Back To Homepage
SEARCH STREETSWING

(by FreeFind.com)

Arkansas Traveler Dance

Ballrooms and NightclubsBallrooms Burlesque DancersBurlesque ContestsContests DancersDancers Dance MarathonsMarathons Dance MoviesMovies Dance PostersPosters Vintage Dance Sheet Music CoversSheet Music Torupes and Dance GroupsTroupes Dance ForumForum Reload this page from serverRefresh

Dance History Archives: DANCE

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

M

N

O

P

Q

R

S

T

U

V

W

Home

You Are here: Page Updated:  May 2, 2006
Streetswings Dance History Archives
Arkansas Traveller Arkansas Traveler

    The vintage Arkansas Traveler is said to have originated in the Connecticut Valley around 1860 where it got its name from a peddler who "hawked" his merchandise up and down the valley while telling everyone he came from Arkansas. The dance was dedicated to this peddler.

    The Arkansas traveller was basically a barn dance that had twice the number of calls as the other dances of the time to symbolize the peddlers travels. During this time the Waltz was virtually unknown to the peasant dancers. The Arkansas Traveler is also known as the Essence of Old Virginia.

 
 

Birth Place

Creation Date

Creator

Dance Type

Connecticut Valley

1860

a Peddler ?

Folk / Square

 

Posters, Lobby Cards etc.

Sheet Music Covers

Music Titles

n/a

The Arkansas Traveller

An Arkansas Traveller

           

The Legend of the Arkansas Traveller

           

The Arkansas Traveller

 

Night Clubs

Theaters

Locations

1736 - Black Horse Tavern (N.Y)

n/a

Annapolis

           

Charleston, SC

           

Merry Mount, MA

           

Williamsburg, VA.

 

Instructional / Exercise

Television

Ballets / Stage

n/a

n/a

n/a

             
           

Publications

            n/a
                 
 

Other Related Dances of the time...

Basse Dances

Chicken Reel

Hornpipe

La Volta

Reels

Barn Dance

Contredanse, la

Jig

Old Paul Jones

Square Dance

Buck Dance

Clog

Lancers

Pigeon Wing

Virginia Reels

Carmagnole, la

Folk

Landler

Quadrilles

Virginia Essence

 

Dancers, Choreographers etc.

Political

n/a  

Prince Of Wales

     
 

Books, Magazine Articles on the dance...

Title

Author

Date Published

Publisher

Down Memory Lane

Murray, Arthur

1954

Greenberg

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Musicians / Bands

Writers

Artists

Harl McDonald (1899-1955)

n/a Casimer Gregory Stapko

Jean Guion (c. 1949)

       
           
 

Misc. Research Words that may be related ... to help your searches

Appalachian

Dulcimer

Minuet

Settlements

Banjo

English

Morris

Square Dance

Barn Dance

Fiddle

Puritan

Tavern

Birdie in a cage

Flute

Ritual

Huskin'

Contradnse

Folk

Round Dance

   

Country

Jig (Gigg)

     
 

Lyrics ...

   O Once up-on a time in Arkansas,
An old man sat in his lit-tle ca-bin door,
And fid-dled at a tune that he liked to hear,
A jol-ly old tune that he play-ed by ear.
It was rain-in hard, but the fid-dler did'nt care,
He saw-ed a-way at the pop-ular air,
Tho' his roof tree leak-ed like a wa-ter fall,
that didn't seem to bo-ther the man at all.

   A traveler was riding by that day,
And stopped to hear him a practicing away;
The cabin was afloat and his feet were wet,
But still the old man did't seem to fret.
So the Stranger said, "Now the way it seems to me
you had better mend your roof" said he.
But the old man said, as he played away
"I couldn't mend it now i'ts a rainy day'"

   The Traveler replied: "That's all quite true,
But this I think is the thing for you to do;
Get busy on a day tha's fair and bright,
Then patch the old roof till it's good and tight."
But the old man kept a playing at his reel,
And tapped the ground with his leathery heel:
"Get along," said he, for you give me a pain:
my cabin never leaks when it dos'nt rain."

 
 

Other...

n/a