Spanish Craze: American fascination with the Spanish

TP

During the 19th century right after the Spanish-American war, a new phenomenon took over the United States: the Spanish Craze. During this time Americans became extremely interested in everything related to the Spanish and the Hispanic. Perhaps due to an ideallization of the country, the people, or the way of life, the Spanish became a trend, and artists, dancers, painters, musicians, writers... helped spread the Spanish Craze all over the country. On this broadcast, we speak with doctor Rachel Straus, an independent scholar who specializes in 20th century dance history, about the reasons behind the Spanish Craze and the development of this phenomenon.