Saturday, May 23, 2015

Photo a Day 93 - The Dance




This week's theme of Boys, Gilrs and dances left me at a bit of a loss.  My sepia collection doesn't contain any old "dance" photos, because my mother, coming from a strict German Lutheran family was not allowed to attend dances as a girl. Dancing was considered to be against the beliefs of the church!

Of course as soon as she finished her teacher training and moved away from home, all that stuff went by the by and as a pretty, single female teacher in a country town, she made up for the strictness of her upbringing. But, that's another story.

But the theme did bring to mind my own girlhood and the dances and balls I was able to attend. The first introduction to the attractions of the country dance was often the "Deb Ball" or the "Junior Deb Ball".




Then would come the Country Dances or the Church Dances held monthly - usually each town would hold a monthly dance so there was always a dance to go to somewhere each week.  I remember the best thing about country dances was the amazing supper that the local ladies would put on.

I remember going to church dances with my friends - no one actually went with a boy!  Dolled up to the nines, the girls would seat themselves on one side of the hall and the boys on the other, eying off the opportunities. And how very spruced up the boys looked in their suits and ties and short back and sides haircuts.



If a girl was lucky, she might actually get to dance with a boy, but more often than not she spent her time with a girlfriend, talking about the boys she fancied and hoping that "he " would notice her.




while the boys got on with the more important side of the dance


Occasionally one of the girls would get lucky and meet the boy she would eventually marry.



Simple fun times and lovely memories to look back on.


Liz Needle  -  linking with "Sepia Saturday".



16 comments:

  1. I remember when the boys and girls congregated separately at dances. That was at an age somewhere between that of the first young couple and the older groups pictured.

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  2. I remember those dances too and how I wished we could just play ping pong or something!

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  3. Oh yes, those days of sitting on a bench praying you wouldn't be the only one left there as the girls left one by one to dance with the boys. So you met your husband at one of the dances? How lucky. Around here there aren't any community dances...seems to me it would still be a good place for kids to meet. I guess now it's all done on the internet.

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  4. I like seeing these images...

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  5. For someone whose collection didn't contain any dance photos, you managed to come up with a most evocative set, thank you.

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  6. That first photo of the Jr. Deb Ball is precious. And all the others are fun reminders of how it probably was most of the time in those days gone by. Thanks for a chuckling trip through time.

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  7. You're so lucky to have photos of that time! I just have memories.

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  8. It's interesting how the hardest themes inspire the imagination and a hunt through the shoe box of old photos. Your opening photo is a real gem.

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  9. Oh Those photographs brought back a lot of memories for me. Loved the dresses at that time, much prettier and femiine than what they wear today.

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  10. That first photograph is so sweet. I remember going to youth club dances at the church, with the girls one end and the boys the other. I suppose it must have taken some courage for a lad to walk across and ask a girl to dance, and of course if you were left alone, it was time to recourse to the toilets to escape the humiliation. Memories!

    Susn at Family History Fun

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  11. Lovely photos and your post brought back memories.

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  12. Oh goodness just love the first photo most of all, but they are great, so many memories!

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  13. Yes, going to different town dances was a great way to meet new people, and try out the latest things. Country dances in my area were considered "square dances" with a caller, and now have become "Contra dances" where everyone follows directions from a caller. But there is still the choice of partnering to go through.

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  14. I didn't dance as a child except the 6th grade May Day event. But your first photo is so darling. Now I do Israeli couples folk dance.

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  15. A delightful post, and I do appreciate you sharing all these lovely old photos with us. Thank you so much and have a great week :)

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  16. A lovely set of images and a romance as well!

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