Data Snapshot: Documenting the Dancing Schools of New Orleans

Growth of Dancing Schools in New Orleans During the 20th Century

The number of dancing schools in New Orleans increased dramatically during the 20th Century. This data was extracted from city directory listings for the years: 1930, 1931, 1935, 1945, 1955, 1962, 1968, 1973, 1977, 1986, and 1997. It is an initial review of directory information and it not an exhaustive representation. According to a preliminary review of the 2021 New Orleans Yellow Pages, there are roughly 56 dancing schools that fit this definition. This is a very cursory review, and a more in-depth scoping of the data is needed.

View the list of dancing schools here.

This google map shows the location of each dancing school/teacher listing in city directories for select years. The pins are color-coded by year (1930-31 are combined.). To toggle the pins by year, slick on the slider icon on the map menu bar's top left corner.