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Grizzly Bear Dance History

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You Are here: Page Updated:  August 7, 2006
Streetswings Dance History Archives: Grizzly Bear
Grizzly Bear Dancers
Grizzly Bear dance history Archives Title

   The Grizzly bear started in San Francisco, along with the Bunny Hug, Texas Tommy and Grizzly Bear. The Bear dance as it was often called was also done on the Staten Island ferry boats in the 1900's. It has been said that dancers John Jarrottand Louise Gruenning introduced this dance as well as the Turkey Trot at Ray Jones Cafe' in Chicago, IL. around 1909. The Grizzly Bear was first introduced to New York's Broadway audiences in the Show "Over the River in 1910 thru the song "Everybody's Doin' it Now, the song contains the repeated phrase "It's a Bear". Later the Ziegfeld Follies of 1911 would feature the Bear dance by Miss Fanny Brice

   The dance was rough and clumsy, the picture above is character of the actual Grizzly Bear, as you can see, the hold is where it gets its name. During the dance, the dancers would yell out: "Its a Bear!." The genuine Grizzly Bear step was in correct imitation of the movements of a dancing bear, moving

or dancing to the side. A very heavy step to the side with a decided bending of the upper part of the body from one side to the other, a decidedly ungraceful and undignified movement when performed as a dance.

    Most writers (teachers) of the time wanted to do away with the Grizzly Bear at society dances as it was not a very pretty or sophisticated dance.
* In 1910, Sophie Tucker (Last of the Red Hot Mama's), was arrested for singing the Grizzly Bear and the "Angle Worm Wiggle."
* On July 22, 1913, written in a dance card from the Exposition Park dancing pavilion in Conneaut Lake, PA. it was written that the Bear Dance and Turkey Trot would not be tolerated. Most dances of the day would refer to some type of animal in the name, whether it had anything to do with one or not.

    Vernon and Irene Castle had allot to do with the demise of the Grizzly Bear, as well as the Bunny Hug, the Turkey Trot and Texas Tommy. The Bear was finally shot when the Fox Trot appeared on the scene in 1914.

M.F. Ham in his book "The Modern Dance" states that the grizzly bear came from the low Chinese dives of San Francisco.

    Most couples dances of the time had some kind of animal name attached to it (thought to make it successful) such as the Bunny Hug, Horse Trot, Buzzard Lope and Turkey Trot to name a few.

Birth Place

Creation Date

Creator

Dance Type

San Francisco, CA. 1909 n/a Ragtime Dance
Order: "Dances thru Time" video

Posters, Lobby Cards etc.

Sheet Music Covers

Music Titles

Van Harbor Casino

1800's - Banner of The Bear (???)

$ Grizzly Bear (Berlin)

      1880's - Polar Bear Polka ???

$ Grizzly Bear Rag [$A, $B]

      1907 - The Teddy Bear

I would Like To Try It (1910-Berlin)

      1909 - Grizzly Bear

$ That Society Bear

      1910 - Dance of the Grizzly Bear

Dance Of The Grizzly Bear, the

      1912 - Kill That Bear

Everybody's Doin' it Now

      1912 - Stop that Bearcat Sadie      
      1912 - That Society Bear      
      1912 - Dance of The Grizzly Bear      
      1914 - La Danza Dell' (Orso I Balli d'Oggi, Rome)      
      Grizzly Bear Rag

$ The Bear Cha-Cha-Cha (Jim Henson)

[ See More Pic1 Pic2 Pic3 Pic4 Pic5 Pic6 Pic7 ]

Night Clubs

Theaters

Locations

Fairmont Hotel (San Francisco) n/a

San Francisco, CA

Ray Jones Cafe'      

New York

Staten Island Ferry      

Paris, France

Van Harbor Casino            

related Films

Television

Ballets / Stage

1899 - Couchee Couchee Bear, The

n/a n/a

1910 - Baby, the Boy, and the Teddy Bear ?

       

1913 - Landlord's Troubles, A ?

       

1915 - Bear Affair, A ?

       

1919 - It's A Bear

       

1927 - Hold That Bear

       

1937 - The Dancing Bear

     

Publications

1949 - Ragtime Bear

     

1/2/1910 - Oakland Tribune (Club women wage war on Tough Dances)

1952 - Rock-a-Bye Bear

     

4/3/1912 - Fort Wayne Daily News (Degerating Dance)

1964 - Bear Hug ?

           

Dances thru Time

           
 

Other Related Dances of the time...

Aeroplane Waltz

Cartel Waltz

Hesitation Waltz

LuLu Fado

Shimmy

Apache Dance

Castle Walk

Hippohop

March

Shiver Shake

Argentine Ardor

Charleston

Honey Bug

Maurice Tango

Skirt Dance

Arizona Anguish

Chicken Flip

Hooche Cooche

Maxixe

Slow Drag

Bacchanalian waltz

Collegiate

Horsetrot

Mooch and Sugar

Syncopated Canter

Baltimore Buzz

Collegiate Foxtrot

Hug-Me-Tight

Necktie Waltz

Tango

Bambuca

Collegiate Shag

Innovation

One Step

Terripan Toddle

Black Bottom

Dewey Dip

Jazzarimba

Ostrich Stretch

Texas Tommy

Boll Weevil Wiggle

Dizzy Drag

Kangaroo Canter

Pavlova Gavotte

Toddle

Boston Dip

Fado Foxtrot

Kangaroo Waltz

Peabody

Turkey Trot

Break away

Foxtrot

Kitchen Sink

Pickaninny Dandle

Two-Step

Bunny Hug

Fuzzy-Wuzzy

Lambeth Walk

Pollywog Wiggle

Varsity Drag

Buzzard Lope

Gaby Glide

Lame Duck

Puppy Snuggle

Walkin' The Dog

Cabbage Clutch

Gilda Glide

Lemon Squeeze

Quickstep

Waltz

Camel Walk

Grizzly Bear

Lindy Hop

Salome dance

Whirlwind Waltz

Cantor Waltz

Grizzly Glide

Love Dance

Shadow Dance

Wiggle-de-Wiggle

Dancers, Choreographers etc.

Political

Fannie Brice Louise Gruenning n/a
John Jarott    
 

Books, Magazine Articles on the dance...

Title

Author

Date Published

Publisher

Balli di ieri e balli d'oggi

P. Gavina

1922

 

$ Jazz Dance

Stearns, Marshall

1963

Da Capo Press

Modern Dance, the: a historical and analytical ...

M.F. Ham

1916

n/a
       
 

Musicians, etc

Singers

Artists

Poets / Writers

Irving Berlin

Sophie Tucker

Tom Mangelsen

n/a

George Botsford

   

William H. Beard

 

$ Keith Nichols & Ragtime Boys

           
 

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

Animal Dances

Theodore Roosevelt (Teddy)

Ute Bear Dance

Suggestive Dance

Teddy Bear

Unique Dance Hold

Tough Dance

Freak Dance

Tenderloin Dance Barbary Coast Wiggle Dance  

Other...

Basic Steps:
Lady dance position looked like she was "Swooning".
The Embrace (dance hold) was very ardent. (see picture at top of page).
Basically a One Step, swaying shoulders back and forth on each step.

The genuine Grizzly Bear step was in correct imitation of the movements
of a dancing bear, moving or dancing to the side. A very heavy step to
the side with a decided bending of the upper part of the body from one
side to the other, a decidedly ungraceful and undignified movement when
performed as a dance. (However, it looked fun to do)

---------------------- Sheet Music #1 :-----------------
"I would Like to try it,
But Mother said I shouldn't dare,
To try and do the grizzly bear".
"Hug up close top your baby,
Sway me everywhere,
Show your darlin' beau,
just how to go to buffalo,
Doin' the grizzly bear".
* (there's more but copyrights ya-know...go buy it! )
------------------- Sheet Music #2 --------------
Out In San Francisco where the, Weather's fair,
They have a dance out there, they call the,
Grizzly Bear, all your other lovin' dances,
Can't compare, Not so coony,
But a little more than spoon-y. Talk a bout yo' bears that Ted-dy,
Roosevelt shot, they couldn't class with what.....Old San Francisco's got....
Listen Hone-y, and I will show to the dance of the Grizzly Bear.
* ( there's more but copyrights ya-know...go buy it!)

August 7, 2006
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