Volume 14 , Issue 11

Milwaukee's Municipal Public Dance of 1910

According to The Spokane Press, dated Saturday, 17 December 1910, out of Spokane, Washington, there was a female news writer (Lucy Price) that wen unescorted and found the Milwaukee's Municipal Public Dance place where she would take her younger sister next time. Evils of the Common Dance Hall were removed and there were no artificial attempt at the "Uplift" and No pat range. The Young people feel that it was their club and it belonged to them. The article begins on page one and continues on page six. The Editor's Note was as follows, "Possibly the newest experiment by municipal government, and certainly the most unique, is that of Milwaukee in conducting a municipal public dance. As we all know, the public dance is a problem that is growing in its seriousness in every American city, and Milwaukee hopes, with her municipally conducted and controlled dance, to solve the problem, for herself at least. But what is the Milwaukee dance like? This question is interesting to all young people and to all people who are interested in young people. The Press saw a story in it and commissioned Miss Lucy Price to go to the third Saturday night dance given by the Wisconsin city and write her experiences. Miss Price tells the story in the following article, written especially for this newspaper. -- Editor."

Lucy Price writes, via Milwaukee, Wisconsin, December 17, 1910 -- "I went plainly dressed, clothes such as any honest working girl with little to waste might wear. I went to see what a public dance of the people, run by the people for the people, might be like. I wanted to see it, this dance given every Saturday night by the city government of Milwaukee, from the standpoint of the girl from the factory; of the girl from behind the counter of the department store."

Lucy Price mentions it was a 400-mile travel, and the 15 cents it cost her to get into the dance hall was worth it. Miss Price saw the dance as something "of the people, by the people for the people" and she came away convinced that if she had a younger sister she would take her the next time she went to a municipal dance.

I am wondering what was the problem of Milwaukee's dance hall that Milwaukee thought the municipal dances solve the dance problem? Being before this NW Okie's time, what was the problem?

Miss Price reported that the Saturday night municipal dance seems to be the solution for the problem. Was establishing this municipal dance in Milwaukee taking something from their young people?

Miss Price reported that the dance hall problem had grown to grave proportions. That it had become a matter of serious significance to the American city.This was why Miss Lucy Price came to Milwaukee to see Milwaukee's Municipal Dance plan, to learn for herself just how it is working out.

It was 8 o'clock when reporter Lucy Price reached the big auditorium, where there were already about 2000 young men and women there. Many of the girls had come unescorted as Miss Price had. Admission was 15 cents and that covered the cost for the evening. Those of who were going to dance checked their hats and coats at the wardrobe. No girls wore their hats on the floor. It was quite a factor toward keeping the club or "party" atmosphere. Tiers of opera chairs surround the dancing floor, seating about 2000. These were filled with spectators. The class that works with its hands, the club men and the women who do not labor with their hands, and the well-to-do class of the city were represented among the spectators, and they seemed to enjoy the dancing equally.

The floor, which would generally seat 8000 when concerts are given, was crowded with dancers of almost every age. The most of them were between sixteen and twenty, but many were all into middle age. Many of the girls wore light muslin frocks, others wore white shirtwaists, some silk waists, and dark skirts, and many plain dark wool dresses. In the center of the floor was the musicians' platform. The charity ball given in the hall a few nights before still decorated the hall, adding to the festal impression that Miss Lucy Price got as she entered the floor space.

Miss Lucy Price reported, "Because I was for the time being a girl in a strange place with no friends to contribute to my enjoyment of life, I had learned in that short time why girls like to go to dance halls, and why, when the band begins to play, they don't care much whether or not they know the fellows who ask them to dance."   |  View or Add Comments (0 Comments)   |   Receive updates ( subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

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