Dance Halls of Brisbane in the twentieth century

Private dances and balls in small halls around Brisbane eventually gave way to a larger audience experience, particularly after World War I and the advent of jazz music.

All styles of dance were available in Brisbane and the variety of arenas available made it possible for dancers to choose the venue they could best afford to attend.

Television broadcasts commenced in Australia in 1956 and began to make inroads on film attendance and to affect popular culture.

After 1957, music changed with the advent of rock and roll and promoters brought in acts from overseas to appeal to modern tastes.

Some of the international acts which toured Brisbane dance halls included Buddy Holly, Bill Haley and others.

This dance hall was in a wharf adjacent to the Victoria Street Bridge at South Brisbane and was designed by architect Ronald Martin Wilson.

The Addie Cantwell Palais Ballroom opened in the 1930s at 436 Adelaide Street, Petrie Bight on the site of the dance hall previously known as the Ritz.

Its remodel with a design by Lange Leopold Powell in the 1920s[12] emphasised Art Deco decoration and the building included marble stairs and a flat auditorium floor which could seat 700 people when not in use as a dance hall.

A funicular railway ran from the main road at Breakfast Creek up the hill to provide easy access to the hall.

The building itself had a distinctive parabolic laminated roof arch 18 metres high, which made it visible across Brisbane.

The dance floor in particular sat on heavy metal coil springs which provided a well sprung experience for dancers.

It was a concert venue in the 1950s, and featured Australian and international performers such as Buddy Holly, Johnnie Ray, Paul Anka, Jerry Lee Lewis and others.

A services club for African American soldiers was established in 100 Grey Street, South Brisbane opposite the train station, during World War II.

[21][22] Lennon's offered a small dance floor from the 1920s[1] and due to its status as the town's leading hotel, attracted celebrities visiting Brisbane for performances and other events.

Ozanam House, the St Vincent de Paul Hall in Gotha Street, Fortitude Valley opened in 1937, built to a design by J. P. Donoghue[23] and offered another venue for dancing.

[24] Jack Busteed ran a dance studio from 1948 in a building in Post Office Square in Adelaide Street and demonstrated jive.

[27] The Trocadero Dansant opened 1923 as a high class dance hall in South Brisbane, taking advantage of the popularity for jazz style music particular to the 1920s.

The dance hall provided 52 alcoves for patrons to rest and socialise, featuring mission oak furniture.