Working Women and Dance in Progressive Era New York City, 1890-1920 Jennifer L
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Florida State University Libraries Electronic Theses, Treatises and Dissertations The Graduate School 2003 Working Women and Dance in Progressive Era New York City, 1890-1920 Jennifer L. Bishop Follow this and additional works at the FSU Digital Library. For more information, please contact [email protected] THE FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF VISUAL ARTS AND DANCE WORKING WOMEN AND DANCE IN PROGRESSIVE ERA NEW YORK CITY, 1890-1920 By JENNIFER L. BISHOP A Thesis submitted to the Department of Dance In partial fulfillment of the Requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Degree Awarded: Summer Semester, 2003 The members of the committee approve the thesis of Jennifer L. Bishop defended on June 06, 2003. ____________________ Tricia Young Chairperson of Committee ____________________ Neil Jumonville Committee Member ____________________ John O. Perpener, III. Committee Member The Office of Graduate Studies has verified and approved the above named committee members. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Some of the ideas presented in this thesis are inspired by previous coursework. I would like to acknowledge the contributions of Dr. Neil Jumonville’s U.S. Intellectual History courses and Dr. Sally Sommer’s American Dance History courses in influencing my approach to this project. I would also like to acknowledge the editorial feedback from Dr. Tricia Young. Dr. Young’s comments have encouraged me to synthesize this material in creative, yet concise methods. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract………………………………………………………………………………..…v INTRODUCTION……………………………………………………………….……… 1 1. REFORMING AMERICA: Progressive Era New York City as Context for Turn-of-the-Century American Dance…………………………………………….6 2. VICE AND VIRTUE: The Competitive Race to Shape American Identities Through Leisure and Vernacular Dance Practices…………………….………31 3. THE VIRGIN IN THE MACHINE: Ziegfeld Follies and the Construction Of the American Girl’s Sexuality…………………………………………………70 CONCLUSION……………….……………………………………………………….102 REFERENCES.………………………………………………………………………107 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH………………………………………………………….114 iv ABSTRACT This study provides a historical examination of working women’s relationship with social and theatrical dance in New York City during the Progressive Era. These years, between 1890 and 1920, were seminal in bringing America into the modern age, as well as providing a unique framework for women’s activism against restrictive sociopolitical roles. The purpose of this thesis is to illuminate the relationship between New York City working class women, dance, and intellectual ideas in an attempt to broaden the scope of both dance studies and history. By utilizing historiography, women’s studies, cultural studies, and movement analysis, this project addresses the shift of women (from Victorian to Modern) through the lens of dance. Social dancing, especially in dance halls, was an outlet for working class experimentation with new attitudes of social and financial independence, as well as in defining a more liberal attitude of sexuality. Likewise, the chorus girls of Ziegfeld’s Follies used a theatrical medium in which to explore new identities of independence and sexuality. These high-grade chorines epitomized the working girl dream--they earned their own money while gallivanting through elite social circles. Throughout these two spheres--social or theatrical--the social and sexual transformation of women was underscored through ideas of conspicuous consumption and ethics of leisure. v A brief introduction and outline of this study begins the text of this thesis, elucidating the interweaving ideas of leisure and conspicuous consumption as they relate to working women and dance. Next, a chapter devoted to the historical background of the Progressive Era is followed by an examination of dance halls and then Ziegfeld’s Follies. Finally, a conclusion ties together the overarching ideas of this project. vi INTRODUCTION The Progressive Era (1890-1920) was a reformist period of social, political and cultural change. Working women during this time reflected the changing role of the American female through their embodiment of new socio-cultural attitudes of individuality and sexuality. On and offstage, in private and social spheres, dance became a tool through which these women gained power in a world dominated and constructed by male-oriented ideals. Specifically, exploration into the social interactions of dance halls, as well as the rise of female chorus lines in theatrical, musical extravaganzas, illuminates two types of women at work during this epoch. Women in the dance hall empowered themselves through the appropriation of leisure, while chorus girls radiated a new, overt sexuality onstage and established an acceptable profession for American girls. By juxtaposing historical influences with the emergence of new dance styles and outlets for recreation, an integrated approach to exploring Progressive Era dance history increases the scope and understanding of the evolution of the contemporary, liberated, American woman. Like the African-Americans freed from slavery, women were gaining civil liberties and independence, though these freedoms were combated by intricate interpretations of legislature. This significantly altered the attitudes and actions of women as they actively sought employment, created social lives away from the family, carved out autonomy within marriages and rediscovered the sexuality that was repressed during the reign of Victorianism. Many middle class women became reformists and urged working women to join labor unions, fight for 1 secure wages, and contribute to the financial security of the household in order to break free from the confines of male dominance. These liberations were reflected in women’s bodies, especially through social and theatrical dance. Through fashion and leisure, both of which converged within the world of dance, a female dominion emerged as gender equality began to establish itself. Though life was grim at times, women were gaining equality and power and were capable of expressing their growing liberation in public spheres. Dance, in particular, became an avenue of rebellion and articulation where women could shape their opinions and dominance. The transition from the 1890s to 1920s evidenced a vast shift in artistic conventions in dance. Paving the way for the next generation, innovations from Delsartism to dance halls contributed to one of the most influential products of Progressivism-- American Dance. Women’s participation in this arena--as dancers, choreographers, company managers or benefactors--provided the predominant impetus for dance’s achievement. Without the social and political developments of the Progressive Era, women may never have been able to participate as fundamental pioneers in the dance sphere. Therefore, the intention of this thesis is to tie together the intellectual history of the Progressive Era with the cultural importance of dance, specifically the contributions of women. Most of the sources I unearthed during the process of writing this thesis specifically addressed the climate of Progressive Era New York City. Due to this abundance of material, my focus naturally centered on the historical relevance of New York City to the issues of the Progressive Era. Because these sources offered an array of possible research projects, I narrowed my topic to cover only New York City working women and their relationship to dance. This choice to focus on working women was made because the turn of the century was a turbulent period in American society, especially as far as notions of female propriety and conduct were concerned. Progressive America and the change that women experienced (leading them from Victorian to Modern) shaped the 2 identity of the “new” woman. The experiences of these working women offer new insights to American dance studies, illuminating the historical impact of this class upon social and theatrical dance, as well as the attitudes and ideas that these dances reflected. In this thesis, I have chosen to use scholar Kathy Peiss’ definition of working women, as it is the most concise example that supports my research. Peiss defines working class women as, “…immigrants or daughters of immigrants, [who] lived in well-defined tenement districts, and labored for wages while unmarried, usually in factories, homes, and sales and service jobs.” (Peiss 9) The social change that working women experienced directly resulted from Progressive Era political and social reforms. With the development of business and the expansion of industrialization, both U.S. citizens and immigrants flocked to cities in search of jobs. This urbanization created concentrated numbers of diverse populations living within the tight boundaries of city limits. Various ethnicities, races, heritages and genders were crammed together in the poorly constructed tenements and slums of cosmopolitan areas. Economic instability created a need for women and children to seek employment in factories and to work at home, exacerbating the strained environment of daily existence. Poor sanitation, low wages and booming business painted the backdrop of Progressive Era America, which urged women to take control in the fight for a better lifestyle. These factors of industrialism, urbanization and immigration contributed to the development of reform centered environmentalism (playground reform, higher standards of tenement living, sanitation) and social work (settlement houses and social activism organizations) of which women were at the forefront. These concerns