Omaha daily bee., 1902-02-17
PUBLIC DANCE RAILS
ssms Features Of TsrpEishsrsan FAAss that
LrouSs Criticism.
PROHIBITED FlsuSts AND MOVEMENTS
Origin of Dances tina Aroused Chief
DOnRhue 10 Take steps 20
Regulate Onduc Of
Couples ON Floor.


Get your partners for the Elephant
Squat. First couple out; arm round the
trunk!'
This Is one Of the many calls OF the
prompters at the public dance halls, the
places where the extremes Of society and
the society between the extremes meet
upon a level, where might is right" and
where the motto, Let him take who has
the power, let him keep who can has
never been violated
At the public dance hall the rich mans
son fawns ON his barber to get an intro
duction to the latter's girl. All who at
tend, and the halls are usually crowded,
risk bodily injury for the sake Of a few
hours pleasure, for a fight starts there
without waiting for the drop of the hat.
The experience OF a stranger in the city
who went to a dance at one of the halls on
South. Thirteenth street will attest. He
became acquainted with one of the girls.
danced once and was asking for the second
number when he suddenly received a stin
blow In the face from the fist Of a man
who looked six feet four. Keep yer mitts
often that" said the sggressor, its mine"
The stranger recovered in time to see the
girl and man waltz off together as though
nothing had happened.
They All Dance Well.
While the language OF the public dance
hall may not be up to the order Of the
Court Of st. James, no place turns out
better men and women dancers. A few
weeks of regular attendance makes a hn-
ished artist as graceful as turned out by
many dancing masters. One would not
charge Jim Tucker, the venerable hack
driver, with being a good dancer, yet Jim
is one OF the best in Omaha. Buck Keith
can lead a grand march with as much
grace, ease and dignity as the best. So
can nine GU Of ten of the walters, laborers,
cooks, bricklayers and others who are regu-
lar attendants at the dances.
The public dance halls have undergone
considerable change since the recent advent
of the labor unions, societies and frater-
nal organizations with their weekly and
monthly dances. Each society has full
charge OF the hall while in its possession,
and with a floor committee of from hve to
ten members and a policeman on duty.
much of the ginger has been taken out Of
the dances. In the halls on South Thir-
teenth street, where the keepers Of the
places formerly gave dances every night,
they are now content to do so weekly, the
uptown halls, the police and committee pro-
lection having removed the most enjoyable
part of a public dance-the free-for-all
fighting, without fear OF arrest.
Music Never Ceases.
The only place in the city where the
music is on tap twenty-four hours in the
day is the notorious Midway. 1t was in
this place the much-talked-of and much
prohibited "shine" first made its appear
anee to lessen the gloom occasioned by the
passing of the free-for-all fighting dancers.
The "shine'' made It's first appearance In
Omaha June 20, 1901. 1t came direct from
st. Louis IN charge of Bob johnson, who
has made a reputation as a dance prompter.
At a meeting of the Pleasure club" John
son and Nell White gave the Shine Ole
Jackson, Levi Bloomfield, Matte Griter,
Hattie Davis and others fell in line, and
the shine" became the oflcial dance Of the
Pleasure club. 1T was so named" said
one Of it's promoters. because 1t is a
strictly colored folk dance. and We wanted
It to be known as we are known, called
as we are called. and we thought, after
the white folks had copied all our other
dances, they would allow us to keep this
one. That was another reason why we
named It the shine" so every one would
recognize its originators."
shine OutgrOws origin.
The shine" attracted considerable at
tention and was soon a favorite at the Mid
way. Many from other halls came, saw and
were conquered. During the holiday sea
SON a couple danced It at a ball given in
an uptown hall. It took like wildhre,
And SO rapidly did 1t spread that Chief OF
Police Donahue appeared on the scene as 8
dance censor and ordered 1t discontinued,
To enforce the order a police officer is nov
} stationed at every public dance hall. Will
T the advent OF the shine In higher circles"
came the Buffalo which the colored peo-
. ple say is a travesty on their Back, bach
4 and go the other way IL also "died
: a-bornin'."
|, Some OF the other dances originated, fos-
= tered and permitted to live in the public
S dance halls are: Goal wagon heave, zee
your change and get 1t at sunrise
Around the corner" Give me a hoT
ljoint," Take of q leg THE black Annie.
Have q Mt" Good morning. judge" IN
: the workhouse," ION the chain gang
e Scramble" and many others.
How sayings" start.
! A request for a dance and its refusal
. given by members OF a local walters unior
y recently gives one an idea Of the original
sayings SO loved by other people. With 9
bow that would have brought forth a 30
cent tip in a chop suey house he spoke
= thusly to a girl trlend: May l nave tnh
q scramble7" NO she answered, "Tn
{ afraid / will get mixed" The scramble II
a the lanciers in polite society. In the Ian
y guags Of the public dance he received u
package"
Notwithstanding the absence OF thu
nightly light and Of the prohibited anS
: mueh-Ioved dances. the public dance hal
will be with us always, for the attendant
> preach:
On with the dance; let Joy be u~nconhned