Monte Pritt

The Robustness Of The Chicago Area's Dance Scene Monte Pritt

When Mudra's Danceland first opened for business in 1929, the onset of the Great Depression had not yet occurred. even the stock market crash on Black Thursday( October 24, 929) was not felt immediately due to the robustness of the Chicago area's dance scene.
Opening night in October 1929 drew over 2,000 people to the beautiful ballroom with the famous Maplewood dance floor. It continued to thrive with live music four nights a week and 12 months a year throughout the Big Band Era, despite the Great Depression and World War II, and into the rock 'n roll era, until it burned to the ground on Sunday morning, July 23, 1967. Almost everyone's marriage in the region began with a dance at Madura's Danceland. In the 38 years Danceland was open, it had only two owners and managers, Michael (Mike) Madura Sr. and Michael (Mick) J. Madura Jr., father and son. It remained a family business for all those years, with three generations of the Madura family having worked there in many capacities.