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Tap dancing class in the gymnasium at Iowa State College. Ames, Iowa. Photo by Jack Delano, 1942 May. http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/fsa.8d04646

Shall We Learn to Dance?

Posted by: Kristi Finefield

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In the course of locating images depicting a variety of dance styles in the collections for my most recent Flickr album, Shall We Dance?, my attention was drawn to photos of people in dance classes. Looking closely at each photo, I can see the telltale signs of someone learning – slightly stiff or self-conscious stances, intensely focused expressions, and even little smiles of satisfaction as they get the steps right. I swear I can almost hear the nervous laughs in a few as they try to follow instructions and make their feet and bodies move the right way! Enjoy this assortment of people taking the leap (pun intended) as they learn to dance!

Showing recreation instructor Miss Eleanor Kenny teaching her teenage group how to dance–The pictures on the wall are the girls favorite screen stars. Photo by Fred Palumbo, 1953. http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/cph.3c25429
[School children learning a dance in a school yard, Washington, D.C.] Photo by Frances Benjamin Johnston, ca. 1899. http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/cph.3a11201
Manzanar, Calif. May 1942. A dancing class in the girls’ recreation hall at the War Relocation Authority center where evacuees of Japanese ancestry will spend the duration of the war. Photo by Francis Stewart, 1942 May. https://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/ppmsca.74026
[Members of the Monaghan Men’s Irish Dancing Class and their partners]. Photo copyrighted by D.A. Sigerist, 1905 May 27. http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/cph.3b22746
Madison, Wisconsin. Farm short course school at the University of Wisconsin. Interest in rural culture and customs is stimulated at the school. This class in rural society often practices square dances. Photo by Jack Delano, 1943 Feb. http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/fsa.8d26003
Mrs. Shren’s dancing class. Photo by National Photo Company, between 1910 and 1920. http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/npcc.30613

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Comments

  1. Richard Allen Pearlson says:

    Excellent Quality,very relevant for fun..to be won.. thank you Rap (one son of past community education,tap dancer advocate Marjorie Gloria Pearlson) oh happy days…

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