1920's The Arts | Dance

Ballet.

Patrons of professional ballet in the early decades of the twentieth century tended toward a view of culture as a European import. At its best, American ballet was ardently derivative; resident companies hardly existed outside the major cities, and much of what little professional dancing was accessible to the public was both imported and of poor quality. Ballet schools were numerous—then, as now, ballet being considered an appropriate physical activity for young ladies. (The art of American modern dance would scarcely exist without the opportunity provided by regional ballet schools for early exposure to performance dance.)

Popular Dance.

The state of popular professional dancing at the time was no better. Modern-dance pioneer Ted Shawn, describing the situation that existed in his youth, said, "Dancers in musicals kicked 16 to the right,16 to the left and kicked the backs of their heads. In...