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About Herald and news. (Klamath Falls, Or.) 1942-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 21, 1956)
PAGE TWO HERALD ANPreEWS. KLAMATH FALLS, OREGON SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21, 1956 Square Dancing Ranks High As Recreation Millions Take Part In Popular Revival y RUTH KING . and JEAN WALKER One and three, here's what you do, Wheel around and Susie. Q Opposite lady a right hand 'round. Partner left when you come down. Then you promenade two by two. Get along home like you always -do. With the call oC "do-si-do" echo ing from recreation balls, school gymnasiums, ranch .bams lodge halls, from New York to Pensacola. from Boston to- San Diego and the last outpost on the Canadian line to the Mexican bor der, the term "Square Dance" is becoming a household word. An estimated 30 million people of all ages in this country now trip to the tantalising tunes and the bewitching coaxing of callers or to phonograph records. Statis tics show that every city, town which the dancers swing from Jline rather than in the square of eight performers. These line dan ces still crop up frequently at square dances and a few clubs exist that are devoted entirely to the line. figures. 'As covered wagons roiled west ward, the biting tunes of the old southern hoedowns and the farther north corn husking rhythms, were sung to the creaking of wagon wheels across the rutted prairies and 'and many was the night beneath a - mellow moon that boy swung girl to the twang of a Jews harp, in a square dance figure. They were danced in the towns where Mother Lodes made for tunes in gold, and in the towns that fringed the vast lumbering in dustry of the Northwest. They were danced in the gas-lighted ball rooms fn the cities and even upon the white sands where the Pacific rolled to shore. the and hamlet across the United States, has at least one club or group of square dancers. That square dancing m not a fad or a craze, that blazes up then dies, is proven by the many years that this form of recreation has been popular. Some say that a general ia the Foreign Legion, watching his sold iers drill back 'in the 16th century, tapped a booted foot and from there came the "Quadrille. The bewigged gentlemen aad corseted "grand dames" of the royal courts got into the swing and court jesters were often called upon to add spice to the calls. ADDED Each century and each country has given some colorful bit to the dances. Calls have been passed; from lather to son. - The New England and the Vir ginia colonists brought with them to the shores of the new America. the music and the stanzas of the countries from which they came.1 or regain muscular coordination In some regions where dancing 'and in many mental hospitals to was irownea upon, Doys ana girls: develop, self reliance and to renew satisfied their yearning for keep-j a tie with the outside world, ing time to-, tunes by dancing The late Henry Ford was an "Skip to m' Lou" and "Drop the. enthusiast and late in his lifetime Handkerchief." I whirled about a dance floor. His Perhaps the earliest style oT book on square dancing, "G ood American folk dancing is the Morning." isr now a collector's TAP-ROOMS They were danced too. ii tap-rooms of toe sprawling towns but the beautiful patterned dances of today are not to be confused with stomping 'circle dances performed before the bars by the miners and the woodcut ters and their lady podners" dur ing those days when men came to town to spend a well-filled gold oust poke. Contrary to belief, square danc ing is not a form of entertain ment to be enjoyed only by coun try folks." Doctors, lawyers, merchants, chiefs, teachers and many a housewife welcome the opportunity to "whirl away and half sashay." where they meet their neighbors relax and "let go.' There, is no cast system in the square dance world. Few religious groups disprove. Square dancing is encouraged for therapy in many hospitals where the patient needs to learn rlPf lib "MILL UP YOUR PANTS and Tighten Up Your Traces. All Join Hands and We're Off 1. he Races," goes the call for this group of dancers at Twyla Ferguson School. Beginners are called "Grecnys" but a few nights on a polished floor under the tutelage of a good caller and unless the dancer has lead in his shoes he can "Chase the Rabbit. Chase the . Squirrel. Chase the Pretty Girl 'Round the World." can do the "Double Elbow." is Dr. Lloyd Shaw of Colorado known as, "The Grand Old Man of Square uancing. REASON His following quotation puts into words the reason that square danc ing has lived through the centuries and has had such a tremendous revival in the last dozen years. "Square dancing is man's turn ing back again to the primitive and to the simple, and to the sure methods that have saved our souls again and again when they were threatened with too much of the new. To leave the confusion and the half-done appeals of our television and radio, to join in the spontaneous and friendly and nat ural activity seems to restore our souls. A bit of color in our cos tume, laughter ' again on our lips. natural friendliness in our gesture seems to restore us, to bit again, so we are the nice people "Country" or -Costa Dance, in item. Another notable figure who' we would like to be. Costumes Add local Color Much of the color and the sou-it of the square dance is captured in the costumes worn by the danc ers, many of tbera reminiscent ef the early days of America. Pantaloons peep coyly from be neath ankle-length full skirts, the frocks flutter with ruffles that swirl above ballet slippers, bound aoout sum ankles with criss crossed ribbons and an occasional sunoonnet of the 1890s is tied be- neain a pen feminine chin. Men partners are hist as color. ful, in authentic Western blue jeans or Western style trousers, western shirts and string ties, cow boy boots and fancy belts. Although a costume that fits the dance is not necessary, they do aaa lite and color to the festivities. That such costumes are preferred by the dancers is proved by count ers and clothing racks in retail stores and specialty shops where square aances garments are sold exclusively. The pretty old calico ' prints of earner days are being re-produced by the thousands of bolts by tex tile manufacturers, brightly colored Squaw Dresses from the South west arc showing up in every state in the union and sewing ma chines hum from shore to shore as nimble fingers turn out individual frocks. "But don't stay home, say 'the enthusiasts, if no "proper" duds are on hand. Tis just as much fun to "Shoot That Star te a Wrong Way Whee," in an imported tweed or satin 'n sables. HAT BALER The first . self-propelled hay baler for the average-size farm, capable of turning out nine tons of baled hay an hour, was recent ly introduced to farmers by New Holland Machine Company. THIS SET OF FOUR COUPLES was ready for a whirl in the hay-scented barn on the Jo Glaeowski Ranch on Hilyard Avenue. Many a haymow m the Klamath country has rung to "Allemande left." both in the early days of settlement of the valley along Lost River and sine the upsurge ef interest in the old square dances back about 1947. lack to camera. Loren and Sylvia Stroud, others, clockwise around. Shirley and Bill Mayhew,' Jeea Walker, Clarence Hundley. Ralph and Buelah Brisbon of the Merry Mixers Club. SINUS SUFFERERS! Tit wm WESTERN THRIFT 3S Maia Mi. TU 4-3343 The Cover This week's Herald and News Magazine Section of Klamath Basin Living cov er picture was taken by Don Kettler with a 4 x 5 -Speed Graphic camera set at a hundreth ef a second and f 22 using tri X film. The fiddler is Clarence Hundley ef TuleJake, a square dancer of I e n g standing. POSTS If you have to replace the fence. posts on your farm every couple of years, you may well be digging mat same hole 10 times oftener than you would have to if- you used treated posts. Title Insurance insurance protects y impairment Title from loss or wnersiire. It is comparative ly smell item ef cast. Male yea awa year property! For the best in Title Service - See Klamath County's Only Home Owned ; Tile Company Serving The Klamath Basin Since 1906 Klamath County Abstract Co. R. E. Veatch, pres. Mrs. J. U. Bebcock. sec 422 MAIN Call TU 4-5155
