William Tyler
Dancing the Horror Away

Returning soldiers from WWI, many of whom were damaged psychologically or physically, found re-entering society a difficult transition. Many chose to try to forget the war and turned instead to various ways of escape, from dancing to drugs. Many women, faced with sons and husbands damaged by the war, as well as losing much of the freedoms they themselves had gained as a result of the men being away (work opportunities to managing family finances) also found the adjustments tough. So to forget they too took to escapism, from dance to the cinema. This was a society in turmoil, or as a common phrase heard in the Twenties put it: “Dancing on a volcano.”