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Released in 1964, Martha and the Vandellas’ “Dancing in the Street” remains one of the iconic anthems of the 1960s, with a message that resonated across the social and political landscape. At its core, the song is about joy, unity and collective celebration, but it also carried deeper undertones, particularly in the context of the civil rights movement and the social unrest that was growing in the United States during the decade.
On the surface, “Dancing in the Street” is a call to communal celebration. The lyrics invite people from different cities across the country—Chicago, New York, New Orleans and beyond—to come together and dance in the streets. The song’s upbeat energy and infectious rhythm encourage people to join in, offering a vision of spontaneous, joyous gatherings where the barriers of everyday life are temporarily lifted.
Though “Dancing in the Street” was primarily seen as a joyful dance anthem, many listeners and commentators interpreted it as carrying a subtle message of social and political defiance. In the context of the civil rights movement and the growing unrest in cities across America, the image of people taking to the streets could be seen as a metaphor for protest, empowerment and a demand for change.
The “dancing” could be read as a form of peaceful demonstration or even a celebration of newfound freedom and solidarity among marginalized communities.
The Rolling Stones’ “Street Fighting Man” remade the song in a more politically charged way, transforming it into an anthem of resistance and confrontation, where the streets become the setting for political struggle rather than celebration.
“Dancing in the Street” captured both the exuberance of youth and the spirit of the times, functioning as a call for togetherness and celebration, while also embodying the broader yearning for social change and justice in a tumultuous era.
That song, perhaps more than any other from its era, captured the spirit of the carnivalesque. That’s a powerful cultural force that has endured for millennia, offering an escape from the confines of social norms, creating a temporary reversal of hierarchies and unleashing unfiltered collective joy and freedom.
From ancient rituals like the Bacchanalia and Saturnalia to modern-day music festivals, pop concerts and events like Burning Man, the carnivalesque taps into a desire for rebellion, community and celebration. Despite centuries of attempts to constrain, channel and commercialize this impulse, it remains resilient, continually adapting to new forms while preserving its essence of transgression and collective liberation.
Throughout history, authorities and commercial forces have sought to tame the carnivalesque, recognizing its potential to disrupt the social order. Yet its enduring appeal lies precisely in its ability to offer moments of liberation from the structured constraints of everyday life. Whether through the raucous freedom of a medieval carnival or the euphoric energy of a modern music festival, the carnivalesque creates spaces where the usual rules are suspended, allowing for unstructured play, connection and freedom.
I recently learned that the great historian Gary Cross is in the process of writing a history of the carnivalesque and especially its fate in the era following the Protestant Reformation. This is a subject that deserves a serious history worthy of its importance.
In a world increasingly regulated and commercialized, the carnivalesque continues to offer a vital counterpoint—a space for collective joy and rebellion that resists control and commodification. Even as contemporary culture seeks to package and sell the experience of freedom, the carnivalesque’s deep-seated connection to human desires for joy and connection ensures that it will remain a powerful force. Its ability to adapt while staying true to its core—the desire for freedom and celebration—ensures its continued relevance in a world where such experiences are increasingly rare.
The carnivalesque thrives not in spite of efforts to suppress it, but because it provides an essential outlet for the rebellious, celebratory spirit of humanity.
Pop concerts like those of Taylor Swift and Beyoncé have evolved into more than just musical performances—they have become cultural happenings, drawing together massive crowds and functioning as modern-day festivals of joy and collective experience. These events, much like traditional festivals, serve as spaces for communal celebration, shared emotion and a temporary escape from the routines of everyday life.
Thousands of fans from different walks of life gather in one place, united by a shared love for the artists and their music. The experience fosters a sense of community, with fans bonding over their mutual excitement and participating in rituals like singing along to every word or wearing themed outfits. These concerts create a temporary space where personal boundaries blur, allowing for a collective outpouring of joy. This collective energy recalls traditional festivals where the community comes together in shared celebration.
Much like ancient festivals, which often served as breaks from the daily grind or outlets for social tensions, modern concerts offer a form of escape. The shared catharsis—whether it’s through dancing, singing or even crying to certain songs—allows fans to release pent-up emotions in a safe, joyful space.
Many major pop shows are structured as immersive experiences, with set lists, visuals and themes that take fans on an emotional journey. This emotional connection elevates the concert into a transformative experience, much like traditional festivals that revolve around myth, storytelling and shared cultural narratives.
These concerts have developed their own modern rituals. Fans exchange friendship bracelets, turning the event into a social exchange as well as a performance. These shared traditions and inside references strengthen the communal bond, creating a sense of belonging similar to that found in the rituals of ancient festivals like Bacchanalia or Saturnalia.
The sheer scale of these concerts, held in massive stadiums or arenas with intricate stage setups, light shows and pyrotechnics, mirrors the grandeur of traditional festivals. These concerts aren’t just musical performances but full-scale productions that evoke the sensory overload and excitement of a festival. For many fans, attending such a concert is a memorable, almost life-defining event, much like how ancient festivals were key moments in the cultural and religious calendar of a community.
At their best, these concerts create a temporary utopia where fans can immerse themselves in an idealized world, a space where fans can escape personal hardships, societal pressures or the political chaos of the outside world, embracing instead a world of music, joy and solidarity. For a few hours, the concert becomes a microcosm of unity and happiness, where societal differences fade and the shared love of music takes center stage.
In 2006, Barbara Ehrenreich, the author, essayist and political activist, published Dancing in the Streets: A History of Collective Joy. That book explores the history and cultural significance of collective celebrations, rituals and ecstatic experiences. Central to her argument is that for much of human history, people have engaged in spontaneous, communal gatherings that involve dance, music and ritual as a form of collective expression. However, these traditions of joy, which once united communities, have been increasingly suppressed or marginalized by modern Western societies, particularly since the rise of hierarchical structures, capitalism and organized religion.
She argues that rulers, religious authorities and later capitalist structures viewed spontaneous, communal celebrations as potentially threatening to social order and control. The European Reformation, in particular, cracked down on carnivals, festivals and communal dancing, labeling them as sinful, excessive or riotous. This repression of joy was tied to the rise of a more individualistic and disciplined social order.
Ehrenreich contends that the modern era, especially from the Enlightenment onward, increasingly prized rationality, self-control and individualism over collective, ecstatic experiences. The rise of capitalism, industrialization and the nuclear family further marginalized opportunities for public celebration, making joy a more privatized, commercialized affair (such as in concerts or sporting events, where spectators are passive rather than participants). The suppression of these communal experiences, in turn, contributed to alienation, loneliness, social fragmentation and a lack of shared emotional expression.
Yet despite the suppression of traditional festivals and rituals, Ehrenreich observes that modern societies have continually sought out new outlets for collective joy and ecstasy. From the revival of social dancing in the 20th century (e.g., swing, rock ’n’ roll, disco) to political protests, sports events and music festivals like Woodstock, people have found new ways to experience collective joy in spite of societal pressures. She sees movements like rave culture as contemporary examples of the desire to reconnect with these primal experiences of communal ecstasy.
The Russian philosopher and literary critic Mikhail Bakhtin originally formulated the concept of the carnivalesque in a 1929 essay, “Problems of Dostoevsky’s Poetics,” to describe a temporary suspension of social hierarchies and norms, often characterized by laughter, grotesque imagery and the reversal of power dynamics,
Features of the carnivalesque included:
- Inversion of hierarchy, where traditional roles are reversed, with the lowly temporarily elevated and the high brought down.
- Celebration of the body, where bodily functions, indulgence and the grotesque—eating, drinking and sexuality—take center stage.
- Suspension of rules, where social constraints are suspended, creating a space for uninhibited expression, mockery of authority and creative chaos.
- Collective joy, shared by an entire community.
- Subversive humor and parody, where authority figures, sacred symbols and power structures are openly mocked.
Bakhtin and later scholars like E. R. Dodds, Victor Turner, Terry Eagleton, Peter Burke and Natalie Zemon Davis—and more recent scholars like Catherine Bell, David Kertzer, Jack Santino and Roy Rappaport—show how rituals like Bacchanalia, Saturnalia and medieval “rituals of misrule” (such as the Feast of Fools) and their later counterparts provided an outlet for social tensions and pent-up frustrations, allowing for a controlled, temporary release of resentment and anxiety.
Often tied to seasonal changes, harvests and fertility cycles, these rituals acknowledged and honored humanity’s relationship with nature and the cycles of life and death. They also allowed societies to confront the idea of disorder and the instability of life, but within a ritualized, limited context, even as these rituals also reinforced social cohesion and the legitimacy of the established order, providing moments of collective release and symbolic renewal.
The impulse for the carnivalesque—the desire for a liberating, communal and joyous experience—remains alive and well in contemporary culture. Despite attempts to tame or commercialize these impulses, they continue to thrive, particularly in the form of street festivals, pop concerts and other large-scale events.
This craving for communal celebration is especially powerful among those in their teens, 20s and 30s, but even older adults are drawn to these spaces, as seen with events like Burning Man, with its focus on radical self-expression, communal living and temporary escape from mainstream society. Such events appeal to a broad cross-section of people searching for meaning, connection and creative expression.
Street festivals, such as those in New York City celebrating Puerto Rican and Dominican heritage, provide a clear example of how the carnivalesque continues to manifest in today’s world. These festivals celebrate cultural pride and community through music, dancing, parades and shared food. They offer spaces where the usual social order is temporarily suspended, allowing participants to celebrate their heritage, embrace their identities and engage in communal expression. Just as the medieval carnival blurred class boundaries and subverted societal norms, modern street festivals allow participants to experience freedom and joy in ways that often contrast with their daily lives.
These festivals create an atmosphere of spontaneity and liberation, offering a break from the rules and expectations of society. They also provide an opportunity for people to connect with their cultural roots, share traditions with others and feel part of a larger collective. This is especially important in urban settings where individuals might feel disconnected from their heritage or community.
Similarly, pop concerts have become modern-day carnivals, drawing massive crowds and creating temporary utopias of joy and release. At these concerts, fans engage in rituals that resemble those of traditional carnivals, such as dressing up, chanting and participating in collective acts of joy. The experience often blurs the line between audience and performer, creating an interactive, participatory atmosphere where everyone becomes part of the event. Festivals like Coachella, Tomorrowland and Lollapalooza have become touchstone, serving as spaces where music, art and community converge into immersive, carnivalesque celebrations.
In today’s world, where individualism and digital connectivity often replace in-person interactions, the craving for carnivalesque events has only intensified.
The rise of social media and the 24-7 nature of digital life may have made people more isolated, but it has also heightened their desire for physical connection and shared experiences. Events like pop concerts or street festivals provide a way to break free from the digital world, offering real-life interactions, collective joy and a sense of belonging. The same impulse that drove medieval peasants to partake in carnival celebrations—the need to escape, to engage with others and to experience joy—continues to fuel the popularity of these events.
In a world increasingly dominated by technology, commercialization and social isolation, the carnivalesque remains an essential part of the human experience. These events remind us of the enduring human need for shared celebration, emotional release and the chance to momentarily escape the constraints of daily life. Despite efforts to tame or commodify the carnivalesque impulse, it persists and even intensifies in contemporary culture, offering a powerful testament to the timeless desire for collective joy.
In today’s world, where technology, commercialization and social isolation often dominate daily life, the carnivalesque remains a vital reminder of the need for communal joy and the suspension of rigid social structures. It endures not only as a form of resistance to control but also as an expression of our collective longing for freedom, connection and transcendence. Despite all attempts to channel or commodify it, the carnivalesque persists as an essential part of the human experience, offering a timeless space where joy and liberation reign.
In a world of constraint, people still long to revel in freedom.
Colleges can—and should—tap into the deep-rooted human longing for the carnivalesque—in ways that enhance campus life, foster creativity and build a sense of belonging. Here’s how.
- Organize more campuswide events that incorporate elements of fun, creativity and spontaneity. Provide an opportunity for students to break free from academic routines and embrace the carnivalesque spirit. Examples might include:
- Cultural festivals, celebrating the diverse cultural backgrounds of students through music, dance, food and performance, can create an inclusive and joyful atmosphere.
- Themed events that allow students to express themselves creatively, such as costume parties, art showcases or pop-up performances, encourages participation and builds community.
- Seasonal celebrations, such as spring fairs, Halloween festivals or winter carnivals, provide opportunities for collective engagement in play and entertainment.
- Establish rituals of role reversal. The carnivalesque often involves the reversal of social norms and hierarchies. Colleges can:
- Organize events where students take on faculty roles and vice versa in a lighthearted, creative way.
- Encourage students to take the lead in planning certain events or festivals, providing them with agency and a sense of ownership while encouraging innovative approaches to community building.
- Foster performance arts and street theater. Engage students in public performances, improvisational theater or flash mobs allows them to explore the carnivalesque spirit in ways that encourage creativity and break the boundaries of formal academic structures.
- Encourage drama and music departments to organize spontaneous outdoor performances or exhibitions around campus, turning common spaces into temporary stages for artistic expression.
- Invite students to create interactive art installations that invites the campus to participate, turning routine spaces into playful, temporary transformations.
- Establish campuswide competitions and games. Large-scale competitions, from scavenger hunts to talent shows, can capture the energy of the carnivalesque while contributing to campus cohesion. These activities allow students to express their individuality, collaborate with peers and enjoy a break from routine. These might include:
- Game nights and sports tournaments to community and friendly rivalry.
- Carnival games or “field day” competitions as part of larger campus celebrations.
- Establish community service and social justice carnivals. Leverage the carnivalesque spirit, using the joy of collective celebration to engage in meaningful work.
- Organize service-driven carnivals where the proceeds go to local charities, encouraging students to have fun while contributing to a larger social cause.
- Harness the energy of the carnivalesque to mobilize students for social justice issues, incorporating art, music and performance into peaceful protests or awareness campaigns.
- Establish rituals of transition. Carnivalesque events can also help mark important transitions in students’ lives, such as graduation, the start of a new academic year or the end of exams. Examples might include senior send-offs and first-year welcomes.
- Celebrate of local and global cultures. Organizing events that celebrate cultural diversity through food, music, dance and performance can bring the spirit of carnival to life in a way that honors global traditions.
By embracing the carnivalesque impulse in productive ways, colleges can create vibrant, joyful campus experiences that encourage creativity, break down social barriers and foster a stronger sense of community among students.