Vernon and Irene Castle were American dancers known for championing social dance. Social dances are communal dances meant to encourage participation and experimental expression. In the early 1900s, Americans were seeking less formal forms of dance. However, social dances from non-European countries, like the tango, were criticized as vulgar.

The Castles notoriously adapted foreign forms of social dance, setting them to ragtime and jazz tunes. Black musicians like Europe’s Society Orchestra, featured in this poster, regularly provided their soundscape. As a white couple, they are credited with streamlining sounds and movements considered inappropriate in their original forms.