The popularity of couples dancing rises and falls over time, affected by lots of causes and other trends, as chronicled by a Wall Street Journal article on March 18, 2013 and a subsequent letter to the editor on March 25. (East Coast) Swing music played by touring big bands such as Glenn Miller and Benny Goodman attracted a lot of dancers during the 1930’s and first half of the 1940’s, but it declined following the end of World War II, apparently a victim of several factors, including (1) the 1942-44 musicians’ union strike against the record companies, (2) the 1944 “cabaret tax” on venues that combined food, drink, and dancing, (3) wartime shortages of commodities that curtailed the amount of traveling that could be done by the bands, (4) loss of musicians to the military, (5) formation of BMI (Broadcast Music Inc.) that collected royalties from businesses who played music and distributed them to composers and publishers, enabling new forms of music such as R&B (rhythm and blues) and country to receive funding, combined with migration from the south of listeners and dancers who preferred this music over swing. This didn’t destroy couples dancing, but it changed the music that people listened to while dancing. For the most part Baby Boomers (born 1946-1963) grew up on rock & roll, and don’t identify closely with the older swing music. And in about 1963, it is said, the Twist destroyed touch dancing.