Dancing Till Dawn: A Century of Exhibition Ballroom Dance

Dancing Till Dawn explores the history of exhibition ballroom dancing from its heyday in the 1910s to the present. Julie Malnig’s record of this intimate, theatrical genre of dance features male-female teams, perhaps the most memorable of which was the team of Irene Vernon Castle, and other teams idolized as theatre personalities in cabaret, vaudeville, and musicals and, later, as stars of film and television. Both role models and teachers, exhibition ballroom teams educated the public in exciting new forms and styles. Exhibition ballroom dancing is also examined as a cultural and social phenomenon, promoting new cultural standards, including the emancipation of women and a casualness and spontaneity between the sexes. This comprehensive study of this dance genre and entertainment form utilizes previously unexplored primary sources, including promotional materials and print reviews, and is illustrated with original photographs. A survey of a subject which has seen renewed interest in recent years, the book can be used by students, researchers and anyone interested in the history of dance, theatre, and all forms of popular entertainment as well as popular culture and cultural history in general.