topic Re: Dances Introduced on Bandstand in Community Chat

Dances Introduced on Bandstand

grandma r — Sat, 03 Oct 2020 00:18:32 GMT

After reading another thread about the beginnings of Bandstand, I am remembering all of the iconic dances introduced on the show. Of course, the twist comes to mind. Some of the others I recall are the Bristol Stomp, the Hop, the Stroll, the Pony, the Mashed Potato, the Strand, and the Fly.

What do you remember????

Re: Dances Introduced on Bandstand

Witchy Woman — Fri, 02 Oct 2020 20:38:59 GMT

@grandma r

Cannot remember others than those you mentioned, but I'm sure there were.

What was the Strand? Never heard of that one.

My sis and I would practice the steps endlessly to get each dance just right. As I said before, such happy times. We loved feeling part of something that lifted us from our small town lives.

Re: Dances Introduced on Bandstand

K9buddy — Fri, 02 Oct 2020 20:39:30 GMT

The swim.

Re: Dances Introduced on Bandstand

Annabellethecat66 — Fri, 02 Oct 2020 20:45:39 GMT

@grandma r You are talking my language. My goal in life was to be a Go Go dancer in one of those cages with white boots.

Hey! I used to think big time! Ha!

Anyway, I could do every single one of those dances.

I didn't see the swim! Remember, you held your nose and slowly went down holding your nose? Ha!

I looked it up and the Freddie (?) don't remember that one...does anyone?

Re: Dances Introduced on Bandstand

Mersha — Fri, 02 Oct 2020 20:48:38 GMT

One of the ones I remember that was hot, hot, hot in high school was Cliff Nobles and "The Horse."

Every dance had to have "Ain't Too Proud to Beg," and we all did "The Horse" together.....good times.

Lordy, we though we were soooooooo cool!

Re: Dances Introduced on Bandstand

Witchy Woman — Fri, 02 Oct 2020 20:50:07 GMT

@Annabellethecat66

I do...I think it was named after the Freddie in Freddie and the Dreamers.

Found this:

"Freddie and the Dreamers were an English beat band that had a number of hit records between May 1963 and November 1965. The band's stage act was enlivened by the comic antics of the 5-foot-3-inch-tall Freddie Garrity, who would bounce around the stage with arms and legs flying."

Re: Dances Introduced on Bandstand

Mersha — Fri, 02 Oct 2020 20:50:18 GMT

@Annabellethecat66 wrote:
@grandma r You are talking my language. My goal in life was to be a Go Go dancer in one of those cages with white boots.

Hey! I used to think big time! Ha!

Anyway, I could do every single one of those dances.

I didn't see the swim! Remember, you held your nose and slowly went down holding your nose? Ha!

@Annabellethecat66 I sure do...Freddie and the Dreamers started it. It was such fun!

Re: Dances Introduced on Bandstand

Annabellethecat66 — Fri, 02 Oct 2020 20:54:23 GMT

I remember Freddie and the Dreamers but I didn't remember the dance.

Re: Dances Introduced on Bandstand

Witchy Woman — Fri, 02 Oct 2020 20:56:37 GMT

@Annabellethecat66

Just read he died in 2006. Seems a lifetime ago. I've seen several of the groups and individual artists from the "British Invasion" and they never disappoint.

Herman's Hermits were fun to see. All of them were really talented, but in the shadow of the Beatles.

Re: Dances Introduced on Bandstand

grandma r — Fri, 02 Oct 2020 20:57:00 GMT

I remember practicing those dances and then going to the high school dances. Yes, we thought we were cool!!!!

I remember as Jerry Blavat morphed into the Geator with the Heater he held dances at Wagner's and Chez Vous Ballrooms. Oh, how I wanted to go, but, I wasn't allowed. Plenty of line dances came out of those places. I remember the girls who went coming to school and showing us the Wagner Walk!!!

Today, I can still dance in my head. My body just won't cooperate. Strolling down memory lane is always fun.

Re: Dances Introduced on Bandstand

grandma r — Fri, 02 Oct 2020 20:59:38 GMT

@Witchy Woman. The strand was an updated slow dance. It started out as a regular slow dance, the the couples would move apart, some would even twirl. I don't think it ever caught on the way the others did.

Re: Dances Introduced on Bandstand

Mersha — Fri, 02 Oct 2020 21:01:01 GMT

Give a shout out if anyone here grew up in Pittsburgh and remembers Clark Race and his dance party on Saturday afternoon.

He was on KDKA radio also.

"Hello, Clark Race, hello........."

Re: Dances Introduced on Bandstand

Witchy Woman — Fri, 02 Oct 2020 21:01:17 GMT

@grandma r

Watching a YouTube video of a couple doing "The Strand."

Very cool!

"This is a Philly style dance called Strand. It's different from slow dragging/slow dancing because it is far more expressive and intimate."

Re: Dances Introduced on Bandstand

Annabellethecat66 — Fri, 02 Oct 2020 21:02:59 GMT

@Witchy Woman I know! Remember Hermin's Hermits?

I used to go to the same high school as Jim Morrison (The Doors). He was right ahead of me. But I knew kids who knew him way back when.

Re: Dances Introduced on Bandstand

Witchy Woman — Fri, 02 Oct 2020 21:05:07 GMT

@grandma r

Love "memory lane."

All the girls knew the dances so it was mostly us dancing with each other.

Now and then a guy would get brave and join us.

Such sweet, innocent times, just dancing!

Re: Dances Introduced on Bandstand

tansy — Fri, 02 Oct 2020 21:06:19 GMT

I must have been in the 6th grade when the twist was the rage.

Re: Dances Introduced on Bandstand

Witchy Woman — Fri, 02 Oct 2020 21:06:42 GMT

@Mersha

As a young girl, I dreamed of going to Philly and dancing on American Bandstand. Heck, I'd have settled just to visit the city!

It was the center of the universe when I was a teenager.

Re: Dances Introduced on Bandstand

Mersha — Fri, 02 Oct 2020 21:10:08 GMT

@Witchy Woman wrote:
@Mersha

As a young girl, I dreamed of going to Philly and dancing on American Bandstand. Heck, I'd have settled just to visit the city!

It was the center of the universe when I was a teenager.

@Witchy Woman Oh, yes! I would rush home from elementary school because my mother would watch Bandstand from Philly. She loved when Paul Anka was a guest and I was in awe of the kids dancing.

I wanted to grow up and do that too.

Re: Dances Introduced on Bandstand

grandma r — Fri, 02 Oct 2020 21:38:06 GMT

Anyone is the Philly/Jersey Shore area remember Summertime on the Pier???? It would air on Saturdays at 1pm with Grady and Hurst as the hosts from the Steel Pier in Atlantic City. I remember one Saturday in particular; Fabian was the musical guest. My Dad took my cousin and I down to AC and we waited more than 3 hours in line to get in. The quota was filled 2 people in front of us. We were so disappointed!!! So, my Dad bought a box of fudge and we went back home.

Re: Dances Introduced on Bandstand

Mz iMac — Fri, 02 Oct 2020 21:45:55 GMT

@grandma r I don't remember Grady. I do remember

Ed Hurst hosting the show.

Georgie Woods & Hy Lyte had dance shows too. I danced on both from time to time. My best friend was a "feature" dancer's partner on the Hy Lyte dance show.