1930s
1930s - Germans Dance a Paso Doble
This is a clip of Germans dancing to a Paso Doble. There were lots of Paso Dobles recorded in the 20s & 30s, but I have found almost no examples of them being danced in a social setting. It would appear that the step is essentially very fast-footed One-Step/Foxtrot, a bit like a Samba, but without the back-and-forth, hip-swaying. More just step-step-step-step-step.... with a bit of a spring. I don't imagine the promiscuous partner switching was an essential element of the German Paso Doble.
Germans Dance the "Modern" Waltz in the 1930s
And here are some examples of the Germans performing the "Modern" Waltz in the early 1930s.
Waltz in the Jazz Age
A video pastiche of Waltzing in the 1920s and 30s.
Joan Crawford Dances with a Sailor in Rain
Joan Crawford dances a naughty Fox Trot with a sailor in "Rain"
The Fox Trot in the Jazz Age
An overview of the Foxtrot in the Jazz Age (1920s-1930s) showing its infinite adaptability. All footage is from the era. While dance teachers of the time liked to make distinctions, music publishers, bandleaders and dancers lumped almost any dance in 4/4 or even 2/4 time under the title "Fox Trot" unless it was obviously a Tango.
How to Dance the Fox Trot 1930
A Dutch instructional film from 1930, demonstrating the ballroom Foxtrot of the time. Edited by Walter Nelson from silent raw footage found on the Internet Archive. Music is "Easy Come, Easy Go" by Al Bowlly and his orchestra.
How to Dance the Tango 1930
This film from the Netherlands in 1930 shows the standard ballroom Tango as practiced in Europe and North America in "The Jazz Age", to include some very nice close ups of footwork. Thank you to the "Internet Archive" for this footage. The music is "La Cumparsita" sung by Tito Schipa (also from 1930)
Balboa, Shag & Foxtrot in Los Angeles in 1936
From the film "Marihuana", which used an anti-drug message as a cover for some pretty racy stuff. The dance scenes clipped together here show bits of Balboa, Shag and even a bit of Fox Trot right at the end.
The French "Java" Waltz Variation
A collection of clips from European films of the '20s & '30s showing the French Java (a bouncy waltz variation) being danced. Music is "Ca Gaze" by the Baguette Quartette.
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French Waltz from Sous Les Toits de Paris
A Valse Musette from the 1930 French Film Sous les toits de Paris (Under the roofs of Paris).
