Weekend Onesie:
We Danced Like Kings...
"As the world the world around us fell apart... we danced like kings!"
Did you know that April is National Afternoon Tea Month?
Given that, I thought, what better time to celebrate that ritual of old, the tea dance!
Originating in New York in the 1950s and 1960s, Sunday afternoon tea dances played a very important part in the gay community. They served as an almost-formal means of finding romance. And failing that, at least you got to dance in the arms of another.
Originating in New York in the 1950s and 1960s, Sunday afternoon tea dances played a very important part in the gay community. They served as an almost-formal means of finding romance. And failing that, at least you got to dance in the arms of another.
This came about because, until the mid-1960's, it was illegal for bars to serve gay folk alcohol. So community leaders began organizing Sunday afternoon tea dances outside city limits in order to skirt the issue. Cherry Grove, The Pines, and Fire Island were popular locations for such events and the practice quickly spread to other major metropolitan areas throughout the country.
As the gay community became more accepted and legally-protected, these dances morphed into other events, such as circuit parties.
But for a time... tea dances were the place to dance for a chance at romance.
And we danced like kings!
I Hope You Dance - Lee Ann Womack
We Danced Anyway - Deena Carter
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1 comment:
It's sad that the event of the tea dance may disappear soon. The only places I go anymore that have the tea dance is p-town and Fire Island. Although the Woods Campground puts on a hell of a tea dance on Sunday afternoon at the pool. At last Summer's tea dance at the Woods I was playing a nice game of i ' l l show you mine and you show me yours out of our Speedos. Needless to say about an hour later, it ended up being a nice 69 session back in the camper
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