Ballroom: A People’s History of Dancing

A tune-filled, light-footed people’s history of ballroom dancing, from Vernon and Irene Castle and Arthur Murray to Dancing with the Stars.

In the early twentieth century, American ragtime and the Parisian Tango fueled a dancing craze in Britain. Public ballrooms--which had never been seen before--were built throughout the country, providing a glamorous setting for all classes to dance. The new styles of dance being defined and taught in the 1920s, as well as the films of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers in the 1930s, ensured that ballroom dancing continued to be the most popular pastime until the 1960s, rivaled only by the cinema.

This book explores the vibrant history of Ballroom and Latin: the dances, the lavish venues, the competitions, and the influential instructors. It also traces the decline of competitive dancing and its resurgence in recent years with the hugely popular TV shows Strictly Come Dancing and Dancing with the Stars.

Hilary French is professor of design studies at Bath Spa University. She is also a ballroom dancer and occasional competitor.