Dancing culture

During the 1950s and 1960s, dance was a vital element of socialising for young people. It was much encouraged for youths to learn how to dance. My Grandmother stated that at her school, 'they would have dancing during their lunch break' and my Grandfather went to dancing lessons. They would go to dances at the Corn Exchange and the Pavilion, where they both grew up. It was in fact, at a dance that they first met. This element of their lives is an important element to their story. I would like to, in some way, incorporate this into my own interpretation, whether to show dance movement.

(My Grandparents dancing on the boat crossing to Trinidad in 1959)

Elvis Presley is a fine example of entertainment of the 1950s, full of fast paced dancing. He was one of the first singers of the rock n roll era that was particularly influential on young people of the time. Despite, the initial uproar of his 'sexual' dancing, it encouraged youths to much more liberal with their social lives. Presley was also a heroic character in society, all the women wanted to be with them, therefore in consequence men wanted to be like him.

Compared to modern times, where it is very rare for young people to know a variation of dances. This makes the whole dance culture fairly dated. However in this project i'd like to use as a method to look at it nostalgically.