Date |
Information |
| 1538 |
Because of the sexual nature
of the dance, the singing or reciting of the Sarabande
(a dance), in whatsoever place, was punishable with two hundred
lashes; in addition, men were given six years in the galleys, and
women were exiled from the kingdom. |
| 1638 |
Mrs. Lawrence Water and a
friend (Puritans) were brought up on charges by the court for
"Mixed Dancing" (dancing as a couple.) |
| 1651 |
Samuel Eaton and goodwife
of New Plymouth were admonished by the court for "mixed dancing"
(dancing as a couple.) In the same year mixed or unmixed dancing
was outlawed in the local Inns (taverns) and a five shilling
fine would be imposed. Dancing was only allowed at the proper place
and time. |
| 1860 |
October 13. 1860: at the Grand
Ball held at the Academy of Music in honor of the Royal visit by the
Prince of Wales in New York. Five hundred people descended on the
house, more than it could hold had been "Invited" to the
affair, the new York Times (Oct. 13th, 1860) reported "there
was a loud crash and a large portion of the floor caved in, directly
in front of the prince". |
| 1862 |
Ballerina Emma Livry (1842-1862),
during a rehearsal of La Muette de Portici, Livry's Ballet
skirt caught fire from a gas jet, that was hanging from a piece of
scenery. Although the burn had appeared superficial, she died a few
days after the accident from the burns in November, 1862. |
| 1899 |
Frankie and Johnnie: reported
in Saint Louis, Missouri on October 18, 1899, when well known black
dancer Frankie Baker stabbed her young seventeen year-old black lover
Allen Britt in her Saint Louis residence [St. Louis Dispatch, 10/20/1899].
Frankie was eventually executed for committing this crime, but the
circumstances of when and how were unclear during my research. When
the stabbing was changed to shooting is also unclear, Albert became
Johnny, and both he and Frankie soon became legendary (Courtesy Bill
Edwards.) |
| 1908 |
Fred
Astaire was "ruled off" the vaudeville stage while dancing
with his older sister - Adele
for being "Under Age" (Stage Mag 1938.) |
| 1910 |
Sophie Tucker was arrested
for singing the Grizzly
Bear and the Wiggle Worm dance songs in a night club (stage
magazine-1938.) |
| 1910s |
A Paterson, New Jersey court
imposed a fifty day prison sentence on a young woman for dancing the
Turkey-Trot.
|
| 1916 |
Aurora, Ill., Jan. 24: Joseph
E. Bishop, 22, and his bride, aged 21, were seriously hurt, and twenty
guests at their wedding injured late today when a portion of the house
in which the nuptial celebration was being held collapsed while the
guests were dancing the tango. Bishop suffered a broken arm, sprained
ankle and probable internal injuries, while his bride, who was Miss
Florence Vargman, suffered severe internal injuries. Physicians say
she may die.The marriage ceremony was performed in St. Michael's Church,
and afterwards 100 guests assembled at a residence at 214 North Broadway
for the wedding feast and dance. While twenty couples were dancing
the tango on the second floor, the stairway and the portion of the
floor collapsed, hurling many men, women and children to the floor
below. Police removed the injured and the bride and groom were hurried
in ambulances to a hospital. |
| 1916 |
ASHVILLE. N. C., Nov. 13.--For
the pleasure of dancing the tango, Brent Latimer of Greenville, S.
C. paid the price of one eye, the sight being destroyed by a quill
in the hat of the young woman with whom he was dancing. Latimer and
the girl essayed the tango. In making a turn the quill swept in behind
his glasses, cutting the ball of the right eye. |
| 1920 |
On July fourth in the a.m.,
Fifty people were killed when 200 Charleston
dancers at the popular Pickwick
Club in Boston, Ma. during the the 1920's got so enthusiastic
that the vibrations made the whole dance floor collapse!. |
| 1920s |
Prohibition: In Brooklyn,
twelve people died from drinking wood alcohol during prohibition. |
| 1925 |
Rudolph Valentino's wife Natascha
Rambova was banned from the set of The Eagle in 1925, for causing
problems while Valentino was filming. (jealousy I think?).
|
| 1927 |
A Dance
Marathon was shut down due to 60 dancers collapsing in a dance
marathon after only 20 hours. Los Angeles Herald - 4/22/1927 |
| 12/10/1929 |
Pathe Motion Picture Exchange
and Manhattan Studios, Inc., (New York) caught fire while shooting
a musical revue (Black and White revue). While the dancers where on
stage dancing "an electrician saw a spectacular flash and one
of the dancers on the stage cried 'Fire!.' A black velvet curtain
had caught fire as the result, there were seven explosions in all.
Many escaped unhurt, but 10 perished in the flames, suffocated, trapped,
or trampled to death, four were chorus dancers ... the youngest was
a 16 year old dancer named Catherine Porter (trapped). Many historic
films were lost to the flames and the building destroyed. There was
upwards of 100 people working in the building that day. (photo
of all 4 girls here) |
| 1930s |
Bonnie and Clyde were first
spotted at a "swing dance." Bonnie and Clyde were dancing
a very good Jitterbug
and were noticed by fellow dancers, one individual recognized them
as being wanted by the law and had the police called on them. That
night marked the start of them running from the law. |
| 1930s |
During the filming of "Shall
We Dance" with Fred
Astaire at RKO Pictures Corp. The expensive set that was to be
used in over half the movie caught fire. George, Astaire's valet went
to the fire chief to be allowed to enter the charred remains, as it
was imperative he enter the ruins. As the chief and George argued
vigorously, George persuaded the chief to allow him to enter the burnt
ruins... he returned within his possession ... none other than,...
Fred Astaire's tap shoes ...:) |
| 1930s |
Judy Garland was fired from the film "Annie Get your
Gun." |
| 1936 |
At the Paramount Theater in
New York, The Fire department was called in to check the safety of
the balcony, because many of the high school kids were dancing the
Jitterbug
in the aisles of the balcony to Benny Goodman and his Orchestra. |
| 1938 |
The famous Dalcroze Dance
Institute near Dresden, Germany was closed down in 1938 when Hitler
invaded Austria. |
| 1942 |
A devastating fire killed
over 500 dancers at the Cocoanut Grove Ballroom in Boston, MA. on
November 27th. A patron had unscrewed a light bulb to become more
cozy with his date and a waiter, who couldn't see lit a match to redo
the bulb, this action caused the fire. It was unknown for many years
as to why it spread so quickly, but was later found out a Methyl Chloride
gas (highly flammable) was used to fill the air conditioner's
freon tank. This was due to the shortage of freon during the war.
|
| 7/5/1951 |
Burlesque Queen and Stripper
Lil St. Cyr's act
at the Gayety Theater in Montreal, Canada was reported to be so torrid
that patrons rushed for the fire escape, supposedly to cool off, when
she concluded her dance. As a result, one man is killed and three
others injured when part of the fire escape collapses. (note: this
had to be of another reason.) |
| 1953 |
Actress Sheree
North broke her foot doing the Shimmy
in the Jitterbug
scene in the movie "Living It Up!" with Jerry Lewis. |
| 5/22/2004 |
Dessi Espana - Circus performer
with Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, who performed
aerial acrobatics with twirling chiffon cloth at 35 feet in the air
without a net, who once held the world record for twirling 75 hula
hoops while appearing on the TV show "Live With Regis & Kathie
Lee", fell to her death on May 22 in front of a horrified audience
in St. Paul, Minnesota while performing her act. She was 32 years
old. |
Ballrooms