Cedar
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Joined : 15 May 2007
Posts : 966
Localisation : Always Texas
|  Subject: 'All Club Circle C' Dancers (Houston-Area?)  Fri Apr 04, 2008 1:45 pm | |
| Some scholars believe the dance to have been the central essence .... from which all other art-forms emerged. And yet, of those forms -- in both their contemporary and historical manifestations -- dancing may be the art which is least observed. Why? Well, perhaps this is because the student of dance is encouraged not to sit on the sidelines .... but to be a participant  (if possible)
Gertrude P. Kurath, "the leading American student of primitive dance, defined three fundamental matters to observe ...;" these being "the ground plan (location, participants, arrangements, geometry, progression), the body movements (steps, posture, arms), and the structure (repetition, combination)." The observations are to be made in this order, and finally, the student "should participate in the dance he or she is describing, especially for the fullest understanding of its structure." *
While square dances are believed to have developed from British prototypes, the latter -- usually referred to as 'country dances' by those in-the-know -- most often were conducted in rounds or longways .... with the dancers facing one another. Therefore, the square dance likely came to fruition on these shores -- an "authentic American folk development of the Old World four-couple dance," with the associated terms 'New England Quadrille,' 'Kentucky Running Set' and 'Cowboy Square Dance,' indicating "the principal centers of development." 
Now, I know that dancing has played a huge role in Texas history. It's hard to read about the settlement of our frontiers without stumbling upon references to people dancing. And, according to my late grandmother (of beloved memory), her own mother -- a feisty redhead named Ruby Ella Montgomery Whitley -- spent a great deal of her time dancing, in farm- and ranch-houses, tucked away in the hollows of Central Texas .... before she "found religion." But the form(s) of her dance, and those of the folks found below, are lost on me.
Seen in these wonderful photographs are the "All Club Circil [sic?] Members," in January of 1948. Their dance was held at the Buffalo Play House (Cherryhurst Club House?) the couples in the 'close-up' image are "Iver & Teet Houston ... Charlotte & Bob Mills." Originating (perhaps) with a Houston-area family, it seems that Charlotte actually was the wife of Iver Smith, and they had a little boy, named Danny. The photographer was Otis Stahl, Jr., of Houston ("Phone Madison 2-5230").
Would these couples and their troupe have been performing a square dance, in the 'contemporary' sense, or perhaps a round- or a form of 'Western' dance? Any direction or information would be greatly appreciated.
* Taken from, 'The Study of American Folklore: An Introduction,' by Jan Harold Brunvand (Third Edition, Norton, 1986)
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The woman of the frontier made the best of her situation, for she had developed a respect for the land that gave her freedom as well as the courage to live in it.
~~~ from the perspective of Anne Seagraves |
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madelyn
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Joined : 17 May 2007
Posts : 179
Localisation : Texas suburbanite
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