Show alie comeback come anh ONG back of the oi 1 nr fd ta jjr id d lime ime fiddler dael q a r W A 7 P I 1 V t r efto f fi V aa ke A a C 4 n W tj i v v 1 1 I 1 f ia A r M r Z 4 wt h WW i ap 1 1 P f i F 0 by ELMO SCOTT WATSON f SHORT time ago a mont ad real newspaper printed an JJ article under the title of V our canadian folk dances in which kathleen redman strange the author said it if you ever have watched a group or of country people engaged in a square dance you will readily understand why I 1 re arret the tha passing of these old time favorites from the floors of our present day country dance halls all aa recently jas Is ten years ago these square 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 he ca can n play the old irresistibly the consequence Is that not only the fiddlers fidd lers the callers 1 find and the old rhymes themselves but also the people who know hova to dance the figures are disappearing if this canadian woman had crossed the toun boundary dary line into tills this country land and visited various places in a number of different states she might have discovered that mourning over the passing of the old time fiddler Is still a bt bit t premature if for instance she had gone into the catskills in new york fork she might have made an interesting discovery as witness the following from the new york sun having explored the catskills wary mary 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 in the garage the fiddler calls the flores figures he Is dictator of the dance he has been known to stop fiddling and scold the dancers if the figure to Is 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 la Is ordered thus head couples right and left halt half promenade ladles change balance four allemand left all promenade the closing figure Is directed in this fashion by the master of festivities ladles to the right and swing balance to the next gents to the right and swing balance to the next allemand left all promenade in III captain jinks i a favorite dance the figures are performed with enthusiasm to these quatrains qua trains the flying lady Is ia frequently lifted bodily from the floor and swung in the air with right good will I 1 first lady swing with captain jinks now with the one that never drinks now with the one that carries the chinks and now with the dude of the ballroom first gentleman dance with lady so fair now with the one with burls in her hair now with the one that alax alaa in the air and now with belle of the ballroom A t typical dance for four couples is expressed in these lines first two tivo gly give e right hands across back with the left fall back between sidi couples and forward six richmond va for the th first time in virginias history the old lyrics of a forgotten day that came cama to america with the first colonists are to be heard board again when the picturesque valleys and hollows of the blue ridge mountains mountain surrender ur render their mountain bards april 14 to 17 of this year for the first virginia music festival to be held at charlottesville above Is shown a group of the old fiddlers fidd lers get ting in a bit of practice for the coming festival and back with the left join your partner and balance tour four in a line swing to places and promenade all this Is an aspect of alifean life in the catskills the summer boarder does not know our author says that in the villages the square dances are falling oft off somewhat in popularity but on the farms they are as greatly enjoyed as they were f a gener generation atlon 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 Miss missouri ourt 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 7 ao 10 mo herald reported that the ozarks have radio and free rural mall mail delivery they have automobiles and roads but refuse to abandon the old square dance ebere 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 1 I 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 duma was waa a contraction of I 1 never knew his music appeal even to my unpracticed ear but his unique and poetic as he called to his own fiddling impressed Impress eil me more than the movement of the dancers when the sets were full dumes dumea fiddle and also his voice came into action he always sang in a droning monotone keeping time also with his 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 wall first couple lead to the couple on the right lady in the center an three hands round mind yer feet fetters 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 atoe noe it down three jine hands and caper round third lady ta the center give your honey a whirl it lead ad to the next with your best girl grab your li onles dont dant let em fall shake your hoofs and balance all RIng ringtail tall coons la in the trees at play grab your partners and run away or there might be a variation after the grand carcle to the left latt something like this buffalo gals are a comin out tonight airet couple lead to the alie couple on the right jaybird sc scold oldin ln up in a tree gents stand around and ladles ladies dose do se if you catch a yeller y ell er jacket let ler er go ladles ladies itald stand back and gents dosedo do se do oo on to the next ast 6 do it some more make them cow hides bides hit the floor back to your places that away grab them heifers heffers and all chaw hay 1 or it might be in a sort bort of reminiscent and sentimental vein that he be would call first gent lead to lady on yei right and watch yer step now mind yer back to yer place and swing thet gal the gal yer left behind 11 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 th the e fiddler would drone on while his foot kept time without 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 hour of blushing morn similarly a writer tn in the Louls louisville vIlle ky courier journal t told 0 id of old time and old ti time m 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 an original InaI and novel way the figures of the old time square dances were called off in the quaint ve vernacular macular 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 yer pardner and let her go balance all and dosedo do se do swing yer gal and run away right bight and left and gents sashay gents to right and swing or cheat on to next gal and repent repeat balance next and dont be shy swing yer pard and swing her high bunch the th gals and circle round whack yer feet until they bound form a basket and break away swing around and nil get gay all ali gents left and balance all raft lift you hoofs and let em fall swing yer opposite swing again ketch the sag ehens if you kin back to pardner dosedo do se do all jine hands and off you go gents salute yer little sweets ilitch hitch and promenade to seats the time honored square dance or quadrille included other figures fig ares one of them being called bird ln in the cage others were made up and interpolated such ns as swing yer long cornstalk which had its origin in arkansas usually the dance caller of other days had a foghorn voice and 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 all of which offers rather conclusive evidence th that at its not yet time to write innig to the old time fiddler and hla his lance dance tunas ite he will hold sway at the virginia music festival at charlottesville 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 tit appeared in the newspapers recently antly it i seems likely that lie he will pursue his calling for some come time yet to come oa hr bw afra Ne waver union |