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Story
January 31, 1915
The Daily Journal
East Saint Louis, Saint Clair County, Illinois
What is this article about?
Historical anecdote on New York's City Assembly club proposing a masked ball 105 years ago, banned by shocked Common Council due to propriety concerns. Contrasts with today's 700+ dance halls and 70,000 nightly dancers embracing modern dances like tango.
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CHANGED VIEWS ABOUT
DANCING.
Something over a century ago-105
years, to be exact-there was in New
York a celebrated dancing club called
the City Assembly.
It was a highly
exclusive organization and admitted
no one to its membership who could
not boast of a noted ancestry and a
fortune running into six figures, which
was considered great wealth in those
days.
It was proposed by this City Assembly, on one occasion, to give a
masked ball at the tavern where its
festivities were held. Such a thing
had been unknown there before and a
rumor that such a ball was in contemplation, coming to the ears of the Common Council of the city, so shocked it
that an ordinance was immediately
drawn up and passed prohibiting all
such functions.
There was some difference between
the New York of that time and the
New York of today.
Any and every
kind of dance goes there now. During
last winter there were more than 700
licensed dance halls in the big city
and on their floors an average
of 70,000 persons danced every night.
It would be interesting to see how
those ancient councilmen, whose sense
of propriety was so outraged by the
very idea of fancy costumes and
masks at a party, would have regarded the modern tango and its kindred
dances.
DANCING.
Something over a century ago-105
years, to be exact-there was in New
York a celebrated dancing club called
the City Assembly.
It was a highly
exclusive organization and admitted
no one to its membership who could
not boast of a noted ancestry and a
fortune running into six figures, which
was considered great wealth in those
days.
It was proposed by this City Assembly, on one occasion, to give a
masked ball at the tavern where its
festivities were held. Such a thing
had been unknown there before and a
rumor that such a ball was in contemplation, coming to the ears of the Common Council of the city, so shocked it
that an ordinance was immediately
drawn up and passed prohibiting all
such functions.
There was some difference between
the New York of that time and the
New York of today.
Any and every
kind of dance goes there now. During
last winter there were more than 700
licensed dance halls in the big city
and on their floors an average
of 70,000 persons danced every night.
It would be interesting to see how
those ancient councilmen, whose sense
of propriety was so outraged by the
very idea of fancy costumes and
masks at a party, would have regarded the modern tango and its kindred
dances.
What sub-type of article is it?
Historical Event
Curiosity
What themes does it cover?
Social Manners
What keywords are associated?
Dancing Club
Masked Ball
Common Council
Ordinance
Social Propriety
Tango
New York
Where did it happen?
New York
Story Details
Location
New York
Event Date
Over A Century Ago 105 Years
Story Details
The exclusive City Assembly dancing club in New York proposed a masked ball over a century ago, shocking the Common Council into passing an ordinance prohibiting it. Contrasts with modern New York, where over 700 dance halls host 70,000 dancers nightly, including tango.