Generations of Texans have believed that "to dance is to live." At
rustic "play parties" and elegant cotillions, in tiny family dance
halls and expansive urban honky-tonks, from historic beginnings to
next Saturday night, Texans have waltzed, polkaed, schottisched,
and shuffled their way across the state. In Dance across Texas,
internationally known dance instructor and writer Betty Casey takes
an informal look at the history of Texas dancing and, in clear
diagrams, photos, and detailed instructions, tells "how to" do more
than twenty Texas dances. Previously, little had been recorded
about the history of dancing on the frontier. Journal and diary
entries, letters, and newspaper clippings preserve enticing, if
sketchy, descriptions of the types of dances that were popular.
Casey uses a variety of sources, including interviews and
previously unpublished historical materials, such as dance cards,
invitations, and photographs, to give us a delightful look at the
social context of dance. The importance of dance to early Texans is
documented through colorful descriptions of clothing worn to the
dances, of the various locations where dances were held, ranging
from a formal hall to a wagon sheet spread on the ground, and of
the hardships endured to get to a dance. Also included in the
historical section of Dance across Texas are notes on the
"morality" of dance, the influence of country music on modern dance
forms, and the popularity of such Texas dance halls and clubs as
Crider's and Gilley's. The instruction section of the book diagrams
twenty-two Texas dances, including standard waltzes and two-steps
as well as the Cotton-Eyed Joe, Put Your Little Foot, Herr Schmidt,
the Western Schottische, and such "whistle'" or mixer dances as
Paul Jones, Popcorn, and Snowball. Clear and detailed directions
for each dance, along with suggested musical selections, accompany
the diagrams and photos. Dance and physical education teachers and
students will find this section invaluable, and aspiring urban
cowboys can follow the easy-to-read diagrammed footsteps to a
satisfying spin around the honky-tonk floor. Anyone interested in
dance or in the history of social customs in Texas will find much
to enjoy in this refreshing and often amusing look at a Texas
"national" pastime.
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