Question: What are some of the functions of dance in society? Select two or three examples from different periods and support your arguments through observations and readings from this course. Dance in difficult times. Dance has functioned in our society for centuries. It is undeniable to say that dance has never crossed your path because it appears in our daily lives such as at school, on television, in parks, in clubs, in places of worship, in parades etc. Dance was able to alleviate the numerous problems that society faced during the early 20th century, which saw several evolutions of dance. In this article, we will focus on the functioning of dance as recreation in society during the pre-war period, the war period, and the post-World War II period. The article will examine how society turned to dance recreationally, how society benefited from dance during those dull and boring times, and examples of dance that represented the zeitgeist of the periods. The pre-war period saw the end of World War I, the rise of jazz Age and the stock market crash in 1929 brought the Great Depression to the world. The change was sudden because the luxurious lifestyle of the society during the Roaring 1920s was razed to the ground. The unemployment rate skyrocketed and millions of people were left homeless. However, this did not prevent dancing as a recreational activity because it was inexpensive and society had more free time, probably due to unemployment. Dancing in the pre-war period was used as a form of escape and optimism. For example, quoting dance instructor Lilian Ray, “Most women love to dance with a response to rhythm and joy that is as natural as loving sunlight. The music, the lights,......middle of paper......l. American in World War II, "JITTER AND JIVE". Accessed February 14, 2014. http://www.americainwwii.com/articles/jitter-and-jive/.Grossberg, Lawrence. Popular Music: A Yearbook. Artists and Audiences, Volume 4. UK: Cambridge University Press, 1984.Driver, Ian. A century of dance. Great Britain: Octopus Publishing Group Limited, 2000. Young, William and Nancy Young. World War II and the Postwar Years in America: A Historical and Cultural Encyclopedia. United States: ABC-CLIO, 2010.Wood, Linda. "The Family in the Fifties: Hope, Fear and Rock 'n Roll." OAH History Journal, 1997, (36-38). Kassing, Gayle. History of dance: an interactive artistic approach. United States: Human Kinetics, 2007.Sagolla, Lisa. Rock 'n' Roll dances of the 50s. United States: ABC-CLIO, 2011.Higgins, Jim. Shake. United States: AuthorHouse, 2008.