Dance Halls Questionnaire

Going to the Palais: a social and cultural history of the dance hall
in Britain, c.1918-60

Personal Details
These are to help us determine which different social groups went dancing and the regions where dancing was popular - all names can be altered/made anonymous for privacy

Name
Year of Birth
Place of Birth
Gender * FemaleMale
Decade when you were dancing ( eg 1940s/1950s):
Your occupation when you were dancing:
Husbands occupation if you were a housewife when you were dancing:
Parents occupation when you were dancing:
Town or area of residence when you were dancing:
Ethnic Background
Contact Details

SECTION A: AGE WHEN DANCING

1. How old were you when you started and finished dancing regularly?
2. Was dancing a young persons pastime?
3. Did you stop dancing when you married?

SECTION B: DANCING HABIT

1. How often did you go dancing? (per week/month)
2. Which days of the week did you go dancing on? What times of day?
3. Was dancing afforable? How much did it cost?

SECTION C: DRESSING UP/GETTING READY

1. Tell me about the preparations you made to go dancing and alterations to your appearance whilst dancing. (What did you wear to go dancing? Where did you get your clothes from for dancing? Did you have special clothes for dancing in? Did the place you danced in have facilities for make up/checking your appearance etc?)

SECTION D: PLACES FOR DANCING

1. Where could one dance in your area? (Names & types of place (permanent dance hall/town hall/assembly room etc)
2. Where did you dance? (Names & types of place (permanent dance hall/town hall/assembly room etc)/How far did you travel?)
3. Describe the dance halls you used (inside&outside/decoration/layout/size/facilities(café/bar/seatingetc)/dance floor/bandstand etc/live music or recorded?)
4. What was your opinion of Mecca dance halls (well run?/good value for money?/ good facilities?/good reputation?/anything different about them?)

SECTION E: TYPES OF DANCES/LEARNING TO DANCE

1. Which dances did you do and which were your favourites? Why?
2. Where did you hear about the latest dances?
3. Did you take dancing lessons? (where?/how often?/how long for?/cost?) Where? How often? How long for? Cost of lessons.

SECTION F: REASONS FOR DANCING

1. Tell me why you went dancing and what you got out of it (please give as much detail as possible)

SECTION G: MEETING PEOPLE/ROMANCE AT DANCE HALLS

1. Tell me who you went dancing with. (alone/groups/with boys or girls) Did you go alone, in a group or with boys/girls
2. Did you meet a future boyfriend or girlfriend at a dance hall?
3. Was it easier it to meet men/woman at dance halls than other places? Why?
4. Tell me about the courting that went on at dance halls. (how much courting went on at dance halls?/was the dance hall a good place to meet a boyfriend/girlfriend? Why?/how did people choose their partner? Was being a good dancer important?/who took the initiative – girls or boys?/was kissing allowed?/did courting couples gather in certain parts of the dance hall?)
5. Was the courting controlled/marshalled by dance halls MCs etc or were people free to do as they pleased?
6. How romantic were dance halls?

SECTION H: PARENT'S/OTHERS VIEWS OF DANCING

1. Tell me about your parents attitude to dancing and dance halls. (did they approve/disapprove – why?)
2. Was dancing/dance halls seen as 'respectable'? (Why? By whom?)
3. Were some dance halls seen as more respectable than others? Why?
4. Tell me about any 'trouble' you saw at dance halls. (fights/drunkenness/‘racial’ issues/gangs/etc)

SECTION I: OTHER

1. How important a part of your life was dancing and dance halls? Why?
2. Please make any other comments on dancing and dance halls not deal with above
3. May your questionnaire be used for educational purposes: educational publications, talks or broadcasts? Yes/No * Yes No
4. May the name of the contributor be used? (You may choose to be anonymous) Yes/No * Yes No
5. Do you wish to add any other instructions or restrictions in relation to the use of your questionnaire? Yes/No * Yes No
If Yes, please give details:
By ticking the I agree box I hereby assign the copyright in my contribution to this research to Dr James Nott * I agree I do not agree
Date *

Going to the Palais: a social and cultural history of the dance hall in Britain, c.1918-60

Going to the Palais: a social and cultural history of the dance hall
in Britain, c.1918-60