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American culture has a long and rich tradition of popular dance. From the folk dancing of Appalachia to the urban dance crazes that animated New York City in the 1920s, dance has been an important facet of social life. But dance is more than just boy-meets-girl on the floor. Dance has often been a place of cultural mixing, however indirect at times, and of testing the limits of societal norms. It’s a party, yes, but the party has repercussions, which can redefine the codes of conduct that organize everyday life.
In this unit, students examine how dance and dance music impacted – and was impacted by – the changing social norms of the 1970s.
lesson:
The Rise of Black Pride
How did Social Soul reflect a new vision of African-American identity in the late 1960s and early 1970s?
lesson:
Funk Asserts Itself
How did 1970s Funk respond to African-American life in the decade following the Civil Rights movement?
lesson:
Mi Gente: Fania Records & New York Salsa Music
What is Fania Records, and how does it reflect the history of Spanish-speaking Caribbean communities in New York City?
lesson:
The Origins of Disco
What are the cultural, economic, and geographic origins of Disco and how has the genre been presented, remembered, and represented in popular culture?