Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-04-15
THE OMAHA DANCE HALLS.
Terpsichorean Bowers Where the
"Shne" and Buffalo Are Danced.

| Terpsichorean Bowers Where the
"Shine" and "BuffaIo" Are Danced.
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 of
Omaha, 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 cam has never been vi
olated.
AT the public dance hall the rich
mans son fawns on his barber to get an
introduction to the latter's girl. All
who attend, and the halls are usually
crowded, risk bodily injury for the sake
of 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 Thir-
teenth 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
stiff blow in the face from the fist of a
man who looked six feet four. Keep
yer mitts often that" said the agrees
sor, Its NINE" The stranger recov-
cred in time to see the girl and man
waltz off together as tho nothing had
happened.
While the language of the public
dance hall may rot 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 finished artist as graceful as turned
out by many dancing masters.
The public dance halls have under
cent advent of the labor unions soci-
cites and fraternal organizations with
their weekly and monthly dances. Each
society has full charge of the hall while
in its possession, and with floor COM
mittee of from five to ten members and
a policeman on duty, much of the gin
ger has been taken out of the dances.
In the halls on South Thirteenth street,
where the keepers of the places former
~ gave dances every night, they are
now content to do so weekly. the up
town halls. the police and committee
protection having removed the most
enjoyable part of public dance-the
free for-all fighting, without fear of
arrest.
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
it's appearance to lessen the gloom oc-
casioned by the passing of the free-for
all-fighting dancers.
The shine" made its first appear
ance in Omaha on June 90. 1901. 1t
came direct from st. Louis in charge OF
Bob Johnson, who has made a ceputa-
ton as dance prompter AT meet
ing of the Pleasure Club" Johnson and
Nell White gave the Shine" Others
fell in line, and the Shine" became the
official dance of the Pleasure Club. 1T
was SO named" said one of its promot-
ers. because it is strictly colored
folk dance, and we wanted 1t 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 it's originators."
The Shine attracted considerable
attention and was soon favorite at
the Midway. Many from other halls
came. saw and were conquered. Dur
ing the holiday season couple danced
Il at ball given in an uptown hall. 1t
took like wildf1re. And so rapidly did
it spread that Chief of Police Donalue
appeared on the scene as a dance CEN
force the order police officer is now
stationed at every public dance hail.
With the advent of the shine in higher
circles" came the Buffalo," which the
colored people say Is travesty on
their Back, back and go the other
way" 1t also died a-bornin.."
Some of the other dances originated
festered and permitted to live in the
public dance halls are: Coal wagon
heave," Get your change and get it
at SUNRISE Around the corner" Give
me hop joint" Take off leg, The
black Annie" "Have a fit" Good
morning, judge" I'm the workhouse,"
ION the chain gang, Scramble" and
many others.
A request for dance and it's refusal
given by members of a local walters
union recently gives one an idea Of the
original sayings so loved by other peo-
pie. With a bow that would have
brought forth 50-cent tip in a chop
suey house he spoke thusly to girl
friend: May / have this SCRAMBLED"
No. she answered, I'm afraid / will
yyS.- III to-
of the public dance he received "a
package"
Notwithstanding the absence of the
nightly fight and of the prohibited and
much-loved dances. the public dance
hall will be with us always, for the at
tendants preach:
"on with the dance; let joy be I'M
confined"
r,.o Rooks-Two Can&e