This is an interesting thread, I haven't followed it from the beginning, so someone else may have already said this, but -- I think that one reason why singing gets short shrift when there is a dance going on may harken back to the days when the dance bands performed without the benefit of a sound system. It's hard enough to be heard playing the fiddle in a room full of dancers, but try singing!! Some traditions (Cajun is on) have a vocal style that's designed to be heard in such conditions, but even in Cajun music there are unaccompanied ballads which would never be sung in the context of a dance. Also, my own experience as a dance musician has been that people listen in an entirely different way when they are dancing (vs. listening and not dancing). Dancers pay attention to the music differently and I just don't think that singing is a big part of it. This may be because the dancers are moving and hopefully looking at each other, but therefore NOT looking at the musicians. Personally, when I hear good singing, I want to watch the singer, or just close my eyes and let the song take me somewhere else. Can't do that for very long when dancing, otherwise there's a pile-up on the dance floor!