Evening star., 1961-01-22
Teen DANCES
.Jsnssry q, 1861
coatiausd From Poss ]

Rockville, Nd who has a reputation for dancing and
lives up to 1t.
"It was done a lot at the Silver Spring Armory at
teen-age Dances and everyone thought it was COOL"
Mitch says it didn't last long and just the
basic step was done But fixed 1t up and added kicks
and the hand movement"
The Pony used to be known the Stupidity accord
ing to Janice Liverpool of Taft Junior High in the Dis
trict. But somewhere along the line the name was
changed to the Pony and now the various movements
of the dance tie in with the There's the whip
ping the pony" movement where the right hand swings
back and forth in front of the body and the head Is
nodded from side to side at fast pace Then there's
the pony kick" where the boy slaps his heels with his
hands in mid air and the girl does kick In the air
that resembles q bucking bronco
The Pony Is not easy dance step. Even Mitch in
his blue suede pointed-toe shoes had to work two
months on the Pony And Joy Rollins, an 1S-year-old
freshman at Montgomery Junior College says 1t took
her four months to learn 1t.
Teen-agers claim the fun thing about dancing the
Pony is that It's adaptable to number of persons In
Q variey of ways.
Partners can do the Pony while facing each other.
or beside each other the room from one an
other" explains Frank White, senior at John Carroll
High, Washington. "You form Pony line and
snake around the room, too. This Is especially gooo
II there extra girls"
Irene Hesson of Holy Name Academy points out that
partners in the Pony have to be doing the same
thing at the time which eliminates all that ous-
ness of being q good follower Once you learn the
basic Pony partners shine on their own preferably
at distance of about six neither gets trampled
Basically the Pony starts naturally enough with the
"hoofs" together. With timber knees you do walking
step forward the heels rolling onto the ball OF the
foot for three counts then double step and kick OUT
the toe to the side Some advocates OF this highly
indvduazed dance you've got to stay on your heels
to do good Pony but other teen-agers claim you start
out that way but find it's fun to spring off the toes
IT'S the up and down motion Of the dance tnats
rivaling the basic rock and roll step.
go to hops now and you'll see the motion Is all
vertics instead Of horizontal" says teevson person
aty At Grant. "The two, back, bit OF the trade
tionaI rock and roll il out Everything is the Pony"
The Washington teen-agers have added 90
much to the Pony that it's become their own. One
group made special trip to Baltimore to teach
teen-agers there the Pony. They're making plans now
to take the step to Philadelphia.
The Pony Is done to fast music. The records "Shop
Around" by the Miracles Tomorrow" by the Shiees
favorites for Ponying. As Irene puts it, "You can
really Pony any beat but fast music Il best.
But matter what the beat the Pony Is fun-so much
horsing around"
While teaching the Pony in Baltimore, some Of the
teen-agers brought back dance step in exchange so
says Richard Raicich of Baou High in the District It's
the Strand with q movement in 1t known the Lean.
The girls left side leans completely the boys right
knee.
"Just don't do the Lean on q slippery floor with
o fat girl" warns Richard, the winner Of recent
wide dance contest the Mit Grant televsion
show. -
Rhythm and smoothness are the keys in slow dancing
for teen-agerS mo more bounce" says Jimmy
Vary, q senior at Gonzaga in the District. Bouncing
is out For slow dancing follow the beat and Just
step around smoothly, Or take step, 60 back and
touch the toe to the heel" =
There's another change. The age-old sow-dancing
hold left with the bounce Now the girls left hand goes
under the boys arm instead of resting on his right
shoulder Her right hand and his left held close
to the waist.