Country & Western Dance (The American Dance Floor)

Country & Western Dance (The American Dance Floor)
By Ralph G. Giordano
Number Of Pages: 175
Publication Date: 2010-07-20
ISBN-10 / ASIN: 0313365547
ISBN-13 / EAN: 9780313365546

Country & Western Dance turns the spotlight on a uniquely American form of dance, one that has been scuffing the floorboards for nearly a century but is often overlooked.
Country & Western dancing is a genre that has been hard to define. Basically, the term “country dancing” was loosely applied to any dancing done in the countryside or just about any rural area. In that sense, just about any type of Appalachian Mountain Dancing, English country dancing, square dancing, barn dancing, and other similar events were often called “country dances.” One example was the Playford style of English-country and contra dancing that traced its roots to 16th century England and France. The styles were copied and danced in the American colonies and sometimes called American country dances.

Fun, lively, and thoroughly researched, this revealing volume tells the full story of country and western dance music from the days of Bob Wills and Tulsa to Oklahoma's Cain's Ballroom to John Travolta and Gilley's of Houston, Texas. Each chapter provides information on the historical roots of the most popular country and western dances as well as the pioneers of the music of a particular era, all in the context of changing cultural, social, political, and economic forces in America. The book also examines the seminal impact of radio, television, and the movies in helping spread the music, the moves, and the good times on the country dance floor.