LIFE

When publisher Henry R. Luce founded Life magazine in 1936, its aim was: “To see life; to see the world; to eyewitness great events.” Life dedicated its sixth issue to the world of dance, recognizing its importance, not just as a source of joy, but as an expression of community and culture. From Vegas to Hollywood sound stages, from Paris nightclubs to Woodstock, from the Western Provinces of China to Harlem ballrooms, Let’s Dance showcases the evolution and impact of dance, as captured by Life photographers, from the late 1930s to the early 1970s.

Featuring over 200 mainly unseen images, scanned from original negatives and pulled from Life’s vast archive, each page of Let’s Dance reflects an influential era, important dance style, premiere dancer, legendary choreographer, or glamorous star―sometimes all in a single frame. Subjects jumping off the page include modern dance pioneer Martha Graham, ballet legends Rudolf Nureyev and Margot Fonteyn, Fred Astaire, Sammy Davis Jr, Elvis Presley swiveling his hips on stage, and Brigitte Bardot dancing barefoot on set in Spain. Let’s Dance features not only professionals and celebrities, but regular people with a love for dance: couples swaying at a supper club in South Carolina, students in a ballet class in Suriname, indigenous dancers performing in India, Greece, Senegal and Mexico City, groovy 1960s disco kids, square dancers in Oklahoma, strutting debutantes, and Princeton college students letting loose at homecoming. 

Along with expertly curated archival photography, Let’s Dance features original Life covers and tear sheets, as well as an introductory essay and illuminating captions from dance critic Lyndsey Winship, providing vivid historical context. At over 250 pages, Let’s Dance is not just a history of this captivating performing art, but an evocation of the childlike bliss and catharsis of dance―urging readers to get up, dance, and indeed have the time of their life.