Show the I 1 ne comeback come back of the dari ti lime i me F ta fiddler id 1 d ig ler 0 V ak PA x 4 A 14 s Z W v 0 O pg iq f 7 X 4 ef J 01 by ELMO SCOTT WATSON f SHORT time ago a mont rj real newspaper printed an r article under the title ot of T I 1 our canadian folk dances in which kathleen redman strange the author said if you ever have watched ft a group of country people engaged in a square dance you von will readily understand why chyi 1 I regret the tha passing of these old time favorites from the floors of our present day country dance halls As recently as ten years ago these elvare or group dances were an integral part of our western country life today the modern tendency tor for jazz Is crowding out the old time fiddler and the old time dances the old time fiddler cannot play the new dance music though lie he can play the old irresistibly tile the consequence Is that not only the fiddlers fidd lers the callers 1 and the old rhymes themselves but also the people who know how to dance the figures are disappearing if this canadian woman had crossed the boundary line into this country and visited various places in a number of different states slie site might have discovered that mourning ovar over the passing of the old time fiddler Is still a bit premature if for instance she had gone into the catskills in new rork fork she might have made an interesting discovery as witness the following from rom the new york sun having explored the catskills mary elizabeth lias has recorded in american speech some of the results of her observations on the square dance the neighbors gather in the front p parlor arlor the barn or corrupting t touch for the true antiquarian in the garage the fiddler calls the figures he Is dictator of the dance he has been known to stop fiddling and scold the dancers if the figure lc in 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 bame the opening figure la Is ordered thus head couples right and left half promenade ladles ladies change balance four allemand left all promenade the closing figure Is directed in this fashion by the master of festivities ladles ladies to the right and swing balance to the next gents to the right and swing balance to tile the next allemand left all promenade in captain jinks a favorite dance th the e figures are performed with enthusiasm to these quatrains qua trains the flying lady Is frequently lifted bodily from the floor and in the air with right good will first lady swing with captain jinks now with the one that never drinks now with the one that carries th the e chinks and now with the dude ot of the ballroom first gentleman dance with lady so fair now with the one one with in her hair now with the one that alex in the tha air and now with belle of the ballroom A ty typical aleal dance for four couples la Is expressed in these lines IF first two give right hands across back with the left fall back between sida couples and forward six richmond va for the first time in virginia history the old lyrics lyric of a forgotten day that came cama to america with the first colonists colonist are to be heard again when the picturesque valleys and hollows of tits the blue ridge mountains surrender fur render their mountain bards april 14 to 17 of this year for the first virginia music festival to bo be held at charlottesville above Is i shown a group of the old fiddlers fidd lers get ting tina 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 in popularity but on the farms 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 tile southern section of the state will saw it out december SO 30 at jefferson city for the state championship a 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 malt 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 danee figures in verse A year or so ago a south dakota editor commenting upon the revival of the old ola 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 juht what dume was a contraction of I 1 never knew ills his music appeal even to my unpracticed ear but his unique and poetic ampro vision as lie he called to ills his own fiddling impressed me more thin than the movement of the dancers when the sets were full dumes fiddle and also his voice came into action he always sang in a droning monotone keeping time al also with ills hla foot the opening was always the same yer partners jine hands and circle to th left right hand to yer partner an grab right and left by this time his eyes were closed and his voice had risen to a sort of rythma tic vall all first couple lead to the couple on the right lady in the center an three hands round mind yer feet fellers dont tromp on her gown first lady swing out and second lady in three jine hands and circle agin on to the next couple hoe it down three jine hands and caper round third lady to the center give e your honey a whirl lead to the next with your best girl grah your hobles dont let I 1 em cm fall shake your hoofs and balance balanc e all ringtail Ring tall coons in the trees at play grab your partners and run away or there raight might be a variation after the grand circle to the left something like this buffalo gals are a comin out tonight first couple lead to the couple on the right jaybird scold ln up in a tree gents stand around and ladles ladies dose do se if you catch a yeller jacket lot let cr go ladles ladies stand back and gents dosedo do se do on to the next aid a ia do it som so melmore emore make them cow hides hit the floor kack back to your places that away grab them heifers heffers and andall all chaw hay 1 or it might be in a sort of reminiscent and sentimental vein that he would call first gent lead to lady on yet yei right and watch yer step now mind yer back to yer place and swing thet gal al the gal yer left behind yer dumes physical endurance apparently was wag as inexhaustible as his power of hour after hour the old fiddle would screech and hour after aate r hour the voice of the fiddler would drone on while ills foot hept time without lt intermission of course there were occasional periods of irrigation though dume never seemed to be effected by his potions and when at last the dance broke up it was near the alie hour of blushing morn similarly it a writer in the louisville ky 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 dance figures which some of them could do in nn an original and novel way the figures of tile the old time square dances were called off in the quaint q vernacular couched in loose rhyme and the variations that took a wide range occasioned much merriment following Is a sample of one of tile the characteristics dance calls of t the he period yer pardner and let her go balance all and dosedo do se do swing yer gal and run away right night and left and gents sashay gents to right and swing or cheat on to next gal and repeat balance next and dont be shy swing yer pard and swing her high bunch the gals and circle round whack yer feet until they bound form a basket and break away swing around and all get gay all gents left and balance all lift you hoofs and let em cm tall fall swing yer opposite swing again retch ketch the sag ehens if you kin back to pardner dosedo do se do all jine hands and oft you go gents gelts salute yer little sweets hitch and promenade to seats the time honored square dance or quadrille included other figures one of them being called bard ln in the cage orders I 1 were made up and interpolated uch such as swing yer long cornstalk which had its it origin in arkansas usually th the dance caller of other days had a foghorn voice and he contributed much to the shindigs of the period that often lasted until da light before tile the final strains of home sweet home broke up the party all of which offers rather conclusive evidence that its not yet time to write I fInIs to tile old time fiddler and his dance tuffs lie ile will hold sway at tile the virginia Virgin la music festival at charlottesville this month according to tile 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 cent ly it seems beems likely that lie he will pursue file calling for some time yet to corm come icib a bw w tern newspaper Nir paper union |