DanceClubs

Rio de Janeiro, a cidade que dança

The statement above is by Olavo Bilac and describes very well the atmosphere of Rio between the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th, a moment in which, in the poet's words, dance became “more than a custom or an amusement, it could be felt as a passion, a mania, a fever!”

The "dancing fever" invaded Rio de Janeiro and gained momentum at the beginning of the 20th century, with an explosion in the number of associations and recreational clubs, mainly between 1906 and 1912. Leisure was the main characteristic of these associations, which, besides providing moments of fun, also functioned as a space for sociability, mutual solidarity, and the exercise of citizenship. Many of them held dances and carnival parades.

Each club or association carried in its name the neighborhood of origin, the desires for progress and improvement for the territory, or even characteristics of the members, generally linked to the terms "dançante" (dancing) or "carnavalesco" (carnival-related), since the main activity, in theory, was leisure. Thus, clubs emerged such as Estrela da Piedade; Grêmio Musical Dançante Mistérios de D. Clara (in allusion to the old railway station in the neighborhood of Madureira); Triunfo do Engenho de Dentro; Progresso do Engenho de Dentro; Audaciosos do Caju, and the Heróis da Piedade.

Image description: This is a black-and-white photograph of a group of people gathered in an indoor setting. In the upper part of the image, there is a large painting with floral and geometric motifs. Below it, the members of the group are arranged in three rows. The first row is seated on the floor, while the second and third rows are standing. Everyone is wearing formal clothing, predominantly suits and shirts. Some people are holding musical instruments, suggesting they may be musicians or dancers.

Made up of poor and working-class people, the clubs had among their members a majority of Black men who lived close to the headquarters. But beyond being spaces for leisure and parties, the associations became a place for building identity and solidarity among members, who gathered to discuss and question living and working conditions and the lack of assistance from the State.

Leisure and activism came together in the workers' dance clubs. On several occasions, the clubs' activities were suspended, or even their headquarters served as meeting spaces for political activities of other workers, such as during the strike by the workers of the Companhia de Gás, located near the "Clube Carnavalesco Luz do Povo," in the Cidade Nova area, in 1908.

Image description: The image is a black-and-white engraving. At the top, it reads "RIO DE JANEIRO, SUNDAY, APRIL 12, 1908." Below, there is the title "ACTUALIDADES" and "THE GAS STRIKE." The scene shows a kerosene lamp with a human figure inside it, dancing. Beside it, there is a caricature of a woman with voluminous hair and glasses. The text below mentions the lamp returning from the obscurity of the basement, comparing itself to an old, dirty sailor.

As for the "Sociedade Dançante Carnavalesca Recreio das Flores," founded in 1909 in the same region, it used to host workers' meetings, as did those who were part of the group of carbonari linked to the Sociedade União dos Operários Estivadores. By actively taking part in the march promoted in 1914 by the city's workers' guilds in celebration of May 1st, they made their connection to the workers' cause even more evident, showing that these were everyday spaces for the fight for their rights.

Image description: The image is an old black-and-white photograph. It shows the facade of a building with balconies decorated with flags and garlands. On the left, an open window reveals a person standing. In the center, a balcony is occupied by several formally dressed people, some holding flags. On the right, another open window shows a standing figure, also in formal attire. The text at the bottom of the image reads: "The windows of the Sociedade Recreio das Flôres as the workers' procession passes on Rua do Livramento".

However, the racist thinking that structures Rio de Janeiro's and Brazilian society, in general, regarded these societies as spaces of disorder and danger - a view echoed by police actions and part of the press. In 1926, for example, the Sociedade Dançante Carnavalesca Reinado de Siva, from Cidade Nova, was described in the periodical A voz do Chauffeur as one of the worst-reputed societies in the capital, frequented “by the finest flower of malandragem”, as well as being “a meeting place for malandros and prostitutes” and a “den of crime and vagrancy”.