I was born in the late 1940s, on the cusp of the new music era. Now that I am in the autumn of my year, I look back fondly on the different music styles I’ve experienced. Many of us expressed our love for music through dance.
In the early 1950s, I remember sitting in a chair listening to my mother sing “Young at Heart.” Although I was too young to dance, the rhythms of those years never left me.
Then came rock and roll! I believe Alan Freed’s radio show from Cleveland, Ohio, sparked my love for it. If the elders said this new music was no good, it must be fantastic! Elvis Presley’s “Heartbreak Hotel” got things rolling for the Boomers. Chuck Berry’s “Sweet Little Sixteen” was a personal favorite.
Bandstand on TV was a game-changer. For the first time, we could see what dancing to the new music was like. Back then, it was a double rhythm swing called “jitterbug.” Songs were rated based on whether you could dance to them.
Then came partnerless dancing. I’m not sure when it happened, but it disappointed those of us who were eager to go to clubs to do the jitterbug. This lasted until the movie “Saturday Night Fever” came out. Partner dancing was back in style! I believe this film was the catalyst for the resurgence of partner dancing.
Disco (Hustle) and “oldies nights” introduced many baby boomers to ballroom dancing. Franchises and independent dance studios were available, but many new dancers were unaware of them. They were eventually discovered and are still popular today.
To this day, partner dancing is a joyful and social activity. I strive to promote and uphold this and aspire to impart this joy to younger generations, hoping it endures.
What are your thoughts on this subject? For more of Tom’s commentary, check out “Etiquette Lost” and “More on Etiquette”.
Tom Hufnagel has intermittently been an active member of USA Dance’s Chapter #2015 Youngstown-Warren, Ohio, since the 1990s. He used to work as a Microsoft Office software instructor at ETI Technical College in Niles, Ohio, but is now retired. Along with the college director, Renee Zuzolo, he taught East Coast Swing and Waltz to the students for free. Tom learned ballroom dance in Columbus and Grandville Heights, Ohio.
