Show the comeback come back of the uld time fiddler by ELMO SCOTT WATSON SHORT time ago a montreal newspaper printed an article under the title of our canadian folk dances in which kathleen redman strange the author said if you ever have watched a group of country people engaged in a square dance you will readily understand why I 1 regret the passing of these old time favorites from the floors of our present day country dance halls As recently as ten years ago these tanare or group dances were an integral part of our western country life today the modern tendency for iw Is crowding out the old time fiddler and the old time dances the old time fiddler cannot play the new dance music though he can play the id irresistibly the consequence la that not onla the fiddlers fidd lers tho callers nd the old rhymes themselves but ilso the people who know how to sance the figures are disappearing it this canadian woman had crossed the boundary line into this country nd visited various places in a number t different states she might have discovered that mourning over the pass ing of the old time fiddler Is still a bit premature if for instance she bad gone into the catskills in new ehe might have made an interest log discovery as witness the follow ing the new york sun explored the catskills idary elizabeth osborn has recorded in american speech some of the results of her observations on the square dance the neighbors gather in the front parlor the barn or corrupting touch for the true antiquarian to the garage the fiddler calls the figures he Is dictator of the dance he has been known to stop fiddling and scold the dancers it the figure la not being performed quite swiftly enough or evenly enough to meet his approval whatever the dance may be says this historian there are introductory and closing steps that are always the same the opening figure 1 ordered thus head couples right and left half promenade ladles change 1 balance four AI lemand left all promenade the closing figure Is directed in this fashion by the master of festivities ladles to abe right and swing balance to the next V gents to the right and swing balance to the next left all promenade in captain jinks a favorite dance the figures are performed with enthusiasm to these quatrains qua trains the flying lady frequently 13 lifted bodily from the floor and swung in the air with right good will lady swing with captain jinks now with the one that never drinks now with the one that carries the chinks and now the dude of the ballroom first gentleman dance with lady so fair now with abe one with curls in her hair now with the one that flies in the air and now with belle of abe ball room A typical dance for four couples Is in those lines first two give right hands across back with the left fall back between side couples and forward tr richmond va for the first time in virginias history the old lyrics of a forgotten day that came to america with the first colonists are to be heard again when the picturesque valleys and hollows of the blue ridge mountains surrender their mountain bards april 14 to 17 of this year for the first virginia music festival to be held at above Is shown a group of the old fiddlers fidd lers getting in a bit of practice for the coming festival and back with the left join your partner and balance four in a line swing to places and promenade all this Is an aspect of life in the catskills the summer boarder does not know our author says that in the villages the square dances are falling off somewhat some whit in popularity but on the arms they are as greatly enjoyed as they were a generation ago jazz leaves the guests apathetic it was only a year or so ago that the kansas city star chronicled the fact that ten old time fiddlers fidd lers five from north missouri and an equal number from the southern section of the state will saw it out december 30 at jefferson city for the state championship the winner will receive a large loving cup the contest Is expected ta take all night and the rolla mo herald reported that the ozarks have radio and free rural mall delivery they have automobiles and roads but refuse to abandon the old square dance where the fiddler plays the arkansas traveller and turkey in the straw and at the same time calls the dance figures in verse A year or so ago a south dakota editor commenting upon the revival of the old time dances in that state was moved to the following reminiscence of an earlier day in the spring of 1879 I 1 witnessed my first frontier dance A new store building was to be dedicated with a dance there was room for three sets of four couples each to dance at once and the musician and caller was dume evans just what dume waa a contraction of I 1 never knew ills music appeal even to my unpracticed ear but his unique and poetic as he called to his own fiddling impressed me more than the movement of the dancers when the sets were full dumes fiddle and also his voice came into action lie always sang in a droning monotone keeping time also with his foot the opening was always the same S lute yer partners alne hands and circle to th left right hand to yer partner an grab right and left ity this time his eyes were closed and his voice had risen to a sort of wall first couple lead to the couple on the right lady in the center an tarco hands round mind yer feet dellera fe llera dont tromp on her gown 1 I arst lady swing out and second lady in three alne bands and circle agin on to the next couple hoe it down three alne hands and caper round third lady to the center give your honey a whirl lead to the next with our best girl grab your gonles dont let cm fall shake your hoofs and balance all ringtail coons in the trees at play grab your partners and run away or there might be a variation after the grand carcle to the left something like this buffalo gals are a colln out tonight first couple lead to the couple on the right jaybird sc oldin up in a tree gents stand around and ladles dose do se if you catch a yeller jacket let er go ladles stand back and genta do sedo se do on to the next and do it some more make them cow hides hit the floor back to your places that away grab them heffers heifers and all chaw hay or it might be in a sort of reminiscent and sentimental vein that he would call first gent lead to lady on yer right and watch yer step now mind yer back to yer place and swing thet gal the gal yer left yer dumes physical endurance apparently was as inexhaustible as his power of hour after hour the old fiddle would screech and hour after hour the voice of the fiddler would drone on while his foot kept time without intermission of course there were occasional periods of irrigation though dume never deemed to be effected by his potions and when at last the dance broke up it was near the hour of blush tag morn similarly a writer in the louisville KT courier journal told of old time dances and old time fiddlers fidd lers in that state as follows some of the old time kentucky fid adlers had more of a variety of tuneful breakdown melodies in their repertoire than others but there was one accomplishment in which fewer excelled that was the calling of the dince figures which some of them could do in an original and novel way the figures of the old time square dances were called off in the quaint vernacular couched in loose rhyme and the variations that took a wide range occasioned much merriment following Is a sample of one of the characteristics dance calls of the period S lute yer pardner and let her go balance all and do sc do swing yer gal and run away night and left aad gents sashay gents to right and swing or cheat on to next gal and repeat balance next and don t be shy swing yer pard and swing her high bunch the gals and circle round whack yer feet until they boad form a basket and break away around and all get gay all gents left and balance all you hoofs and let em fall swing yer opposite swing again ketch the sag ehens it you kin back to pardner do sedo se do all jenc hands and off you go gents salute yer little sweets hitch and promenade to seats the time honored square dance or quadrille included other figures one of them being called bird in the cage others were made up and interpolated such as swing yer long cornstalk which had its origin in arkansas usually the dance caller of other days had a foghorn voice aad he contributed much to the shindigs of the period that often lasted until daylight before the final strains of home sweet home broke up the party AU of which offers rather elve evidence that its not yet almo to write finis to the old time fiddler and his dance tunes he will hold sway at the virginia music festival at this month according to the information accompany the picture shown above and judging by reports of fiddlers fidd lers contests in other parts of the country which have appeared in the newspapers recently it seems likely that he will pursue hl calling for some time yet to come by union |