Dance marathons (or marathon dances) are events in which people dance or walk to music for an extended period of time. They started as dance contests in the 1920s and developed into human endurance contests, or exploitative entertainment events during the Great Depression in the 1930s.[1] In the present day, dance marathons are commonly used as fundraisers.[2][3] These modern marathons are usually 12–24 hours, a far cry from the 1,000-hour marathons of the 1930s.[4]
- ^ Kemp, Bill (2016-03-13). "Dance marathons, walkathons once talk of the town". The Pantagraph. Archived from the original on 2022-04-07. Retrieved 2016-04-11.
- ^ Thornton, Katie (2019-02-08). "The Grim, Depression-Era Origins of Dance Marathons". Atlas Obscura. Archived from the original on 2022-10-02. Retrieved 2022-09-29.
- ^ Jeffries, Stuart. "The dark history of dance marathons | The Spectator". www.spectator.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2022-09-30. Retrieved 2022-09-29.
- ^ Becker, Paula (August 25, 2003). "Dance Marathons of the 1920s and 1930s". HistoryLink.org. Archived from the original on September 27, 2016. Retrieved March 22, 2015.