"Rock 'n' Roll Dances of the 1950s" provides a fresh, highly animated lens through which to observe and understand the cultural climate of 1950s America, examining, not only the steps and aesthetic qualities of rock 'n' roll dances, but also their emblematic meanings. Exploring dance as a reflection and expression of cultural trends, the book takes a sharply analytical look at rock 'n' roll dances from the birth of the genre in the mid-1950s to the decade's end.

Readers will explore the emergence of teen culture in the '50s, rock 'n' roll's association with delinquency, and the...