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The Harvest Moon Ball was supposedly for "Amateurs" only (was up
to the contestants to police for pro's.) The Ball was held usually in August or September and was sponsored by
the Daily Newsin New York and Los Angeles (News Welfare Association, Inc.)
The first unofficial contest was held at the Central Park Mall in 1927, but to the surprise of the organizers over 75,000 people showed up to watch the
contest, all contests in the future were to be postponed in the name of public safety until Madison Square Garden
could be obtained. They tried again in 1934 and this time the contest was officially shut down by then Mayor La Guardia.
The first official start date was in 1935 at Madison Square Garden in New York and would last untill 1980, from 1980
it was sponsored by individuals who were past HMB Winners with the last HMB in 1984. |
| Starting in August, prelims would be run in many different clubs and ballrooms thru-out the city such as the Savoy Ballroom and later the Savoy Manor, plus the famous
Roseland Ballroom in New York. The prelims had a total of three judges, while the finals had five.
There were six divisions one could enter, some years would offer different dance
divisions such as Lindy Hop, Rumba, Jitterbug,
Jitterbug-Jive, Jive, Foxtrot,
Rock and Roll, Polka,
Tango, Collegiate Shag, Serviceman's Division, Viennese
Waltz and even the Hustle. Plus at the end of the contest the judges would pick an "All 'Round Champion" to award additional prizes to, this was usually the couple who won the Foxtrot division.
This contest was to become the
most famous dance contest in the world and would last for
many years. The official song of the contest was "Shine
On, Harvest Moon." The music was supplied by first class
musicians such as Artie Shaw, Nan Rodrigo, Benny Goodman etc.
Ed Sullivan was the emcee for most of these earlier contests. As time progressed and the popularity of the |
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Ballrooms