By John Iwahiro, Waipio:
A reporter for our dancing news will find it pretty simple and loosely defined as our Information and Photo Contributors. All they do is just get the pertinent information and photos into our blogs. Lately, it seems like we have been getting a little reporting on line dancing in the Central Valley. Waikele, Waipio, Mililani and Wahaiwa. Seems like in West Oahu, men are coming into line dancing slowly but surely. Most every one knows that line dancing is western country dancing where the dancers move in unison in lines that resemble military formations. These dances can be done in bars, night clubs and dance halls, at parties and at celebrations like weddings and graduation parties.
Most of our dancers are aware that people have been line dancing since the beginning of written records of human activity. And most of that time it was by men. Line dancing in the form we see in bars and saloons in the Mainland today closely resembles what were called Contra Dances in New England in the early 1800s.They were called contra dances because they were in the form of two opposing lines -- one line for the men and one line for the women. Sometime in the late 1800s Chorus Lines evolved from Contra Dances. And of course from it evolved the Chorus Girl, well known throughout the first half of the 20th century.
In the 1940s the Contra dance was brought into popularity again as The Stroll. John Travolta does The Stroll in the movie Grease. By the 1970s, The Stroll had morphed into the type of line dancing that is popular today. However, in Hawaii, somewhere along the way, we lost the men in line dancing. On Oahu it has been a ladies dance for too long. But men dancing seems to be a coming thing in the West. We just don't get much publicity on line dancing. Could be the ladies wish to keep it a private club and we should respect their wishes. Meanwhile it has definitely become part of our social dance scene and including more men.
Fortunately, I am meeting more people that have good speakers on their computers. With some good speakers you can play music that may sound better than your high class stereos. Or a good set of Earphones. I am currently copying song videos. the music perfect but the videos (free) are not always good. They want you to buy the good ones..
A reporter for our dancing news will find it pretty simple and loosely defined as our Information and Photo Contributors. All they do is just get the pertinent information and photos into our blogs. Lately, it seems like we have been getting a little reporting on line dancing in the Central Valley. Waikele, Waipio, Mililani and Wahaiwa. Seems like in West Oahu, men are coming into line dancing slowly but surely. Most every one knows that line dancing is western country dancing where the dancers move in unison in lines that resemble military formations. These dances can be done in bars, night clubs and dance halls, at parties and at celebrations like weddings and graduation parties.
Most of our dancers are aware that people have been line dancing since the beginning of written records of human activity. And most of that time it was by men. Line dancing in the form we see in bars and saloons in the Mainland today closely resembles what were called Contra Dances in New England in the early 1800s.They were called contra dances because they were in the form of two opposing lines -- one line for the men and one line for the women. Sometime in the late 1800s Chorus Lines evolved from Contra Dances. And of course from it evolved the Chorus Girl, well known throughout the first half of the 20th century.
"For the truth is always older than all the opinions people have held
regarding it; and one should be ignoring the nature of truth if we
imagined that the truth began at the time it came to be known."
regarding it; and one should be ignoring the nature of truth if we
imagined that the truth began at the time it came to be known."
In the 1940s the Contra dance was brought into popularity again as The Stroll. John Travolta does The Stroll in the movie Grease. By the 1970s, The Stroll had morphed into the type of line dancing that is popular today. However, in Hawaii, somewhere along the way, we lost the men in line dancing. On Oahu it has been a ladies dance for too long. But men dancing seems to be a coming thing in the West. We just don't get much publicity on line dancing. Could be the ladies wish to keep it a private club and we should respect their wishes. Meanwhile it has definitely become part of our social dance scene and including more men.
"The Tennessee Waltz" by Patti Page
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| No place to dance? We shall dance in the streets. |
From "The Rubaiyat" by Omar Khayyam (written a millennium ago)
Come, fill the Cup and in the fire of Spring
Your Winter garment of Repentance fling:
The Bird of Time has but a little way to flutter
And the Bird is on the Wing.
Your Winter garment of Repentance fling:
The Bird of Time has but a little way to flutter
And the Bird is on the Wing.
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