Cultural Expression, Public Morale, and the Evolution of Dance in Germany and the United Kingdom During and Preceding World War II

This paper explores the contrasting ways in which dance was used as a method of securing public support in Nazi Germany and the United Kingdom during World War II and the years preceding the global conflict. It examines the Nazi governments’ use of modern dance and folk dance as a propaganda tool designed to enforce its strict message of conformity and racial ideology. This is contrasted with the way in which the British government identified the potential of social dancing as an effective means to gain the support of the British population, outlining the key methods undertaken to achieve this objective. Social responses to both government actions are studied, with the paper ultimately concluding on the efficacy of the two vastly different methods of utilizing dance. The greater effectiveness of the British government is ultimately evident in its success in achieving the trust and support of its people, while the German government under Nazi control was unable to replicate such a situation.