Hoedowns, reels, and frolics : roots and branches of Southern Appalachian dance /
Phil Jamison.
- Urbana : University of Illinois Press, (c)2015.
- 1 online resource.
- Music in American life .
Includes bibliographies and index.
Introduction : Appalachia and Appalachian dance -- Diversity and cultural transmission in the southern mountains -- The southern square dance -- Square roots -- Transforming tradition -- Cecil Sharp and the Kentucky Running Set -- Sharp's legacy -- "Barn dances with calls" (1924-1933) -- The Virginia Reel -- Religion and dancing -- Couple dances -- The cakewalk -- Appalachian step dance -- Clogging : Appalachian step dance on stage -- Community dance in Appalachia -- The American square dance -- Appendix : "Barn dances with calls" (1924-1933) -- Glossary of dance terms, figures, and steps.
"In Hoedowns, Reels, and Frolics, old-time musician and flatfoot dancer Phil Jamison journeys into the past and surveys the present to tell the story behind the square dances, step dances, reels, and other forms of dance practiced in southern Appalachia. He argues that these distinctive folk dances are not the unaltered jigs and reels of the early British settlers, but hybrids that developed over time by adopting and incorporating elements from other popular forms. He traces the forms from their European, African American, and Native American roots to the modern day. From the Shoo-fly Swing to the Virginia Reel, Hoedowns, Reels, and Frolics reinterprets an essential aspect of Appalachian culture."--Page 4 of cover.