[1][2] Jazz musicians including Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Jimmy Lunceford, Artie Shaw & Billie Holiday,[3] Cab Calloway, Charlie Barnet and Sam Donahue played there in the 1930s and 1940s.
[4][5] Artie Shaw's band (including Billie Holiday) built their reputation playing Tuesdays and Saturday nights there in 1938.
[6] For some of the 1930s, the Roseland-State was two ballrooms—the State and the Roseland—but around 1937, Charlie and Cy (Simon) Shribman assumed control and removed the wall in between the two ballrooms.
The band now would really be blasting, and all the other dancers would form a clapping, shouting circle to watch that wild competition as it began, covering only a quarter or so of the ballroom floor.
people would be shouting at the band; and it would be wailing, until first one and then another couple just ran out of strength and stumbled off toward the crowd, exhausted and soaked with sweat.