Artwork from the cover of The Dance Magazine of Stage and Screen, Vol. 16, No. 1 (May 1931). Cover Design by W. Stuart Leech.

A new exhibit opens this month at University of Houston Libraries.

In the Whirl of the Dance: Popular Dance Magazines of the 1920s & 30s is curated by Stephanie Lewin-Lane, coordinator of the UH Music Library.

Dance has been a powerful and diverse expression of the human experience since mankind became aware of movement. Equally varied is how writers have attempted to capture the essence of dance through reviews, scholarship, and print periodicals, like newspapers and magazines. As popular dance became more mainstream in the 1920s and 30s, journalism followed suit, incorporating contemporary slang, shocking themes, and daring headlines to grab readers’ attention. The visually stunning exhibit highlights this exciting time through popular magazines such as Dance Lovers Magazine and The Dance Magazine of Stage and Screen, which are part of a generous gift of Stephen and Lila Shain.

In the Whirl of the Dance opens at the MD Anderson Library, second floor near Special Collections, on April 21 and will be on display through May 21.

For information, contact Stephanie Lewin-Lane and Mary Manning.