Dance across Texas


Book Description

Generations of Texans have believed that “to dance is to live.” At rustic “play parties” and elegant cotillions, in tiny family dance halls and expansive urban honky-tonks, from historic beginnings to next Saturday night, Texans have waltzed, polkaed, schottisched, and shuffled their way across the state. In Dance across Texas, internationally known dance instructor and writer Betty Casey takes an informal look at the history of Texas dancing and, in clear diagrams, photos, and detailed instructions, tells “how to” do more than twenty Texas dances. Previously, little had been recorded about the history of dancing on the frontier. Journal and diary entries, letters, and newspaper clippings preserve enticing, if sketchy, descriptions of the types of dances that were popular. Casey uses a variety of sources, including interviews and previously unpublished historical materials, such as dance cards, invitations, and photographs, to give us a delightful look at the social context of dance. The importance of dance to early Texans is documented through colorful descriptions of clothing worn to the dances, of the various locations where dances were held, ranging from a formal hall to a wagon sheet spread on the ground, and of the hardships endured to get to a dance. Also included in the historical section of Dance across Texas are notes on the “morality” of dance, the influence of country music on modern dance forms, and the popularity of such Texas dance halls and clubs as Crider’s and Gilley’s. The instruction section of the book diagrams twenty-two Texas dances, including standard waltzes and two-steps as well as the Cotton-Eyed Joe, Put Your Little Foot, Herr Schmidt, the Western Schottische, and such “whistle’” or mixer dances as Paul Jones, Popcorn, and Snowball. Clear and detailed directions for each dance, along with suggested musical selections, accompany the diagrams and photos. Dance and physical education teachers and students will find this section invaluable, and aspiring urban cowboys can follow the easy-to-read diagrammed footsteps to a satisfying spin around the honky-tonk floor. Anyone interested in dance or in the history of social customs in Texas will find much to enjoy in this refreshing and often amusing look at a Texas “national” pastime.







The Fiddler's Almanac


Book Description

Includes a wealth of fiddling lore and illustrations; a guide to buying a fiddle and bow; tips on learning and playing the fiddle; over 800 listings of books, records, fiddling and bluegrass organizations, fiddling schools and camps, violin making supplies, films, etc.; information about fiddle contests.




Honor Your Partner


Book Description

Book about square dancing with musical scores for a large number of songs.




Other Men's Horses and Texas Standoff


Book Description

The final novels in the Texas Rangers series from seven-time Spur Award-winning, genre-defining Western writer Kelton are collected in this Tall Premium Edition. Original.




Roy Acuff


Book Description

"An important and especially fitting tribute." -Country Music Magazine "One of the best studies of a country music personality that has been issued to date." -The Journal of Country Music "Must reading for fans, scholars, or anyone who has more than a passing interest in Roy Acuff." -The Nashville Banner "When a king dies, the people of the land proclaim, 'The King is dead! Long live the King!' However, in this case, there is an empty throne, for there will never be another King." -Elizabeth Schlappi Acuff was the first living performer to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. He was an artist whose devotion to his work boosted not only his own career, but also the credibility and popularity of his field. This country music legend helped bring the fledgling industry and its capital, The Grand Ole Opry, from the classification of regional entertainment to a certified national institution. His career began back in 1938, when this son of a small-town Baptist preacher made his first appearance on the famed stage in Nashville. This first step toward stardom transformed his life. Roy Acuff: The Smoky Mountain Boy draws upon personal interviews with Acuff's contemporaries, friends, and family as well as Acuff himself. This combination honors Acuff by tracing the roots of his career through the evolution of his musical style and his distinctive American art form. He died on November 23, 1992




Folklife Center News


Book Description




Honor Your Partner


Book Description




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