Show 1 I The Come Comeback back O 1 of th the e ei r Old Time lime Fiddler e I i fj r 1 11 1 4 VI i r S. S k 4 irk i 2 v x V- V c cT k rt S' S v l I w m Iv X vv T S 4 y ft o M t 4 v r y r k y or n t. t a G a J i r-ir-ft-r- r 44 By ELMO SCOTT WATSON SHORT snORT time ago a Montreal Montreal Mont Mont- real newspaper printed an article under the title of Our Canadian Folk Dances In which Kathleen Redman nedman Strange the author said id If It you ever over have watched a group of country people engaged in a square dance you ou will wm readily understand why I re- re STet fret the passing of ot these time old fa fn- favorites from the floors of our day country dance halls I As recently as ten years Jears ago these I square or group dances a ces were an In fn In- In part of ot our western country l life lite Today the modern tendency for tor I Jazz is crowding out the fife time old-time fiddler and the time old-time dances The i time old fiddler cannot play piny the new dance music though he can cnn play piny the theold theold old irresistibly The Fite consequence is s that not only the fiddlers the callers I and the old rhymes themselves but j also the people who know how boss to dance the figures are disappearing I If It this Canadian woman had crossed the boundary line Into this countr country I i and visited various places in a number I of different states she might have discovered dis dis- dis c covered that mourning over the passi pass i ing l ag of ot the time old fiddler Is Js s still a aI I bit premature If for instance she I had gone into the Catskills In New York Pork she might have ha made an interesting Interest interest- ing discovery as witness the following from the New York Sun Having explored the Catskills Mary Elizabeth Osborn has recorded record record- ed In American Speech some of ot the results of her observations on the square dance une rne neIghbors gaiter gaUler in the tiie front parlor the tIle barn or corrupting touch for the true antiquarian In the garage The fiddler calls the figures he Is Js dictator of the dance he has been known to stop fiddling and scold the dancers If It the figure Is not being performed quite swiftly swiftly swift swift- ly enough or evenly enough to meet his approval Whatever the dance may be says this historian there are Introductory Introductory tory and closing steps that are al always always nJ- nJ ways the same The opening figure is la ordered thus Head couples Right and left Halt Half promenade Ladles Ladies change Balance four tour Allemand left All An promenade The closing figure is directed In Inthis InthIs Inthis this fashion by the master of ties Ladles Ladies to the right and swing awIng Balance to the next Gents to the right and swing Balance to the nex next Allemand left All promenade In Captain Jinks a favorite ta dance the figures are performed with enthusiasm to these quatrains the flying lady Jady is frequently lifted bodily from the floor and swung In the air all with rI right ht goo good 1 will First lady Jady swing with Captain Jinks Now with the one that never neer drinks Now with the one that carries the chinks And now with the dude of the ballroom First Hirst gentleman dance with lady so fair Now with the one with witt I saris In her leer hair Now with the one that iii z In jn the air And now with belle of the ball ball- room A typical dance for tor four tour couples Is la expressed in these lines First two give right hands across Back with the left Fall Fan back between sid side couples And forward sir six Richmond Va For For the first firt time In Virginias Virginia history the old lyrics lyric of a forgotten day that came to America with the first firt colonists are to be bo heard again when the pIcturesque picturesque picturesque esque valleys and hollows of the Blue Ridge mountains surrender their mountain mountain mountain moun moun- tain bards April 14 to 17 of this year for the first Virginia music festival to tobe tobe tobe be held at Charlottesville Above is shown a group of the old fiddlers getting get I ting In a bit of practice for the com- com I Inn 1 And back with the left Join your Jour partner And balance four in a 1 line 1 Swing to places And promenade all This is an nn aspect of life In the Catskills the summer boarder does not know Our author sa says s 's that in inthe inthe inthe the villages es the square dances are falling off somewhat In popularity but on the farms they are as ns greatly gl enjoyed as they were a generation ago Jazz leaves lea the guests apa apa- It was only a year ear or so ago that the Kansas City Star chronicled the Ule fact that ten time old fiddlers five fire from north Missouri l and an equal number from the southern section of the state will saw it out December 30 at Jefferson City for the state champion ship The winner will receive a large Jarge loving Jo cup The contest is expected ta to take all aJl night And the Rolla Mo l Herald reported that the Ozarks ha have hae e radio and free tree rural mall mail delivery ery they have automobiles and roads but refuse to abandon the old s square ounce lance Where me uie fiddler plays the Arkansas Traveller and Turkey In i n the Straw and at the same time calls the dance figures In verse A year or so ago a South Dako Dakota l le e editor commenting upon the revival of the time old dances in that state was moved to the following reminiscence reminiscence cence of an earlier day In the spring of 1879 I witnessed my first frontier dance A new store building was to be dedicated with a 11 dance There was room for tor three sets of ot four couples each to dance at once and the musician and caller caBer was Dume Dunne Evans Just what Dume Durae was a contraction of ot I never knew His music didn't 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 tull Dumes Dume's lid fide liddie fiddle dIe dle and also his voice came Into ac acv tion He lIe always sang in a droning monotone keeping time also with his foot The opening was ah always ays the same yer partners line Jine hands and circle to th thO left nIght Right hand to yer partner nn an grab right and left ll By this time his lils e eyes es were closed mill arid his voice had risen to a sort of ot r wan wall I First couple lead to the couple on the right Lady in the center an three hands round mind yer feet fellers doht tromp on her gown First lady swing out and second lady In three fine Jine hands and circle n agin inOn in On to the next couple hoe it down three fine hands and caper round Third lady to the center give gi your Jour honey a whirl lead to the next t with your our best girl Grab your our dont don't let em fall tall shake your hoofs and balance all nil Ringtail coons In the trees at play grab your our partners and run awa away r t Or there might be a variation after utter the grand circle the left left something like this J Buffalo gals are a comin out to tonight tonight tonight to- to night first couple lead to the couple on the right ja Jaybird up In a tree gents stand around and ladles se do-se If you OU catch a yeller jacket let er go ladies stand back and gents se do On to the next a and d do It some pome more make them cowhides cow cowhides cowhides hides hit lilt the floor Back Dock to your places that away grab them heifers and all chaw hay Or It might be In a sort of remi remi- anti anu sentimental vein that ne he would call caB First gent lead to lady Jady on yer right and watch yer er step now mind yer back to yer place and swing thet abet gal the gal nl yer yes left behind yer flumes Dume's physical endurance apparently apparently was faS as inexhaustible as his power of provision Hour flour after hour the old fiddle would screech an and hour after hour the voice of the fiddler would drone on while his foot toot kept time without Intermission Of or course there were occasional periods of ot Irrl Irrigation though Dume ne never er seemed to be effected by his potions and when at last the dance broke up It was near the hour of blushing morn Similarly a writer niter In the I- I Louisville Ky ICy Journal Courier-Journal told of time old dances and time old fiddlers In that state as follows Some of the time old Kentucky fiddlers fid lid had more of ot a variety of 01 tuneful tuneful tune tune- ful ul breakdown melodies In their repertoire rep than others but there was one accomplishment In which fewer excelled That was the calling caking of the 1 41 utu UL CD 15 some ui UL or them mum L could do In an original and novel way The figures of ot the time old-time square dances were called off In the quaint vernacular couched In loose loos rhyme and the variations that tool took a wide range occasioned much merriment Following Is IB a sample of one of the characteristics dance calls of ot the period yer pardner and let her go Balance all and se do Swing SwIn yer gal Jal and run away Right night and left and gents sashay Gents to rI right ht and swIn swing or cheat client On to next nelt gal al and repeat repent Balance next and dont don't be shy Swing yer pard and swing her hl high h hI I Bunch the gals and circle round Whack yer feet teet they hound bound d. d Form a basket and break away awny- awny Swing around and all get gay ay All AU gents left and balance all alJ Lift you hoofs and let em fall Swing yer Jer opposite swing Ketch the sn ehens If It you kin Back nack to pardner do se do-se-do e-do e All Jine hands and off ocr you go Gents Gelts salute yer little sweets Hitch and promenade to seats The time honored square dance or quadrille Included other t figures ures J-I J one ui L muni i ti jw rj mi HrU ui u cage Others were made up and Interpolated such as Swin Swing Yer Long Cornstalk which had Its origin In Arkansas Usually the dance caller of other da days s 's hind had a n foghorn to horn voice and he contributed much to the shindigs of the period that ot often n lasted until da daylight ht before before before be be- fore the final strains of Home Sweet Home broke up the party All AU of which offers rather conclusive live sive evidence that Its It's not yet time to write finis to the time old-time fiddler and his dan dance e tunes He Ie will hold sway at nt the Virginia music festival nt ut Charlottesville this month accordIng according accord accord- accordIng Ing to the information accompany the picture shown abo above e and Judging by reports of or fiddlers' fiddlers contests In other parts of ot the country which have appeared ap tip- In the newspapers re recently It seems likely that he lie will pursue his calling for some time yet to come tint fi I hv Wf Western tera Union |