Sources include: Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz (http://www.jazzinamerica.org/jazzresources/stylesheets/5), StreetSwing.Com (http://www.streetswing.com/histmain/z3barn1.htm )
Barn Dance(s)
The Barn Dance was originated in Scotland in the 1860's. The barn dance was also known as the "Pas de Quartre" (dance of four) and had the Quadrille and earlier the Contra (English) and Contredanse Anglais (French) as its ancestors. In form, these were square and line dances and many of their moves were re-invented in the 1920's and 1930's.
But generically, barn dances were held in rural areas on completion of a "barn rasin' " (building a barn), or other social events as weddings, holidays, etc. Barn Dances consisted of Waltzes, Virginia Reels, Reels, Buck dancing and Breakdowns, Corn Husking Dances, Jigs, Schottische, Quadrilles and others drawn from the immigrant's heritage. In the US, they evolved and became known as Square Dances. A fun book is "The Folk Dance Book" for elementary school physical education - in 1903. According to Western Square Dancing website, "[In the early 1900's in the US] A rowdy form of dancing called the "barn dance" set a precedent square dancers long have fought to overcome."
Even though some early skate dances were called 'Barn Dances', there wasn't a specific type of music used, although usually was set to 4/4 time.
The Blues arose among black slaves in the US as an antiphonal song form (call and response) in work songs, sorrow songs and spirituals, being somewhat less rhythmically complex than African music, but considerably more complex than its contemporary Western music. Slave drums and drumming was strictly prohibited in the early years of this country and instruments were by necessity homemade or improvised. It developed into rural and urban styles. The urban style became more formalized as other music forms were assimilated, and evolved into what we know as "The Blues" today.
Music
Key features are:
- The use of blue notes (flatted 3rd and flatted 7th) - "the blues"
- Flexibility of pitch
- Use of the diatonic and pentatonic scales
- 6, 8 or 12 measure form
- Standard blues changes: I IV I V IV I (intervals)
- Various scales
- Formalized beginning and end (such as an introduction)
Some other blues dances were also changed from 92 BPM to 88 BPM. Apparently it took some years for most of them to be changed. This may lead to conflicting information as to 92 or 88 BPM for a particular Blues dance.
The Boogie or Boogie Woogie originated in the 1920's with itinerant black blues pianists who played at "House Rent Party", "The Parlor Social," or "The Boogie" parties given by a tenant as a fund raiser for his rent.
Music
Key features of the Boogie are:
- Form is always a blues; but songs had no real beginning or ending, much like African music.
- Emphasis on rhythm rather than melody.
- Rhythm and color are more important than chords.
- Return to breaks to create tension and for the left hand to rest.
- The Left hand, which never varies within a song, is perhaps derived from "stride" piano or 'walking' bass, and gives the Boogie its characteristic sound.
- The Right hand embroiders and supplies the filigree, and is perhaps used for a counter rhythm.
- 8 eighth notes to the bar or at least an eighth note feeling.
- phrase length is not strict, 10 to 12 bars with choruses 14 to 20 bars in length and even breaking at 1/2 measures.
- Use of octaves, trills, etc.
- A two voiced music.
- Blues scale with chromaticism lends a slightly discordant, biting sound.
Even saying the full name of The "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company B" brings to mind the Boogie rhythm. It was written in 1941 as the US was preparing for WWII, for the military comedy movie "Buck Privates", sung by the Andrews Sisters.
A skateable rendition of another Boogie rhythm song, "Baby Elephant Walk" by Tim Laskey (with permission).
Dance Pattern |
Comment |
Music |
Roller Tempo |
Ice Tempo |
Inventors |
When / First Performed |
Barn Dances |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Old |
Tango |
104 |
|
|
||
|
|
88/92 |
|
Inez and Earl Van Horn |
1950's |
|
|
Barn Dance |
104 |
|
|
||
border |
Tango |
? |
|
P.B.R |
|
|
BLUES |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Forward |
Blues |
92 |
|
Robert Irwin & Rodger |
||
Admiration |
Old |
Blues/Tango/ |
? |
|
|
|
Forward |
Blues |
88 |
|
|
||
Border, turn dance |
Blues |
92 |
|
Irwin/McLochlan/Kenny/Ringeisen |
||
Old |
Blues |
92 |
|
|
Early '50s |
|
Buckingham Blues |
|
Blues |
92 |
|
|
|
Forward |
Blues |
88 |
|
|
||
Forward |
Blues or Foxtrot |
92 |
|
Kathy Smail |
||
Forward |
Blues |
88 |
|
|
||
Old |
Blues |
? |
|
|
||
Turn dance |
Blues |
88 |
88 |
Robert Dench & Lesley Turner |
||
Dynasty Blues |
|
Blues |
88 |
|
|
|
Koala Blues |
|
Blues |
92 |
|
|
|
Manhattan Blues |
|
Blues |
|
|
|
|
Mohawk Blues |
|
Blues |
92 |
|
Rudolph G. Loeser |
|
|
Blues |
|
88 |
Roy, Bradshaws & MacDonald |
World Championship 2004, Dortmund |
|
Olympia Swing |
|
Blues/Foxtrot |
|
120 |
Al Steinbach |
|
Queen's Bolero |
border |
Blues |
92 |
|
|
|
Forward |
Blues |
92 |
88 |
Robert Graigin |
||
Border, turn dance |
Blues |
96 |
76-80 |
Elizabeth & Kennison Bosquet |
||
Spring Blues |
|
Blues |
92 |
|
|
|
Forward |
Blues/Foxtrot |
88/92 |
|
Robert Irwin & Rodger |
||
turn dance |
Blues/Foxtrot |
92 |
|
Jack & Irene Boyer |
||
Swing Step |
|
Blues/Tango |
112 |
|
Monty Readhead |
|
University Swing |
|
Blues/Tango |
|
108 |
George Muller |
|
BOOGIES |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Boogie |
100 |
|
|
||
Forward |
Boogie |
100 |
|
|
||
Patterns |
Boogie |
100 |
|
Joseph Carroll |
||
Modified |
Boogie |
100 |
|
More pattern variations |
||
DJ Boogie |
|
Boogie |
|
|
|
|
National Swing |
|
Boogie |
|
|
|
|
Forward |
Boogie |
100 |
|
Nancy Phillips & David Elender |
|
|
Topsy Swing |
|
Boogie |
|
|
|
|
Two Swing Boogie |
|
Boogie |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|