Sock Hops

No, that’s not a mistake; Gary and I actually attended two of these events over the weekend. As we were heading out for the first “hop” we visited our local Starbucks for a creamy beverage (it was a long trip). The twenty something window server asked us where we were going. When we replied “a sock hop” he frowned and said “heh?”

For those of you who don’t know: a “sock hop” was an informal dance in the 1950s, typically held in the gymnasium. Hence the socks, as most people did not have suede soled dance shoes; regular shoes could hurt the slick varnish.

OK. So Saturday night we headed to Nashville, In. to attend a sock hop at Mike’s Dance Barn, a venue we’ve enjoyed before. When we arrived the only people in 50’s garb were a couple of waitresses and…us. The Smooth Country Band took the stage. They were a little bit 50s, but mostly their usual country. As the evening progressed, the already small crowd dwindled to three couples. And as Gary said, we love an open floor, but when the band members start waving at you, well, the energy has pretty much left. To be fair, the venue planners expected a bunch of rockabilly people, but apparently they all left after the car show was complete. But we still had fun.

The next day was a sock hop and benefit for the Humane Society in Anderson, In., at the Paramount Ballroom. In previous posts we’ve raved about the place; one of the few historic small town ballrooms left. So that was cool, along with the fact that this charity is near and dear to our hearts. No band, but a great DJ playing the best of the 50’s. That era contained an amazing array of rhythms; swing, of course, but also foxtrots, Latin, and waltzes. There was a pretty good crowd, AND they dressed like 50s gals and guys. Some great dancers…we even saw a demonstration of The Stroll!

We received some nice compliments; I think most folks were most intrigued with the rockabilly swing. One older gentleman said that was the way he used to dance, “not like those other swings you were doing”, which meant the WCS and the ECS, since those were the “other swings” we did. What I believe he was getting at is that rockabilly swing is a faster cousin to what most people danced in soda shops in the 50’s. Here’s a pic of a soda shop scene:







I wonder sometimes what older people think when they see their high school days made into a “theme”. The man who complimented me (and thanked us for coming) had tears in his eyes. So that was pretty cool…not that I made him cry, but that I recreated something from his past that wasn’t kitsch or untrue.

It’s weird to think that the era I grew up in is now being used as “theme” parties; when I see kids dress up in sparkly disco stuff I have to laugh…no one wore that to high school. Fortunately or not, since I never learned to dance back then I don’t know if they are doing 70’s steps right or not.

In the 70’s some people did dance, but certainly not casually in soda shops. In the 50’s it seemed like more people danced just for the fun of it. Hopefully with shows like Dancing with the Stars it’s time for dancing to come around again. I hope so.

Oh…we bid on a cat carrier and won. Our kitty doesn’t like it, naturally. But it was for a good cause. The event had great food too. Here’s a pic of Gary and a root beer float. We shared. Two straws. Awwwwww.





One more gooey bit: Gary loves to dance as much as I do. He’s the one who started us on this wonderful adventure and also the one who many times gets me out there when I feel shy. Saying that, he is a huge Colts fan. Do you know what last Sunday was? Yep, the first game of the season. And we found out later they won. He missed it to go to this dance with me. Sigh. He’s dreamy.