Happy New Year!

Eighty years ago (well, actually it’ll be eighty years ago next New Years Eve, but let’s not get technical about things), this little film snippet was captured. Like today, revelers rang in the new year with hopes it would bring an end to the fiscal crisis that gripped the United States and the world. 1933 had been a momentous one. On the positive side construction on the Golden Gate Bridge began, The Lone Ranger radio program began, and FDR took office. But The Dustbowl and the rise of Hitler foreshadowed many difficult and dark years to come.

So, in our little film snippet we see an eddy in the stream of time. It’s a joyous moment that stands in stark contrast to the realities of the time. Maybe that’s what every New Year’s celebration is, an island of hope amid a sea of sometimes contradictory fact. I raise my glass, hoping that 2014 won’t be like 1934.

So, gloom and doom out of the way, what does 2013 hold for Blue Suede Souls? What are my resolutions?

Well, firstly I resolve to spend more time writing to you. 2012 was a hard year for me when it came to writing and I let my contributions to the blog slip. I’m lucky to have Kelly to keep things going here! No more of that though, shoulder to the wheel young man and let’s get this blog rolling again!

Secondly, I resolve to seek out new and interesting dance experiences, and to share them with you. We’ve maintained our routine and added some interesting dance experiences in 2012 and I’m hoping to make 2013 even more adventurous. We’re learning the American Tango, Swango, and Polka and, no doubt, those will take us to some fun and interesting venues.

 Finally, I resolve to keep growing and changing as a dancer. Dancing isn’t a destination, it’s a journey. I think Kelly put it best when she said that she used to think you learned to dance and then just did it. Now we both realize there is no limit to what you can learn. You can focus on ballroom or club dancing, on vintage or modern dancing, on regional or international dance styles and you’ll never know it all. It seems to me that all you can truly promise is to keep an open mind and keep searching.

So, happy 2013 everyone! Kiss the one you love at midnight, sing Auld Lang Sine, and take a turn around the dance floor. Make the new year better than the old one and you’ll never look back with anything but fond memories.

Christmas Eve!

Here it is, Christmas Eve. I remember how my family would gather on this day. I huge collection of cousins, uncles, aunts, and grandparents jammed into a tiny house. We ate, talked, ate, played games, ate, and finally exchanged gifts. After the buzz died down and the wrapping paper had been cleared away the evening would get quiet. An air of expectation would settle in, listening for sleigh bells, and the gathering would break up. I can remember taking one last look at the Christmas tree before going to bed and imagining what might be under it in the morning. It was a kids Christmas, before the cares of the world supplanted worries over whether the right action figure would be under the tree in the morning.

Things got more complicated as the years passed. Relationships with the family grew more complicated, there were bosses and jobs to worry about, the politics and cares of the world, and the simple joys of childhood got a little lost. Still, in spite of it all, the holiday wonder survived. Still, this night, I’ll stop for a moment and that warm feeling will come back.

Here's to those who can't or won't be sharing their holiday with their friends and families. To paraphrase Bing's words, may next Christmas see you all home, with the ones you love, sharing a cup of yuletide cheer. Merry Christmas to all of you, may you be blessed and may your truest Christmas wishes be fulfilled.

 

Christmas Dance One, Two, Splat

This post was originally going to be titled 'Christmas One,Two, Three but it didn't exactly turn out that way.

Holiday dance number one was a fun-filled evening put on the The Brickyard Boogies...I mean really, all the cookies you can eat plus dancing to Ron's fabulous mix? Doesn't get any better than that. Picture of us below:

 

Our second holiday dance was a true extravaganza thrown by the Indy Dancers...the decorations, both inside and outside the space, were truly enchanting. Here is a view of the outside lights from our table and then a picture of us:

Last Friday we were supposed to go to another holiday dance. We arrived ready to swing, but alas, the owner of the studio met us at the door saying it was cancelled. As we trudged back to the car, me all spangled and eyelashed and Gary freshly showered and spiffed, I could have been upset. But with two wonderful holiday events already attended and New Year's Eve gala just around the corner, how could I be?



On the Second Day of Christmas

Two days to go and all I want for Christmas is my two front teeth…at least that’s all Spike wants.

The Third Day of Christmas...

Three days until Christmas and I'm longing for snow. I look at the street scenes in this video and I remember the snows of my youth. I still get that "school's closed due to the weather" feeling whenever a good snowstorm blows through. Here's hoping someone out there is having a lovely white Christmas! But, snow or no, I hope it’s a merry one!

Santa Clause is Back in Town/Blue Christmas

It looks like we're going to have a white Christmas and that's definitely worth a Santa Clause swing.

Last night we went out for what would be Christmas Dance number three only to be disappointed. We arrived at our favorite ballroom to find three cars in the frozen parking lot. I think at that point I knew we wouldn't be dancing, but we pressed on and went inside. The dance had been canceled without notice, leaving us feeling blue about Christmas.

So, two weeks without a dance begins. Nothing but private practice sessions between now and New Years Eve. Here's wishing you all a swinging Yule, I hope all you kiddies get a genuine rock-n-roll guitar and brand new blue suede shoes. Let's hope the new year shakes, rattles, and rolls in all the right ways.

On the Fourth Day...

From the 1940s through the mid-50s you might have ended a hard work day with settling down in front of a warm fire and the soft glow of a Philco model 48. While the snow rattled against the windowpane you might have tuned in to a variety show such as The Railroad Hour. Programs like this provided relief from the hard world, filling the darkness with musical dramas, comedies, and popular songs.

 As the name implies, The Radio Hour was sponsored by the Association of American Railroads. Singer-actor Gordon MacRae starred in scripts by Jean Holloway, Jerome Lawrence, and Robert Edwin Lee while Marvin Miller fulfilled the role of announcer.  During the show’s run Doris Day co-starred with MacRae in No, No, Nanette and Jane Powell co-starred in Brigadoon. Other offerings included The Desert Song, Holiday Inn, The Merry Widow, The Mikado, Naughty Marietta, Show Boat, Song of Norway, State Fair, The Student Prince, and The Vagabond King.

With four days ‘till the festive night, I offer you thirty minutes of 1950's broadcast of the Railroad Hour. It's good old fashioned entertainment with tones and sentiments that remain warm in spite of the chill of modern technology. Here’s to memories of the soft hum of vacuum tubes with their magic glow and the scent of a low-burning fire in the hearth. Snow closes out the outside world and you’re safe and warm on the sofa with someone you love. Take a deep breath and relax.

 

Buddy Clark: Merry Christmas Waltz

Snow is blowing through town today, drifting and swirling around the windows and moaning in the trees. Makes me think of the Merry Christmas Waltz. Buddy Clark, made his big band debut in 1934 with Benny Goodman's Let's Dance radio program then performed on Your Hit Parade until 1938. He had a top-20 hit with the song Spring is Here in the mid-30's but didn't have another until the late 40's.

In 1946 Buddy had his biggest hit with the song Linda. By chance the Linda of the song was the (then) six year old daughter of Clark's business partner Lee Eastman. That girl would later grow up to become a musician, spokeswoman for vegetarianism, and wife of Paul McCartney.

Clark's career hit its stride in 1947 when he produced  the hits How Are Things in Glocca Morra?, Peg O' My Heart, An Apple Blossom Wedding, and I'll Dance at Your Wedding. In '48 he had a major hit duet with Doris Day entitled Love Somebody as well as nine other songs that hit the charts including solo pieces and duets with both Day and Dinah Shore.

On October 1, 1949, as the 37 year old Clark's career continued to soar, he perished in a small plane crash while returning to Los Angeles from a Stanford vs. Michigan college football game. A month after Clark's death, his recording of A Dreamer's Holiday hit the charts.

Five Boughs of Mistletoe

Five days to go, a mere work week before homes are bustling with relatives and everyone’s worried whether the feast will come off, if uncle Hershel is going to be a dweeb, and if mom will like her gift. Take a deep breath, my friends, we’re heading for the plunge!

On this sixth day I give to you mistletoe, evergreen in the boughs of the winter-bare trees and a sign of life, fertility, and rebirth. Mistletoe didn’t become popular as a Christmas decoration until the 18th century. According to custom, it must not touch the ground between its cutting and its removal as the last of Christmas greens at Candlemas. Mistletoe can remain hanging through the year as a charm against lightning or fire, until it is replaced the following Christmas Eve.

Ancient Christmas custom holds that a man and woman who meet under a hanging of mistletoe were obliged to kiss. This custom was described in 1820 by Washington Irving in his The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon:

 "The mistletoe is still hung up in farm-houses and kitchens at Christmas, and the young men have the privilege of kissing the girls under it, plucking each time a berry from the bush. When the berries are all plucked the privilege ceases."

So pluck a berry or not, but spend a little time under the mistletoe with the one you love and enjoy a quiet moment before the yuletide hubbub descends. You’ll be thankful later!

Six Days and Counting!

On the sixth day of Christmas I send to you a half-dozen holiday cards filled with the warm greetings and love of those closest to you. Hopefully you’ve gotten a few invites to yuletide dances this Christmas season. Enjoy the revels, lose yourself in the merriment, and drink a cup of cheer to the season. Christmas is a time for togetherness, for remembering the friends and family that make us merry, so forgive the small stuff and avoid the Christmas blues.

On the Seventh Day...

Seven days to go, that’s just one week to deck the halls, trim the tree, and wrap up something for your sweet someone. This is about the time I find myself checking the weather reports and hoping for a blanket of snow to dress up yuletide. Unfortunately it doesn’t look like my wishes for a white Christmas will get fulfilled, at least not this year. In honor of a green Christmas, and as my day seven gift to you, here’s a nice dance tune from the 40’s entitled Little Jack Frost Get Lost…

On the 8th Day of Christmas...

With only eight days ‘till Christmas gold ol’ St. Nick needs every bit of help he can get. So it’s eight elves a-helping today.

The Ninth Day of Christmas...

Nine days to go and nine Santa Clauses are on the march! Well, at least the Santa Claus March is my gift to you. This obscure two step was composed by Fred Vokoun in 1907. Vokoun is a mystery, in fact my search turned up nothing about him aside from the fact he composed the Santa Claus March in 1907 and that he dedicated it to "Wm. J. Schwarz of Boston, Mass. (A Prince of Good fellows)". The publisher of the Santa Claus March, the Sam Fox Publishing Company, was located in Cleveland but from the websites I checked, nothing else has been discovered about Mr. Vokoun.
So, my 9th day gift is a mystery, just like a neatly wrapped package under the Christmas tree!

10 Days and Counting...

Ten more days, I hope you’ve got all your gifts or you could be facing the crowds and the insanity that is last-minute shopping! My gift to you? This image of Wabash Ave. in 1947 shows hundreds of Wabash, IN shoppers looking for that perfect something. Maybe someone in this photo just bought a nice pair of dance shoes?

The Mayflower Ballroom, attached to the Terre Haute House hotel would have been located at 7th and Wabash and the house band (heard on the attached video) surely would have been playing Christmas favorites of the era like White Christmas which came out that same year

The 11th Day of Christmas...

Oh yea, oh yea it’s the big Charleston contest and the 11th day of Christmas. It’s a Wonderful Life, love or hate it, is a staple of the yuletide season and this year Kelly and I went to The Artcraft Theatre in Franklin, IN to see a screening of Capra’s 1946 tale of the long-suffering George Bailey. It’s a Wonderful Life is one of the movies responsible for my desire to dance. I remember many a Christmas time sitting home and watching the Charleston contest scene and thinking, gee it must have been great back when people did that sort of thing…


Eventually the chance presented itself and, what do you know; now I actually do a few Charleston steps! Haven’t fallen into any swimming pools or taken home any loving cups lately but there’s still time. So, my gift to you on the 11th day of Christmas is the wish that all your dance-floor spills land you in the middle of a magical bit of moonlight strolling and maybe the love of your life. Now sing along with me, “Buffalo gal won’t you come out tonight, come out tonight, come out tonight…”

Twelve Days and Counting...

Ah, twelve days ‘till Christmas kiddies, are your stockings hung by the central-heating unit with care? It’s been a fine year of dancing and I have to say I’m lucky that my dear wife Kelly has been good enough for the both of us – otherwise I’d have a sock-full of the black stuff this holiday!


See, I’ve been a bad boy. I’ve forsaken my sworn duty to write my little missives for Blue Suede Souls this year. Blame it on changing jobs, blame it on computer viruses, blame it on the rain if you like…whatever the case, I’ve been remiss and I’m sorry.

So, to make it up to you I’m doing a little shopping – twelve gifts to you, one a day for twelve days culminating in the Jolly Old Elf’s big day. Yes, I know that the real twelve days of Christmas actually start on the 25th and run through January 5th, but by then all you’ll want to do is clean up the blasted wrapping paper and not hear another carol until next December. I figured it’s best to strike while enthusiasm is high, the eggnog spiked, and those sugarplums still doing their nightly jig.

My first gift to you, my friends, the soft glow of vacuum tubes and the mellow tones of the Henry Hall Dance Orchestra bringing you a Christmas broadcast from 1932. Enjoy, oh and just put the wrapping paper in the big bag by the tree if you don’t mind…

Yeah, dancing can do that...

Happy Holidays!!!!!!!!!!!!!!