country dances for Armistice WW1

Subject: RE: country dances for Armistice WW1
From: GUEST,Derek Schofield
Date: 05 Jun 18 - 05:02 AM

Daisy Daking taught Morris dances to convalescing soldiers during/just after the first world war.
Derek

Subject: RE: country dances for Armistice WW1
From: Murpholly
Date: 05 Jun 18 - 03:36 AM

Read an article somewhere - can't remember where, that invalided soldiers were taught fok dances to help get them on their feet again. It was somebody like Maude Karples but E.F.D.S.S. may be able to help.

Subject: RE: country dances for Armistice WW1
From: GUEST,Ebor Fiddler
Date: 04 Jun 18 - 05:20 PM

Yes, you should get some Old Tyme Dancing in - the real "folk" stuff, though much derided by EFDSS in the past. Dances like the Military Two Step, The Valeta or The Barn Dance.

Subject: RE: country dances for Armistice WW1
From: Sarah the flute
Date: 04 Jun 18 - 01:56 PM

Thanks so much for all the ideas so far
We are fairly OK for tunes
One of the video clips shows a two step which is definitely something I was thinking to include either the Military or the Britannica
I guess what I am trying to find is a record of a village knees up as part of an Armistice celebration with some mention of the dances
I know there was a bit of a revival of folk dancing due to Cecil Sharp's publications of that era and I guess I might just have to guess - it probably doesn't matter too much if the tunes are authentic but it would be nice if I could find something

Cheers
Sarah

Subject: RE: country dances for Armistice WW1
From: Raedwulf
Date: 03 Jun 18 - 03:33 PM

Which is hardly "ballroom", Keith. Any verifiably Victorian dance is probably fine, Sarah. I'm no sort of dance expert (WWI, maybe!), but fashions tend to change slowly in the lower strata of society. Folk (I use the word deliberately) will continue to play, sing, and dance what's been enjoyed for decades & centuries. So whilst some of the dances would have been what was in vogue at the time, because we all like to ape our "betterers" ;-) , a lot of what was danced would still have been 'country', not posh stuff.

A lot of the dances would have been the same jigs & brawls & whatnot that had been popular for countless decades, vice the quoted passage about old-fashioned waltzes, and polkas & quadrilles (which may have been dying out, but were obviously still "on the go"!). The biggest problem you will face is that the older dances will likely not have been considered worthy of recording, so if you get specific mentions of dances, those will be in the "etcetera", if you see what I mean. Should someone be able to find a scan of a dance card, I suspect that will have been something very formal & organised... And therefore not terribly representative of the average. Again, if you see what I mean.

I've had a brief scoot around to see what I can find. the links below may (or may not) be of interest / assistance. Good luck! :)

Brief clip of soldiers dancing together, the type of dance might be recognisable


This lot look like they might be worth investigating / contacting!

And just for the hell of it, A Canadian documentary that may (or may not) have something to do with dance!

Subject: RE: country dances for Armistice WW1
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 03 Jun 18 - 09:40 AM

From Ebor Fiddler's link,

"My first night of dance playing with a band was at Elvington, not far off York. They were army huts in them days, were village dance halls.

I was reading music, playing second fiddle, do you see, to my brother Bob, playing parts. There was foxtrots, quickstep, Lancers, old-fashioned waltz and modern waltz. Oh, and polkas, quadrilles used to be on the go but they were dying out. Quadrilles was similar t'Lancers - I can't explain it a lot ... I didn't dance a lot. Lancers did quadrilles out. Tunes were similar to Lancers tunes. It was a formation in partners. Moving about. Four together in twos. Everybody got to know them. Nobody tutored you or nowt. You learnt them as you watched others. There was a few that knew, but they weren't there official to show you. You followed them - picked it up. There was different tunes in different sections. And then they used to follow off with a waltz to finish up with."

Subject: RE: country dances for Armistice WW1
From: GUEST,Ebor Fiddler
Date: 03 Jun 18 - 09:03 AM

Just had a thought, one of our local musicians, Billy Harrison played around in this period - have a look at https://www.mustrad.org.uk/articles/harrison.htm which might give you a start. Look too at the bottom of the page where Billy is shown playing with the current temporary chairman of the SDU!

Subject: RE: country dances for Armistice WW1
From: GUEST,Ebor Fiddler
Date: 03 Jun 18 - 08:54 AM

Whereabouts are you based Sarah?

Subject: RE: country dances for Armistice WW1
From: Jack Campin
Date: 03 Jun 18 - 07:16 AM

Not a dance but an audience-participation number - look for the original sheet of Scott Skinner's "The Zeppelin", where you get to clap in imitation of anti-aircraft shots bringing one down.

Subject: RE: country dances for Armistice WW1
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 03 Jun 18 - 05:53 AM

I think country dancing was out of fashion by then.
It would be all ballroom stuff.

Subject: country dances for Armistice WW1
From: Sarah the flute
Date: 03 Jun 18 - 05:45 AM

I am looking for a list of dances that might have been done at armistice celebrations in 1918. Can anyone help? Ideally trying to find dance cards from the era or maybe a village notice. We will be doing a barn dance/ceilidh in the autumn and I want to try and find out which dances are most appropriate.

Hoping it's the mudcat mind to the rescue

Sarah