If you follow my blog then you know that I’m an avid Lindy Hopper and I’m also working on my “Rock & Roll” and “Jiving” for my Rockabilly side. I LOVE to dance so while in my Lindy class last night a blog post hit me…Vintage Dance Instructions!

So gang lets see how some of our predecessors learned how to cut a rug, shall we?

Note: While these instructions say “guys do one things, girls do another” I am a big believer in DANCE ANY ROLE YOU LIKE! So just ignore the “role designation”.

1940s vintage ad for Recca Records featuring illustrations of people dancing different kinds of dances. Like Swing dancing, polka, latin, ballroom.

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Vintage Dance Instructions

Vintage Advertising & Vintage Dance Books

1920s ad: Nobody wants to be a wallflower do we? So time to take some lessons from the famous “Arthur Murray”

Vintage 1920s Ad for Arthur Murray Dance Studio-Why be a wallflower?!

Here is a wonderful 80 page softcover booklet by Arthur Murray, the King of Ballroom Dancing (as mentioned above).

Detailed instructions of how to present yourself in the ballroom, how to dance the various dances in conversation mode in addition to how to do just about everything correctly at a ballroom or any formal affair.

Dance instructions for the Fox Trot, The Waltz, How to be Graceful, The Samba, Mambo, Lindy and much more great instructional material.

(See inside the book & purchase as of July 20th, 2022 HERE).

1950s Vintage dance instruction book from Arthur Murray featuring a couple dancing on the cover.

Learn how to do the Mambo Box Step from Arthur Murray.

Learn how to do the Mambo Box Step from a 1950s Dance Instruction book from Arthur Murray

Source: Etsy

1930s vintage ad: Being popular and having fun all depend on that dancing, so off you go for more lessons!

1930s dance ad featuring a couple in 1930s evening wear dancing together-Learn to dance!
1930s Dance Ad

Time to do some Swing Dancing (Lindy Hop), Shag, Trankey Doo, The Big Apple & Solo Jazz moves!

Further Reading: Vintage Photos of The Lindy Hop

Vintage Dances-Time to do some Swing Dancing (Lindy Hop), Shag, Trankey Doo, The Big Apple & Solo Jazz moves!

1940s ad: It’s Suzy-Q time! We do this move a lot in Lindy Hop Solo Jazz.

1940s vintage dance instruction -Learn how to do the Suzy Q solo jazz move.

Want to learn how to “Collegiate Shag“? Here are some starter points.

Collegiate Shag -Lern how to dance "The Shag" in the 19490s as per these vintage dance instructions.
Source: CollegiateShag.com

Dominion Round and Square Dances | Learn Square Dancing Instructions by Hugh Bryan. Book is from 1951 Canadian Music Sales Corporation Ltd (avail as of Nov 2023 HERE).

1950s Dance Instruction Book: Dominion Round and Square Dances | Learn Square Dancing Instructions by Hugh Bryan

Source: Etsy

1950s dance instruction. Not so much “HOW” to dance but how “NOT to be”…I think.

1950s vintage dance instruction-How not to dance.

As mentioned above I’m also a big fan of the 1950’s and Rockabilly so I’m learning Jive (sort of) and also have taken Rock n Roll classes in the past.

"How to dance the Rock & Roll" vintage dance instruction 1950s.
Thank goodness for this book or I would truly be lost! Source: Etsy- Props & Pieces

I agree about # 4 below. Thinking ruins everything…It really does!

"How to dance the Rock & Roll" vintage dance instruction 1950s.
Source: Etsy-Props & Pieces

Last BUT not least you cannot mention dance instruction and NOT mention “Fred Astaire”.

The Fred Astaire Dance Book-vintage dance instruction
Source: Etsy-JeanRameyArt

So many shoes! Quick, Quick, Slow……Got it??

The Fred Astaire Dance Book-vintage dance instruction
Source-Etsy: JeanRameyArt

I will leave you with this Tillie the Toiler Cartoon. It made me giggle because I’m a tall woman and many of my dances look like Tillie’s 🙂

Further Reading: See more images featuring Tillie the Toiler at “The Stylish Fashions of Vintage Paper Dolls“.

Tillie the Toiler vintage cartoon.

So my lovely readers, did these images get you motivated to go dancing? Take a lesson or two? If you do dance, please share what got you into dancing I love those stories.

FURTHER READING:

Liz 🙂