The Wilmington morning star., 1947-08-27
CATCH ON
TO SQUARE DANCE
Colorado Man Teaches
Nipponese To Swing
Their Ladies
nv PETER ..KALISCHER

United Press otdh :.
NAGASAKI W.D-The old lady in
the kimono began banging out
shell Be Comm Round the
Mountain" on the piano; the cal.
err shouted, "Around to the lett
and swing your lady," and Nv
men, women and chill
49, began three hours OF old
ia shioned American, eight count
square dancing.
onlv in Nagasaki they don't cal
# SQUARE dancing. They call 1t
"Niblo dancing" after "n1lelo
Niblo of Denver, Colorado.
A member Of the Nagasaki Mill
tary Government team, this 81
vear-old former high school teach
er and football coach has set
%. 900 sober-minded japanese In
Nagasaki prefecture to doing Al
1eman Left" "Do-si-do" a nd
other quadrilles more native 10
Kentucky than Kyushu.
81 didn't teach them ALL" Niblo
admitted, mopping his forehead
while the crowd in the MIG build
ing recreation hall pranced
through "Birdie in the Cage"
81 Just taught eight physical in
s%tructors back in November and
they taught some others and 1t
caught on like a praire tire. All
right, everybody Hidarl-te and
swing your lady,"
Fish Dance
"Hidari-te" cleft hand) is Nib
los Japanese for Alleman Left.
He Jumps the Dive-for-the Clam
and Dive-for-the-Sardine rountine
under n Japanese name the
sakana (fish) dance. He explain
ed that he uses more Japanese, OF
which he has a working know
ledge, teaching beginners and
then changes back gradually to
English.
The old lady at the piano
switched to "Oh, Susanna" Niblo,
who loves his work, swept up a
giegline Japanese girl Of II and
Joined a square, calling the sets
from there.
Although the japanese r now
teaching themselves, outlying
communities send representatives
into Nagasaki to get the Icw-down
from the master himself. Last
month Niblo taught a delegation
which journeyed all tbs way from
the Goto Islands, 10 miles of the
coast of Kyusu, to learn Niblo
dancing. Two representatives
from the japanese Education
Ministry in Tokyo also arrived 20
see what all the stomping is
about. They want to include the
routines in regular school recrea-
ton programs all over the coun-
try. q
dancing is an ideal communal
recreation for the japanese.
cts the first one in Japanese
history in which both sexes par
ticipate," he said. "They love it,"
All Outside Work
He fastened to explain that all
Niblo dancing is taught outside his
regular duties as Civil Informa-
ton and Education member of the
MIG team but admitted nothing
he did in direct line of duty ever
went over SO big.
The Japanese reaction is some
times mystical. Fifty year old
Koya Tagita, a Sasebo high school
teacher who took a two-hour train
ride for the dance paused long
enough to say: 1--WE been mar
ried 20 years but I can truthfully
say that after two nights OF
square dancing I know my wife
better"
Japanese d~evotees, Niblo said,
come in all ages and professions.
They dance in wooden sandals,
ridged getas and shoes, but usual
ly wear western style dress.
1--WE got college professors
see that man there, he's an eco
nomic teacher to fishermen,
Niblo said. ION really big nights
the hall here is packed so that
they have to take turns. Some
times the GIs from the detach-
ment help out"