Created by young modern dancers, WDL used dance as a form of social protest to address class struggle and worker's rights.
It recruited workers as participants and audiences and brought dance to union halls, political rallies, and public demonstrations to raise awareness.
[1] American poet Edith Segal began using dance as a means of expression and protest as early as the 1920s, performing works that celebrated leaders of the socialist movement.
[2] Segal's early formation of The Red Dancers in 1928 laid the groundwork for the Workers Dance League and led to collaborations with other leftist performance groups.
[3] WDL members incorporated techniques from prominent modern dance figures, including Martha Graham, Hanya Holm, Doris Humphrey, and Charles Weidman, emphasizing movement as a means of expression rather than an elite, aesthetic pursuit.