasing ‘The Social Dance’.

1930s  Vintage Dance Card 1939
Source: eBay

Let’s begin!

Social Dance Images from the 1930s-1950s

You cannot have a proper dance without the “King & Queen”, so I introduce to our lovely 1950’s couple who will oversee all the dances being shown today. They are joined by the “Duke”, the “Prince” and the “Princesses”.

Further Reading: Prom in the 1940s & 1950s

1950's Vintage Valentines Dance photo of the King & Queen of the dance and their group. 1950s fashions.
Source: Flickr-St. Mary’s Digital Archives

Oct 27th,1945 the Woody Herman Orchestra performs for eager dancers at Maple Leaf Gardens (Toronto). Dancers on the side of the stage and all the rest of the dancing seems to be happening further back (behind all the people watching).

1940s vintage photo of woody herman in 1945 at maple leaf gardens toronto playing for a big dance
Source: Toronto Archives

It’s the Simpson’s Teen-Town Time dance at Maple Leaf Gardens (1940’s) featuring Bobby Gimby (Toronto Orchestra Leader), Art Hallman (popular Canadian Tenor) and Ken Watts.

1940's Simpsons Sears Teen Town Time Dance at Maple Leaf Gardens - 1940s vintage photo
Source: Toronto Archives

“Dance with me”-1940s Photo.

Canadian Archives 1940's social dance vintage image
Source: Library and Archives Canada

Dancing close in a crowded Toronto dance hall in the 1940’s.

1940's toronto dance hall vintage image
Source: Library and Archives Canada

It’s Boogie Time (circa 1950’s)! Love this vintage photo of girls getting their Rock n Roll on!

1950's vintage image of women dancing at a social dance in 1950s fashions
Source: Library and Archives Canada

Sometimes social dancing also involves social standing and social sitting.

1940s vintage image of a group of women in 1940s fashions sitting on the side at a dance.
Source: Library and Archives Canada

1930’s social dance at the Transportation Building, Toronto, Canadian National Exhibition.

1930's social dance at the Transportation Building, Toronto Canadian National Exhibition
Source: Library and Archives Canada

The Calm before the Dance. This is earlier then the images from the 1930’s to the 1950’s that I’m focusing on today but it’s such a marvelous photo that I just had to share.

1910’s Dancing Pavilion at Bo-Lo, Bois Blanc Island, Detroit River.

1910's Dancing pavilion at Bo-Lo, Bois Blanc Island, Detroit River vintage image
Source: Library and Archives Canada

1940’s Canadian Highland Regiment soldier and beautiful woman share a dance together.

1940's Canadian Highland Regiment soldier and beautiful woman share a dance together.
Source: Library and Archives Canada

Emma Willard 1950’s School Dance.

1950's dance vintage image Emma Willard School -1950s social dance.
Source: Emma Willard School

1940’s social dance, view of the busy dance floor.

1940s vintage image: 1940's social dance, view of the busy dance floor.
Source: Library and Archives Canada

The Closeup of the dance mentioned above.

1940's swing dancing vintage image
Source: Library and Archives Canada

“Couldn’t We Keep on Dancing?”

Further Reading: Vintage Sheet Music from the 1940s

Couldn't We Keep on Dancing? From On with the Dance: Vocal Fox-trot
Source: Abebooks

Unfortunately we cannot keep on dancing, BUT I hope you enjoyed this week’s Vintage Photo Tuesday! VPT will be back in 2 weeks with another exciting group of images.

FURTHER READING:

Liz

Time To Dance! Vintage Instructions To Get You Dancing In No Time

If you follow my blog then you know that I’m an avid Lindy Hopper and I’m also working on my “Rock & Roll” and “Jiving” for my Rockabilly side. I LOVE to dance so while in my Lindy class last night a blog post hit me…Vintage Dance Instructions!

So gang lets see how some of our predecessors learned how to cut a rug, shall we?

Note: While these instructions say “guys do one things, girls do another” I am a big believer in DANCE ANY ROLE YOU LIKE! So just ignore the “role designation”.

1940s vintage ad for Recca Records featuring illustrations of people dancing different kinds of dances. Like Swing dancing, polka, latin, ballroom.

Disclosure: Some of the links on my blog from Etsy , eBay, are Affiliate Links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. 

Note: If an item is no longer for sale after you click on it, don’t worry! Etsy & eBay are updated daily with 1000’s of products. Take a look around and see what you find!


Vintage Dance Instructions

Vintage Advertising & Vintage Dance Books

1920s ad: Nobody wants to be a wallflower do we? So time to take some lessons from the famous “Arthur Murray”

Vintage 1920s Ad for Arthur Murray Dance Studio-Why be a wallflower?!

Here is a wonderful 80 page softcover booklet by Arthur Murray, the King of Ballroom Dancing (as mentioned above).

Detailed instructions of how to present yourself in the ballroom, how to dance the various dances in conversation mode in addition to how to do just about everything correctly at a ballroom or any formal affair.

Dance instructions for the Fox Trot, The Waltz, How to be Graceful, The Samba, Mambo, Lindy and much more great instructional material.

(See inside the book & purchase as of July 20th, 2022 HERE).

1950s Vintage dance instruction book from Arthur Murray featuring a couple dancing on the cover.

Learn how to do the Mambo Box Step from Arthur Murray.

Learn how to do the Mambo Box Step from a 1950s Dance Instruction book from Arthur Murray

Source: Etsy

1930s vintage ad: Being popular and having fun all depend on that dancing, so off you go for more lessons!

1930s dance ad featuring a couple in 1930s evening wear dancing together-Learn to dance!
1930s Dance Ad

Time to do some Swing Dancing (Lindy Hop), Shag, Trankey Doo, The Big Apple & Solo Jazz moves!

Further Reading: Vintage Photos of The Lindy Hop

Vintage Dances-Time to do some Swing Dancing (Lindy Hop), Shag, Trankey Doo, The Big Apple & Solo Jazz moves!

1940s ad: It’s Suzy-Q time! We do this move a lot in Lindy Hop Solo Jazz.

1940s vintage dance instruction -Learn how to do the Suzy Q solo jazz move.

Want to learn how to “Collegiate Shag“? Here are some starter points.

Collegiate Shag -Lern how to dance "The Shag" in the 19490s as per these vintage dance instructions.
Source: CollegiateShag.com

Dominion Round and Square Dances | Learn Square Dancing Instructions by Hugh Bryan. Book is from 1951 Canadian Music Sales Corporation Ltd (avail as of Nov 2023 HERE).

1950s Dance Instruction Book: Dominion Round and Square Dances | Learn Square Dancing Instructions by Hugh Bryan

Source: Etsy

1950s dance instruction. Not so much “HOW” to dance but how “NOT to be”…I think.

1950s vintage dance instruction-How not to dance.

As mentioned above I’m also a big fan of the 1950’s and Rockabilly so I’m learning Jive (sort of) and also have taken Rock n Roll classes in the past.

"How to dance the Rock & Roll" vintage dance instruction 1950s.
Thank goodness for this book or I would truly be lost! Source: Etsy- Props & Pieces

I agree about # 4 below. Thinking ruins everything…It really does!

"How to dance the Rock & Roll" vintage dance instruction 1950s.
Source: Etsy-Props & Pieces

Last BUT not least you cannot mention dance instruction and NOT mention “Fred Astaire”.

The Fred Astaire Dance Book-vintage dance instruction
Source: Etsy-JeanRameyArt

So many shoes! Quick, Quick, Slow……Got it??

The Fred Astaire Dance Book-vintage dance instruction
Source-Etsy: JeanRameyArt

I will leave you with this Tillie the Toiler Cartoon. It made me giggle because I’m a tall woman and many of my dances look like Tillie’s 🙂

Further Reading: See more images featuring Tillie the Toiler at “The Stylish Fashions of Vintage Paper Dolls“.

Tillie the Toiler vintage cartoon.

So my lovely readers, did these images get you motivated to go dancing? Take a lesson or two? If you do dance, please share what got you into dancing I love those stories.

FURTHER READING:

Liz 🙂