'Dancingly Yours' explores the fascinating craze of dance endurance contests of the 1920s and 30s, examining the mood of the era from a very unique perspective.

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DANCINGLY YOURS

This little known fad took America by storm in the early 20s when the flapper lifestyle was introduced as a fun way to showcase strength and abilities. However, this attitude quickly turned sour and the spectacle of the dance marathon soon became a comparison for the mood of the Great Depression.

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From rules and regulations to the survival of the fittest, ‘Dancingly Yours’ tells the tale of the competitions in detail, revealing the hidden secrets of the unscrupulous promoters and showing the depravity of the exhausted contestants as they dance for their futures. Historical context reveals a second narrative giving an insight into the outside world and peoples opinions of the dance marathons.

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With our extended knowledge of this era, it is phenomenal how this incredible subject has seemed to have slipped through the cracks of history regardless of its immense popularity at the time. This fascinating read uncovers a forgotten story that encapsulates the atmosphere of depression era America and the struggles of its people to survive.

The aim of this publication is to reveal the forgotten story of the period and to reflect on the elements of its history, through typography and form. The publication juxtaposes endurance dance as well as what was happening historically at the time and reveals behind the scene elements that were kept secret from the public and contestants. These details have all been considered through the narrative form of the publication and play a role in unveiling the story of dance marathons.

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People understand the hardship that occurred during the depression years in America and there is extensive study on the period at our disposal. However, it is perplexing that this incredible element of history has seemed to have been forgotten even though it was a widely performed form of entertainment at the time. This publication hopes to bring the subject into the light and serve as both an important story and realisation of the depravity of these individuals and the lengths they would go to, to survive in difficult times. 

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The design of this publication fully considers the story being told. The typefaces are all representative of the 1920s & 30s. The colour palette is influenced by wallpaper swatches of popular tones of the era to create the illusion that the publication could be of the period. Paper stock and texture gives the publication a certain grit that one can imagine the less than glamorous dance halls that the contests took place in possessed. Hidden content reveals a double narrative mimicking the secrecy of the dance marathon promoters and different coloured papers separate the publication to reflect time constraints that the contestants had to adhere to.

Together with typography, form and content, this publication reflects on the fascinating dance marathon craze and remembers the Great Depression era through a new unique perspective which incapsulates the mood of 1920s & 30s America.

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