Dancing in the Streets Book Summary - Dancing in the Streets Book explained in key points

Listen to the Intro

00:00

Dancing in the Streets summary

Name: Dancing in the Streets
Rating: 4 (17 reviews)
Author: Barbara Ehrenreich

Barbara Ehrenreich

A History of Collective Joy

4 (17 ratings)

19 mins

Brief summary

Dancing in the Streets by Barbara Ehrenreich explores the history of collective joy and communal celebrations. It delves into the cultural and social significance of dancing and revelry, revealing their power to unite and liberate.

Topics

Holidays Social Philosophy Social Psychology The Human Condition Anthropology Culture

Table of Contents

Dancing in the Streets
Summary of 6 key ideas

Audio & text in the Blinkist app

Key idea 1 of 6

What’s in it for me? Discover a seriously joyful subject.

Dancing together is woven into the fabric of human experience – it’s in our DNA. French sociologist Émile Durkheim coined the term “collective effervescence” to describe the powerful, communal energy that arises when people come together in shared rituals, often through dance, creating a sense of unity and transcendence. Yet, the subject remains overlooked as a field of study.

While there are roughly 45,000 journal articles in psychological publications on depression, only about 400 explore joy. But the pursuit and manifestation of collective joy, from feasts and carnivals to rock concerts, is equally deserving of our attention. In this Blink, we’ll examine this fascinating topic further.

Dancing was once crucial for our survival

Around 10,000 years ago, prehistoric humans were singularly focused on survival, dedicating their days to securing food, shelter, and warmth. They crafted rudimentary weapons, fashioned garments, and began to develop early agricultural technology. Yet, alongside these vital activities, they engaged in something else that might seem surprising: dance. In modern times, we often view dance as non-essential, a mere pastime or form of entertainment. But the evidence of early societies devoting significant time to dance suggests otherwise. Anthropologist Victor Turner refers to these as “liminal or peripheral activities,” important for navigating transitions and maintaining social cohesion within a community.

Anthropologists widely agree that dance played an important role in allowing humans to live together in larger communities, beyond small family groups. The optimal group size for survival during this era is estimated to be around 150 individuals, and dance served as a powerful tool to bond these larger groups together. Communities capable of uniting through dance likely had an evolutionary advantage over others.

When people move in time to rhythm collectively, it stimulates a response in the brain that drives cortical rhythms and produces feelings of intense pleasure. This biological response has deep evolutionary roots. Sex is pleasurable because it promotes the critical function of reproduction. Dance is pleasurable because it promotes an equally important function: community bonding.

In ancient history, dance was also central to the worship of gods like Dionysus, Pan, and Krishna. Dionysus, the Greek god of wine and ecstasy, was honored with wild, ecstatic dances that blurred the lines between the human and the divine. Pan, the rustic god of nature, inspired frenzied dances in forests and fields, embodying the untamed, primal forces of nature. In Hinduism, Krishna is often depicted as the divine dancer, whose rhythmic movements symbolize the cosmic dance of life. The ecstatic dance rituals performed in their honor were not just acts of worship but also means of achieving a transcendent state of collective joy.

As paganism began to be refined by civilization – particularly with the rise of the Roman Empire – and as Christianity spread, these collective ecstatic rituals started to be viewed with suspicion in certain Western cultures.

Christianity shaped Western attitudes to dance

In regions once devoted to Dionysus or Pan, a new figure emerged: Jesus Christ. To a modern observer, and certainly to Christians of the Reformation era, these figures might seem diametrically opposed. Yet, the rites and festivities of early Christians were reportedly not dissimilar to the ecstatic rites performed by pagans. Scholarly accounts suggest that early Christian services were noisy and charismatic, involving the consumption of wine, listening to music, and dancing.

Early Christians were often persecuted for their beliefs and practices. This persecution, combined with the belief that an apocalypse was imminent, infused their rituals and celebrations with a heightened sense of nihilistic abandonment. Yet, as the early Christian cult evolved into an official and more respected church institution, some of these ecstatic and collective elements began to fade. Collective dancing began to be frowned upon by church leaders. This shift in attitude was definitively marked in the fourth century when John Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople, famously declared, “For where there is a dance, there is also the devil.”

Carnival celebrated and regulated collective dance

Despite the efforts of church authorities, Christianity throughout the Middle Ages was a religion deeply intertwined with dance. Many parish priests, despite orders from higher up to quash these rituals, condoned and even participated in the dances of their congregations. The church’s wariness of dancing stemmed from a belief that it allowed individuals to access experiences of ecstasy and divinity within their own control, bypassing the church’s mediated authority over the divine. This was particularly troubling to the church, which sought to maintain its power by regulating how and when people could connect with spiritual ecstasy.

This suppression of dance led to an unusual and dramatic backlash in the form of dance manias that swept across parts of Europe, particularly in France and Italy. In these episodes, large groups of people – sometimes hundreds – would suddenly and uncontrollably begin dancing, often until they collapsed from exhaustion or injury. Although historians and medical experts have searched for a biological or psychological explanation for these manias, no satisfactory answer has been found. It’s possible that these outbreaks were a collective, contagious impulse to recapture earlier forms of ecstatic dance, a desperate reaction to the church’s strict prohibitions.

In the era of melancholy, dancing decreases

In seventeenth-century England, an epidemic of depression swept through society, afflicting prominent figures such as writer John Bunyan, poet John Donne, essayist Samuel Johnson, and politician Oliver Cromwell. Though often referred to as “the English Malady,” melancholy was not confined to England; it was a widespread affliction across Europe. By the nineteenth century, melancholy had become entrenched both as a medical diagnosis and a literary and artistic theme, affecting thinkers like Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Charles Baudelaire, and Leo Tolstoy. These melancholics were characterized by apathy, a loss of appetite for life, and a withdrawal from society.

Could this decline in the ability to experience pleasure be linked to the systematic repression of dance and other rituals of collective ecstasy by church and state? While this doesn’t explain all aspects of melancholy, the banning of festivals and carnivals could reasonably be considered a contributing factor to the rise of melancholy during this period.

Fascist regimes co-opt the aesthetics of collective ecstasy

In the contemporary West, we live in what could be described as a post-festive era. While traditional festivals and communal dances have largely faded, mass gatherings and spectacles still play a significant role in public life. The most notorious examples in recent memory are the rallies staged by fascist regimes in Nazi Germany and Mussolini’s Italy.

American journalist William Shirer, who attended one of Hitler’s rallies, remarked that he began to understand, though not condone, Hitler’s appeal. Shirer observed that Hitler and the Nazis had restored ritual, pageantry, and color to public life, elements that had long been stripped away in modern society. The rallies were meticulously staged in grand spaces adorned with ritualistic decorations, including swastikas and references to a blend of pagan and mythic stories deeply rooted in the Germanic past. These elements encouraged a collective experience where individuals were subsumed into the crowd, losing their capacity for independent thought and critique.

The rock and roll rebellion recaptures ecstatic dance rituals

The 1950s and ’60s witnessed an explosion of dance and collective joy that echoed the dance manias of medieval Europe, as rock and roll broke into the mainstream. The United States and the United Kingdom, with their puritanical and industrial legacies, might seem unlikely epicenters for this hysteria. But their histories of fervently suppressing and expunging global practices of ritual dance and collective joy may have made them especially vulnerable to such an eruption.

Rock and roll’s origins lie in African dance, slave songs, and the blues. These deeply rhythmic and emotive forms of expression, rooted in the African diaspora, were co-opted by white performers, most notably Elvis Presley. Elvis, with his sexually suggestive dance moves – movements that also drew from global dance traditions – shocked white Western audiences. What had been a means of survival and resistance among enslaved Africans was transformed into a cultural phenomenon that challenged the conservative norms of mid-twentieth-century America and beyond.

Want to see all full key ideas from Dancing in the Streets?

Key ideas in Dancing in the Streets

More knowledge in less time

Read or listen

Get the key ideas from nonfiction bestsellers in minutes, not hours.

Find your next read

Get book lists curated by experts and personalized recommendations.

Shortcasts ^New

We’ve teamed up with podcast creators to bring you key insights from podcasts.

What is Dancing in the Streets about?

Dancing in the Streets (2008) explores the deep-rooted origins of communal celebration in human biology and culture, highlighting universal elements like carnival, music-making, and dance. It reveals how such practices were integral to Western traditions – from the ancient Greek worship of Dionysus to medieval Christianity as a “danced religion”.

Dancing in the Streets Review

Dancing in the Streets (2007) explores the history and importance of collective joy in human societies, shedding light on its cultural and political significance. Here's why this book is worth a read:

Offers fascinating insights into the role of communal celebrations throughout history, showing how they connect people and shape societies.
Examines the political power of public festivities, revealing how they can spark social change and challenge authority in unique ways.
With its engaging storytelling and thought-provoking analysis, the book transforms the concept of "having fun" into a deep exploration of human culture and behavior.

Who should read Dancing in the Streets?

Cultural historians interested in the social and cultural evolution of civilizations
Social activists keen to reclaim our legacy of community and collective joy
Artists and performers delving into the cultural contexts of their creative practice

About the Author

Barbara Ehrenreich was an influential American author, journalist, and social critic, best known for her investigative work on social issues and economic inequality. Her landmark book, Nickel and Dimed, highlighted the struggles of low-wage workers and became a pivotal text in discussions on labor rights. Throughout her career, Ehrenreich authored over 20 books and numerous essays, consistently challenging societal norms and advocating for social justice.

Categories with Dancing in the Streets

Society & Culture History Psychology

Book summaries like Dancing in the Streets

Dive Into a Classic Vision of the Ideal World and Its Challenges

The Fateful Final Voyage of Captain James Cook

21 min

4.4

Making Sense of Chaos

J Doyne Farmer

A Better Economics for a Better World

The Adventures of an Incurable Optimist

Uncover the Dangers of Humanity’s Increasing Capabilities

14 min

3.8

How to Write One Song

Jeff Tweedy

Loving the Things We Create and How They Love Us Back

Uncover the Hidden Forces Shaping Public Perception

The Art of Winning in an Age of Uncertainty

Con Men, Conspiracists, and How America Cracked Up in the Early 1990s

How to Save Human Ability in an Age of Intelligent Machines

18 min

3.9

Extraordinary Popular Delusions and The Madness of Crowds

Charles Mackay

Why People Believe the Unbelievable

19 min

4.4

How to Win Friends and Influence People

Dale Carnegie

Basic rules for how to make a good first impression

Man’s Search for Meaning

Viktor Frankl

The harrowing experiences of the author in a concentration camp

Why Some Companies Make the Leap...and Others Don't

Getting Up to Speed Quickly in Today’s Ever-Changing Sales World

17 min

3.7

The Practicing Happiness Workbook

Ruth Baer

How Mindfulness Can Free You from the Four Psychological Traps That Keep You Stressed, Anxious, and Depressed

Vengeance and Justice in Mycenae

Why It Pays to Break the Rules at Work and in Life

18 min

4.1

At War with Ourselves

H. R. McMaster

My Tour of Duty in the Trump White House

19 min

3.9

The Language of Emotions

Karla McLaren

What Your Feelings Are Trying to Tell You

How to See What Others Miss

The 9 Hard Truths About Love That Will Change Your Life

Align your actions, values, and mindset to create lasting success

AI, ChatGPT, and the Race that Will Change the World

26 min

4.1

The Net and the Butterfly

Olivia Fox Cabane

The Art and Practice of Breakthrough Thinking

16 min

Life Time

Russell G. Foster

Your Body Clock and Its Essential Roles in Good Health and Sleep

How Seemingly Senseless Acts Make Life Worth Living

20 min

3.9

The Purposeful Decision Maker

Pádraig Ó Céidigh

A Guide to Making Great Decisions in Life and Business

A Coming-of-Age Novel about True Love and Finding One's Place in Life

23 min

4.7

I Know What to Do So Why Don't I Do It?

Nick Hall

The New Science of Self-Discipline

18 min

4.2

Don't Say Um

Michael Chad Hoeppner

How to Communicate Effectively to Live a Better Life

The New Science of Personal Success

The Improbable Origins of Modern Wall Street

22 min

4.2

The Battle for Your Brain

Nita A. Farahany

Defending the Right to Think Freely in the Age of Neurotechnology

13 min

4.1

Good Morning, I Love You

Shauna Shapiro

Mindfulness and Self-Compassion Practices to Rewire Your Brain

18 min

Lord of the Flies

William Golding

A Dystopian Classic on the Dark Side of Human Nature and Survival

A Galloping History of Humanity

19 min

4.5

Heal Your Gut, Save Your Brain

Partha Nandi

Five Pillars for Gut Health and Cognitive Optimization

Find Your Voice, Speak Your Mind, Inspire Any Audience

Transforming Self-Sabotage Into Self-Mastery

16 min

4.6

The Power of Myth

Joseph Campbell with Bill Moyers

From ancient myths to Han Solo

A Very Short Introduction

15 min

4.1

Communication Miracles for Couples

Jonathan Robinson

Easy and Effective Tools to Create More Love and Less Conflict

The Underground Playbook for Growing Your Company Online with Sales Funnels

What the Rich Teach Their Kids about Money – That the Poor and the Middle Class Do Not!

29 min

4.5

People ❤️ Blinkist

Sven O.

It's highly addictive to get core insights on personally relevant topics without repetition or triviality. Added to that the apps ability to suggest kindred interests opens up a foundation of knowledge.

Thi Viet Quynh N.

Great app. Good selection of book summaries you can read or listen to while commuting. Instead of scrolling through your social media news feed, this is a much better way to spend your spare time in my opinion.

Jonathan A.

Life changing. The concept of being able to grasp a book's main point in such a short time truly opens multiple opportunities to grow every area of your life at a faster rate.

Renee D.

Great app. Addicting. Perfect for wait times, morning coffee, evening before bed. Extremely well written, thorough, easy to use.