USO Canteen FReeper Style ~ Dance Fever ~ March 18, 2003

March 18, 2003 | LaDivaLoca

[LaDivaLoca]

Dance Fever ~ Canteen Style

"It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing" (Duke Ellington)

"Swing music is pedestrian music. When you hear It, it makes you want to move."
(Clarence Clemons)

The first known swing dance, which dates back to 1913, was called the Texas Tommy. This dance later became the Mooch and Sugar in 1916, and by 1919 was called the Breakaway.     

Swing had its beginning in the 1920s and kept on going strong for many decades.  In 1926 the Savoy Ballroom in Harlem, New York opened its doors and began to host bands and dancers from all over. 

Swing dancers were not only doing the steps, they were naming and inventing them as well.  In 1927, Shorty George Snowden coined the term Lindy Hop to describe his dance style.  It has been known as such ever since.

In 1935, Frankie Manning, one of the greatest Lindy hoppers ever, created the first air steps.  Since then, dancers have been trying to duplicate and recreate them.

Swing continued into the 40s and 50s with the big band and rock & roll eras.  The music changed and the dancing developed.  Check out the important dates below!

1920s - Early Charleston and Lindy Hop begin                                                

1926 - Savoy Ballroom in Harlem New York opens

1927 - Shorty George Snowden coins the term Lindy Hop   

1930s - The role of the band leader changed; they no longer just conducted the band, they were musicians who alternated between leading and soloing    

1934 - Cab Calloway records "The Jitterbug" and the Jitterbug dance craze takes off.

1935 - Frankie Manning creates the first air steps             

1941 - Whitey's Lindy Hoppers appear in Hellzapoppin'

1950s - Swing dancing becomes known as "rock and roll" dancing

1960s - Partnered or "touch" dancing declines as Chubby Checker's "Twist" sweeps the nation.

2002 - Swing is still very much alive and well in the 21st century.  It seems as though most dancers are trying to get back to basics, experimenting with the Lindy Hop, Shag, Balboa, and Charleston.  Today's dancers are not only learning the dances, they are adding their own unique styling and inventing new moves as well.  Swing may not be the most popular thing in 2002, but for those who fell in love with it... it will never go out of style! 

GLOSSARY OF COMMON MUSICAL TERMS
As you read the BigBands Database, some expressions may be
unfamiliar. Hopefully, you can find their meaning here.

ALLIGATOR: Musician's used to refer to each other as 'Alligators'.
          Today, the word has been shortened to just 'Gator'.
          Louis Armstrong is often referred to as 'Gate Mouth',
          - from the same source.

BACK LINE: Musical slang for 'rhythm section'. Any combo of drums, bass piano, banjo, guitar. (Early bands would also use a Jug (glass/clay, gallon size) and washboard.) The expression stems from the early Jazz bands which often were just 5 - 7 pieces. The Melody instruments would stand out in the 'front' line while the Rhythm - piano, drums, banjo, and tuba/bass fiddle - would be the 'back line'. See also, "Front Line" below.

BEBOP: Another word for 'Bop'. See 'Bop" below.

BLUE NOTES: The lowered 3rd, 5th and 7th tones of a major scale. Often referred to as the 'flatted 5th', etc., by jazzmen.

BLUES: 1) A sad ballad type of song, often sung by a female moaning about a lost/uncaring/mean/etc lover. 2) A sad song sung mainly by black singers, - male and female. The traditional structure is 12 bars divided into 3 four bar measures. The "song form" (see below) is almost always AAB. (See "Jazz Overview" Link on the Main Page for more information.)

BARRELHOUSE: (Also called "Fast Western".) A style of piano playing popular west of the Mississippi before the 1900's and into the 'teens. So named because the piano players were usually working in the crude cabarets that served whiskey directly out of the barrel.

BOOGIE WOOGIE: An "Eight beats to the Bar" Ostinato. The left hand plays a repetitive riff throughout the song.

BOP: Originally, a style of music that used the changes (chords) of a well known song, but with a wild (sometimes recognizable and sometimes not) improvisation on the original melody. The expression has racial overtones. Dizzy Gilespie said that blacks developed Bop to "exclude "lesser" (meaning - white) musicians".

For more, click on the graphic:

SWING ERA AND MODERN COLLOQUIALISMS

---

 "Swing", like most fields of endeavor, also has it's own
special lexicon. Once used mostly by the musician's
themselves, the slang has now become a part of the greater
society. And, what is even more remarkable, is the way the
language has prospered. It is still widely used today, AND
growing.

---

18 Karat        "Pure Gold"
                Ex: "He's 18 karat."

Ace One dollar; Dollar's worth, one, first rate Ex: "He's 'Ace' with me. Ex: "Slip me an Ace, Gate." (Let me have a dollar.)

Air-check An actual radio or television performance caught on tape; as opposed to a work done in a recording studio

Alligator Originally, a slang term for "Musician". Very early in Jazz history, musicians referred to themselves as "alligators". Now it simply refers to any Swing Devotee (abbrev. 'Gator or Gate) Note: Louis Armstrong is often called 'Gate Mouth', from the same source. Ex: Cat 1: See ya later, alligator. Cat 2: After while, crocodile.

Axe ANY musical instrument. Ex: Man, - what do you think of my new Axe?

Ball To enjoy Ex: We had a 'Ball' when Tommy Dorsey played.

Big Apple New York City. Ex: He's working at Roseland Ballroom in the Apple.

Baby A term of endearment. (for either sex.) Ex: Say, "baby," I got us some bread, let's "move" downtown.

Bad Good Ex: That dude does some "bad" ass playing.

Bag One's own special interest. Ex: Man, - Tommy Dorsey's "Well Git It" is my "Bag".

Balloon lungs A Brass player with good breath control. That cat has "balloon lungs," he held that note for one complete minute!

For more, click on the graphic:

Click and dance to the music:







Movies to watch:

Additional information
(click on the graphics):

[HiJinx]

Alright, ladies, the guys need dance partners!

[LaDivaLoca]

Love your tag line, BN4F! LOL! I'm gonna go and check the site you posted.

Be back later, everyone!

[GoRepGo]

A good day to you too Kathy!

Thank you to all our military.

[radu]

GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE!

Good morning, afternoon, or evening to all our troops, veterans and allies wherever you may be at this time. THANK YOU for all your efforts and sacrifices in protecting our nation and preserving our freedoms. My husband and I have all the men and women in uniform overseas in our thoughts and prayers for their safety in the coming days. Their families, too, who I'm sure are deeply concerned about the welfare of their loved ones.

GOD BLESS AMERICA AND WATCH OVER OUR TROOPS!

[andysandmikesmom]

Thanks for the words and music to 'Bless This House'...this is one of my favorite songs....

I learned this song in public grade school, duing the late 1950s...our whole class just loved this song, and altho it is appropriate year round, we always especially found it touching around Thanksgiving, which is when we sang it more than ever...

When I was in public grade school, in 5th grade, we had a wonderful teacher....at the end of the school day, usually the last 1/2 hour, our teacher used that last 1/2 hour, either for punishment or reward time, based on how the class as a whole behaved during the rest of the school day...if the class was in general rowdy and bad all day, and just had our teacher at her wits end, she might 'punish' us, by giving a pop quiz on something, or making us write a boring short theme...

But if we were good, we then got a reward...most times, the reward was to listen to the teacher, as she read aloud from a novel that she had picked out...the novel would have been something not on our list of required reading, but something that our teacher thought we would enjoy and should read...most kids got their own copies of whatever novel she was reading, and would read along with her, as she read out loud...(WE loved her reading out loud, as she dramatized the whole thing, and made it interesting to all the students, even the slackers).....

Then when she was done reading for the day, and it was almost time for the bell to ring to let us out, she would then ask us which song we would like to sing, and she would play it on the piano, and we would sing along...very, very often, we wanted to sing 'Bless This House'...rarely can I hear that wonderful song, without going back to my youth and my schoolhood days, and that wonderful teacher...

Try to teach that song to grade school students today, and watch someone object about their civil rights being violated...

By the way, this teacher always had the most well behaved classes during her teaching career at that school...she knew how to make us love learning, love reading and love singing...and often us kids, would chastize those in our class who were acting up, because we did not want to miss our reading and singing at the end of class...

Again, thanks for that wonderful song...

[grantswank]

TONY TOUGHS IT OUT

Eloquent. That’s what comes to mind when hearing British Prime Minister Tony Blair giving forth in Parliament today. Media reported the assembly was uncharacteristically “hushed.” Further, at the conclusion of the Prime Minister’s delivery, there was a standing ovation.

“Stark choice.” That’s what Tony told his audience. Britain could either give support to the thousands of servicemen and servicewomen just moments away from conflict or Britain could play the part of the coward in support of Saddam Hussein. Which would it be?

Tony came close to saying the words without saying the words. He came close to saying that if the government didn’t support his principles in this critical time, he would quit.

Once again, the two countries — Britain and the United States — are shown to be led by two leaders who are more married to principle than polls. Neither man seems to care a twit about his own personal political longevity in the deliberations these days. They are giving themselves totally to what they believe is right.

When Diane Sawyer interviewed George Bush, Sr., as telecast Monday evening, the former United States President said the same. He was committed in his presidency to what was right. His son, now President, is likewise committed to what is right. It is not what is opportunistic nor political convenient, as Daschle’s wabbly remarks this morning revealed his motives to be. Instead, Bush Sr. and Bush Jr. know what it is to stand firmly upon their convictions.

Obviously, Mr. Blair is of the same ilk. The two countries should be exceedingly proud of such gentlemen leaders.

Mr. Blair went on to speak with aplomb: "Who will celebrate and who will weep if we take our troops back from the Gulf now? . . . If we do act, we should do so with a clear conscience and a strong heart. Our fault has not been impatience. The truth is that our patience should have been exhausted weeks and months and even years ago."

He went on: "I believe we must hold firm" otherwise the United Nations and cowardly countries in that entourage would prove themselves merely to be “talking shop” with Saddam Hussein reigning triumphantly. In addition, other dictators would likewise be encouraged to continue with their atrocities.

Mr. Blair delivered: "Back away from this confrontation now and future conflicts will be infinitely worse and more devastating." To retreat now, he stated emphatically, "would put at hazard all that we hold dearest . . . tell our allies that at the very moment of action, at the very moment they need our determination, that Britain faltered. I will not be party to such a cause."

[Kathy in Alaska]

Letter to Saddam....................

I like it, I like it!

[radu]

THIS DANCIN' FOOL HAS HER DANCIN' SHOES ON!!

[Soaring Feather]

Hi radu, hey I thought you had a bad back? You had better watch that deep bend stuff or we will have to carry you out on a stretcher!!

ROTFLOL!!

[Soaring Feather]

#250

[Kathy in Alaska]

Not so busy today. Some time to play. Be sure you take a little time to enjoy Barry.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Really really cool graphics, HJ. Love the 3D. Got yer dancin' shoes on? sounds like LaDivaLoca is a good dancer.

[radu]

hey I thought you had a bad back? You had better watch that deep bend stuff or we will have to carry you out on a stretcher!!

*giggle* We might want to keep this handy. I hear music and my feet just can't be still.

[Kathy in Alaska]

You are most welcome, andysandmikesmom! I really love the song and the words could almost have been written especially for our troops Canteen. Coteblanche found the music, I found the words because I needed to see them, and cote put it all together. I play it periodically throughtout each day. And it becomes more important each hour now.

[Radix]

Why do I get all of the attention concerning this milestone posting thingy thing?

 

I know that there is a reason!

 

I just forget what it is!

[LaDivaLoca]

Hello, GulfWar1Vet! For your service and loyalty to our country, I say to you my heartfelt

[Kathy in Alaska]

"To retreat now, he stated emphatically, "would put at hazard all that we hold dearest . . . tell our allies that at the very moment of action, at the very moment they need our determination, that Britain faltered. I will not be party to such a cause."

I am astonished!! Go Tony Blair. Thank you, Chap Grant, for posting this elequent speech by Mr Blair.

[Soaring Feather]

Brat you started it!

[snippy_about_it]

Sure, I can do that. :)

[LaDivaLoca]

Hi Severa! My prayers to you and your family and especially for the safe return of your hubby.