Dancing to Jazz Music
By: Brittany Sutton
In the 1920’s, women were fighting for their rights by supporting the 18th and 19th Amendments. Females were feeling empowered and the recent boom in jazz music provided them with an outlet for rebellion. Jazz music helped create jobs for women in the music industry and identified women as a consumer target market. After the success of the 18th and 19th amendments, women were stronger than ever and started to break from their traditional roles as mothers and daughters; they wanted to be seen as more than that. Jazz music provided an outlet for rebellion is several ways; the jazz clubs, dance halls, and speakeasies were places that “women could escape from the traditional roles that were demanded of them by a rigid society” ("American Jazz Culture in the 1920's"). In these places women were allowed more freedom in their attire, language, and behavior. Flappers who frequently attended these establishments were often called “Jazz Babies”. “Flappers were a "new breed" of young Western women in the 1920s who wore short skirts, bobbed their hair, listened to jazz, and flaunted their disdain for what was then considered acceptable behavior” (Flapper ). Jazz had an uninhibited feel and was often improvisational, therefore encouraging primitive and sexual behavior. This promoted the growth of more risqué dance moves that were more sexual in nature. “The wild rhythms of the Jazz Age brought dozens of new steps to the dance floors of America, including the Charleston, Black Bottom, Cubanola Glide and Tango Argentino, plus a host of shimmies, toddles and trots” ("Trail End State Historic Site"). Jazz music was not accepted by the older generations so it was a good way to rebel against parents and grandparents. Jazz music provided many new jobs for women since they could now be musicians and performers. Before the 1920’s, almost all popular music was performed by males. Trailblazers like Lil’ Hardin, Bessie Smith, and Ma Rainy opened the doors for women in the music industry. Jazz music motivated the first Broadway musical in 1927, which opened up a new realm of possibilities for women on stage. The growing popularity of radio shows allowed the number of jobs for women to grow. Women also found jobs in the “advertising, cosmetic, and clothing industries”, all of which grew because of the jazz music revolution ("American Jazz Culture in the 1920's").
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