American Influence

European artists wanted to break away from the conventions of the 19th century ways of entertainment and interpreting the world. The artistic movement known as Expressionism continued until after the year of 1914. Weimar was good on the culture for Germany. Germans experienced a multitude of many activities and movements that continuously shifted the ‘mass culture’ on the radio cinema and press.

This did not impress the Nazi Party so it was common to hear much criticism from the party itself towards the republic and the modernists. The way the new young women of the age started to dress was criticised as being an influence from Jews and communists from the Soviet Union. As also the social customs that the women did in their everyday lives which they did enjoy.  The creativity of the cultural environment within the republic was now very lively and it did little to win respect for the political system or to steady the democracy. 

In the 1920s Germany had decided to open up to the fact that the world was becoming more modern. American pop culture was actually welcomed with open arms and quite easily. People came to think about living in the now instead of the depressing past. Films, plays, jazz, music, bowing, and black cabaret groups became very popular throughout German entertainment very quickly. One of the most popular dances within Germany at that time was a rather famous dance called the Charleston.

The "Revue Nègre" in Paris introduced the dancer Josephine Baker. She was part of the "chocolate kiddies' dance troop" it ended up being a smash-hit with Berliners. She became a huge star in Europe but was never as popular in America (where racial tension continued to marginalise black dance and dancers). All black musicals disappeared from Broadway in the 1920s when white musicals started to employ more black performers and black dance was incorporated into their programme.