In the
early twentieth century, American ragtime and the Parisian tango fuelled a
dancing craze in Britain. Public ballrooms were built throughout the country,
providing a glamorous setting for dancing. The new English style, defined in
the 1920s and followed by the films of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers in the
1930s, ensured that ballroom dancing continued to be the most popular British
pastime until the 1960s, rivalled only by cinema.

This book explores the vibrant history of ballroom and Latin dancing: the
dances, lavish venues, competitions and influential instructors. It also
traces the decline of couple dancing and its resurgence in recent years with
the hugely popular TV shows Strictly Come Dancing and Dancing with the Stars.