1920s Dance & Jazz Precursors – Quick Review

Dances show class dynamics: formal aristocratic settings vs. more informal, with working-class influences; waltz and couple dancing in higher circles.
Vernon & Irene Castle popularized dances on screen and on stage, breaking down complex moves for nonprofessionals; tango and other styles became widespread.
Argentinian tango influence rises during this period.

Radio and the first sound films emerge; silent films were common since the late 19th century, but sound-enabled media expand.
1925: first electric recording; shift from analog wax/rolls to electronic recording; microphones enable new sound manipulation.
High-fidelity tech gives engineers more control, but there are pitfalls in early recording.
1927: first synchronized sound film (talkie); dialogue and music on film change rights and revenue models; Al Jolson part of the era.

1917: major ruling requiring hotels, theaters, dance halls, restaurants to purchase an ASCAP license; broad protection for composers/publishers; studios profited heavily before licensing.
ASCAP and BMI: historical (ASCAP) vs. later licensing bodies (BMI) shaping how music is licensed for public performance.
Institutional licenses (e.g., universities like Montana State University) allow playing licensed music on campus.

Castles choreographed and popularized dances, making complex steps accessible; helped bring ballroom/tango into mainstream.
Elizabeth Marjorie’s Modern Dancing documented their breakdown of dance styles; book remains a resource.
Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers learned from the Castles, further propagating their influence.

James Reese Europe served as the Castles’ first African American musical director; elevated Black musicians into upper-class venues.
Europe was known for ragtime piano and conducting, shaping the sound of ballroom music in elite settings.

Ragtime is a precursor to jazz; Castle House Rag exemplifies a form bridging marching band, ragtime, and early jazz elements.
Castle House Rag form: $(A A B B A C C D E E E F)$
The 1920s-30s jazz landscape evolves between ragtime, marching band, and new African American musical styles.

WWI accelerates social change and spreads jazz to Europe via Black regiments; Harlem Hellfighters introduced syncopation to France.
Europe’s exposure to Jazz helps seed its development in Europe and beyond.

Next sessions will delve deeper into jazz origins and the 1920s-30s jazz evolution, showing how ragtime, marching band, and African American styles converge.