The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-09-11
DANCING TO COON SONGS
SOCIETY TRIPS THE LIGHT FANpAs-
TIC TO "RAG. TIME.
puIarity of the Two-Step-No More
EncOres-PersonaI Notes
and Gossip.

dance music played by the most popular
orchestras. A debutante, who was enjoying
her first season said to the leader of the
orchestra, when you see me with a good
partner. be sure and play 'Syncopated
Sandy" and when her own party was given
she made the request that nothing else
should be played, and from beginning to
the end of the dance the orchestra plaved II
over and over again. And it takes a reneti-
ton of the air to fill out one good dance
THE Georgia Camp Meeting" and That's
No Lie" are tremendous favortes and will
remain so until something new comes up.
The popular coon songs are quickly ar
ranged by the orchestra leaders and played
for dances. Sometimes they have a waltz
time. and they are then used for waltzes.
but even this can be changed to two-step
time If it is thought that the song will
make a good subject. There are two COM
panion pieces that have been tried and
found good, and both are comparatively
new. One is Take Your Clothes and Go"
and the answer is LET Me Bring NV
Clothes Back Home''
The orchestra leader who caters to the
dancing public is genius in his way. He
must have a perfect sense of time and
rhythm and if he keeps up to date he will
be able to arrange a popular song into dance
music in a short time. Orchestra or pianist
can set the pulses tingling, and put the
devil in your toe with rag time the com
mon, everyday name for syncopation. 1t is
quite clever trick to catch ''rag time
and be able to play it, but once done it is
Just as easy" Rag time is all the go and
is even more popular than ever Some young
peoples idea of perfect bliss is to have
good partner, that is one who is a good
dancer. good music and rag time for a two
step. The longest composition is all too
short In the playing of rag time for any
Of the coon songs, some member Of the or
ehestra often rubs pieces of sandpaper to-
gether to initiate the shutting of feet This
has peculiarly inspiriting effect.
Sousa's marches held their own for sew
eral seasons and scarcely anything else was
played for the two-step. Now 1.-THE Stars
and Stripes" wave VIGOROUSLY over the
dance floor, and the "Bride-elect" accom-
panies the dancers in their rhythmic gyra-
tons, but not SO much as the coon song
airs. The average waltz or two-step is four
minutes long, at least it has been found that
four minutes is long enough for a round
dance. The air is played twice through.
though it takes three times of SANDY Ia
do for thoroughly satisfying dance.
AN END TO ENCORES.
The twice or three times through is not
always the end of a dance, however, for the
encore f1end found out some time ago that
applause after a dance would hatter the
musicians. who were willing to give their
time and talent and repeat the music 1t
was some time before the musicians decided
that it was not always a compliment for
the music, though the music had much to
do with 1T. 1t was found to be good ex-
cuse to have another dance with a good
partner, and the partner who was not so
good was asked or rather taken on a prom
enade around the room. endeavoring to keep
out of the way of the dancers, or was led
to a seat TO watch the others dance The
players heard much bad music "encored,"
and were quite clever enough to discover
that 1t was quantity quite often as quail
ity that the dancers wanted. The best or
chestras will be chary of encores this sea-
son. and will only grant one as a special
favor, and it is quite possible that there
Will be a cessation of them altogether.
The modern dance is not as long as the
old-fashioned one. There is no dance among
society people that continues until people
go home by early morning light or the
proVerbial IS o'clock in the morning"
Dances at the Propylaeum begin about 9
and seldom last later than midnight. Club
dances begin at $3.50 and are over usually
by II 40. The men have some thought of
getting a few hours rest before business
the next morning, finding that late social
hours and early business hours are apt to
give that tired feeling" and that it cannot
be often indulged. When there is large
party, with a cotilIon at 10 or II o'clock, the
dance extends later than midnight as it
does when all the guests at party are ex-
pected to go to II o'clock supper at the
same time. The long hour Of serving gives
rest and the supper recuperation. so that
there is temptation to dance after IL.
TWO-STEP'S POPULARITY.
OF the popularity of dances the two-step
certainly leads. 1t was noticed at summer
resort that when the two-step was played
the dancers were in the hall. but the same
persons would sit OUT when the waltz was
played. All the square dances, except the
iancers, have gone out of favor and the
latter is only played at the parties and
dances where there are older people who
have not kept up to the two-step, coon
songs and things of that sort. The Iancersl
is seldom played more than once in the
evening, and the younger people usually
desert the hall for the ice water or prom
enade when the square dance. is called.
For two years at the Classical School hops,
where the last new set of young people is
always found, only the two-step has been
played, and that at the special request of
the girls giving the party. Some of the
music for the two-step is popular for a
time and suddenly it drops out altogether
The Belle Of New York and the 'Sere-
made" airs have been at the top notcn of
popularity but now that coon songs are
The favorites. these have been retired md
are only played on request. 1t need not
De supposed that the orchestra members
sit like mechanical toys during a dance,
even If there is no variation IN time and
no great variety in style of music. There
ought to be some enjoyment for dance
tuners" as a small boy called the orches-
ira, and so there is. A young lady who
plays in an orchestra said. I've wat ched
many dancers from introduction TO mar
rage. and people who play for dances
have better opportunity for seeing the
progress of firtations. and all the guests
In town, and the girls when they look their
prettiest. and the young men when they
are the most gallant and who are che IA
Vorites. in both sexes. than any other per-
sons. The popular dance and she popular
dance music will engross many for ehe sea-
son. for there is a promise If numerous
dance clubs and evening parties he; Seen