The Texas Tommy... is said by many to be the first swing dance. The main reason being that during this period (1909), all the dances were done in "closed" position, this was supposedly the first modern dance of the time to include the "break-away " step (energetically dancing from closed to open position) while using the basic 8 count rhythm of swing dance.

   The dance is described by many who were alive during the time as a rough Lindy Hop style, only with a different starting pattern (Stearns book gives a pretty good insight to the dance). The basic footwork was a Kick and a Hop three times on each foot. Imagine using a modern 6 count timing, it might have been something like: 1-2&3 = Kick-step-step-step = Lt-Lt-Rt-Lt - repeat other foot 4-5&6 (also see 8 count at bottom.) After these steps were done, dancers did the Break-Away step and did what ever they wanted to do, Most times the dancers did a Shuffle Step and swayed back and forth, then back to the basic step again. The Break-Away is described as pretty forceful during the time, as their were acrobatics with the "throwing of their partners around" involved at times. Stearns also writes that this dance was done many times with 4 to 6 couples at a time

   Many dance bands of the day would travel the "band circuit" from San Francisco thru Mississippi to Kentucky, New Orleans etc., and end in New York and then start back again. The first written record was in San Francisco, California in 1909 . Many dance bands or composers of the day would write dance music that had the directions for doing the dance in the verses, such as the Maxixe, Texas Tommy, Bunny Hug, Grizzly Bear, Turkey Trot etc. At the time, many Composer / Musicians would look for a new dance to write a song about.

   The "Fairmont Hotel" in San Francisco is written to have given birth to the Texas Tommy, which may or may not hbe true but did have a house band that regularly played the Texas Tommy music and was a major place to be for dancing. Dancers from Lew Purcell's would dance the Texas Tommy and make it popular in San Francisco, many of these dancers would bring some of the dances with them to the Fairmont, which was the swankiest Hotel and ballroom at the time. Anyone who was anyone could be found at the Fairmont doing all the latest dances.

   Who originated the Texas Tommy is obscure, but most likely it was being done and someone capitalized upon it. Some say "Johnny Peters and his partner Mary Dewsen, " two African-Americans, brought the dance to San Francisco in 1911 from the South... but exactly where, they don't say. Peters and Ethel Williams became partners in 1912 and after Dewsen became ill, Williams replaced her in Al Jolsons troupe. Williams and Peters danced in contests all over the country and especially New York City and the Barbary Coast, winning many contest dancing the One-Step, Maxixe, Tango and Texas Tommy, etc., they were masters of the Tommy and reportedly danced it regularly at the Fairmont when in town.

   The Broadway musical entitled "The Darktown Follies" held at the "Lafayette Theater," Harlem in 1913 had a performance by Ethel Williams dancing with Peters along with some other performers, performing a dance called the "Texas Tommy." The dance was a huge success of the show, only bested by the group Circle dance by the cast. However her written performance mentioned earlier supercedes this date of it originating here as has been written (Note: "Ballin' The Jack " was also introduced in this Musical.)

   Another dance called the "Apache Dance " used a "break-away " ... the most popular pattern in the Apache was a "Behind the Back turn" (pattern), most people to this day call this pattern the "Texas Tommy" in Lindy Hop or "Apache Whip/Turn" in West Coast Swing , so the older Apache Dance may have had something to do with the Texas Tommy... as the Apache was popular around 1903 and the Apache was really the first couples dance to use the break-away pattern described above.

   Tommy by the way was a slang term for a Trench or Foot Soldier in the 1890-1910's, which the song title could be saying Texas Soldier. A 'Texas' Tommy was said to be a female prostitute who also worked the trenches and/ or walked the streets in the early 1900s.

   The Texas Tommy may go all the way back to the Civil War... however unlikely; There was a famous black dancer named "Tom from Palestine, " Texas, that was known for "putting a glass of water on his head and making his feet go like trip-hammers and sounding something like a snare drum," he would "whirl around and such" while all his movements were from the "waist down, without spilling a drop of water." He was known as "The Jigginest fellow ever was" (sounds like Juba .) Although this does not sound like a swing dance because he danced by himself, and was probably doing a form of Jig or Buck dancing, he may have later had something to do with the rhythms and such. Another may have been in east Texas, by a well known Blues Pioneer "Ragtime Texas Henry" Thomas in the late 1800's, who played at many "Juke Joint s" along the way to his fame.

note:
1) Also, there was a dance called "Come To Me Tommy" which allowed dancers to dance real close, around 1912? (possible relation? ... dunno.)
2) In B.F. Keith's Programme for his shows (Vaudeville Bill), writing about the "upcoming attractions on sept, 13, 1916", it states in one actors description that "Even overseas in the trenches the tommies sing". (never seen this word used this way in a dance program except for there, could have meant a Soldier). Probably no relation, but thought you might find it interesting?
3) 10th Annual Rexall Drug Convention (A Smokers Convention) held Sept 17-20, 1912. in St. Louis at the St. Louis Coliseum featured Texas Tommy Dancers.

People who claimed its creation:
1) "Johnny Peters" is claimed by Marshall/ Stearns.
2) "Dutch Mike and Stella Johnson" are reported to be the originators and invented the Texas Tommy Swing (2/18/1912 Oakland Tribune).
3) "Max Goldsmith and Phil Freuise" tried to get a copyright on the dance claiming themselves as creators.
4) A dance group called "Davis and Matthews" claimed they created many of the steps (not the actual dance) for the Texas Tommy around 1909/10 and were hired to bring a group of dancers to the Winter Garden's "Whirl of Society" and do the Texas Tommy dance (1/28/1912 article of the Fort Wayne Daily News, page 3).
5) Val Harris was reported to be the "Originator in the Court hearings on banning the dance in San Francisco - She was present for support of the dance (2/28/1912 - Modesto News)

Films

Television

Ballets / Stage

1914 - Fatty's Magic Pants

Newspaper Publications

9/1927- Boardwalk Illus.. News

? - Down Beat Magazine

Other Related Dances of the time...

Apache Dance

Collegiate ....

Kangaroo Hop

Savoy Style

Balboa

Come to me Tommy (?)

Lame Duck

Shag

Ballin' the Jack

Eagle Rock

Lindy Hop

Shimmy

Black Bottom

East Coast Swing

Maxixe

Big Apple

Mooch & Sugar

Suzy Q

Break Away

One Step

Tango

Bunny Hug

Fox Trot

Texas Prance

Buzzard Lope

Glides (Gaby, Wish Wash, Sea Sick, Gilda etc)

Peabody

Cakewalk

Peckin'

Truckin'

Camel Walk

Grizzly Bear

Polka

Turkey Trot

Castle Walk

Horse Trot

Push

Two Step

Jitterbug

Quickstep

Waltz

Jive

Dancers, Choreographers etc.

Political

Bankoff and Girlie

Mary Dewson (1912)

Minta Durfee-Arbuckle (1909)

California Poppies* (a TT Troupe)

Nettie Compton (1912)

Pet Bob Thurman (1913) fastest of them all!

Texas Tommy Dancers (a TT Troupe)

Vernon and Irene Castle (1914)

Ethel Williams (1912)

Will Mastin* (1913)

Fatty Arbuckle (1909)

Willie Covan

Johnny Peters (1911)

Books, Magazine Articles on the dance...

Title

Author

Published

Publisher

Dances of Today

Newman, Albert W.

1913

Penn

Bohemian San Francisco (It. Rest. Famous Recipes)

Clarence C. Edwards, Paul Elder

1914

n/a

Down Memory Lane

Murray, Arthur

1954

Greenberg

$ Jazz Dance: Story of Vernacular Dance

Stearns, Marshall & Jean

1968

Macmillan

Dancing... P. P. A. of Movement

Jonas, Gerald

1935

Abrams

The Magic Of Dance

Fonteyn, Margot

1979

Knopf

Dancing...New Edition

Jacobs, Ellen

1981

Variety Arts

Black Dance

Thorpe, Edward

1990

Overlook Press

Musicians

Singers

Poets / Writers

Buck Clayton

Vera Maxwell (1912 - Ziegfeld)

Val Harris

Sid Brown

Von Tilzer

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

Chanticleer

Johnny Peters

King Chanticleer

Fatty Arbuckle

Juke / Juke Joint

Prostitute

Hop (as in dance movement)

Kick Dance

"Uujbee" (Meaning?)

Other...

Basic Step:
Kick, and Hop, Hop, Hop on the same foot. Done in closed position,
then the couples would "Break-away" from each other and back together
again. breakdown as follows:

Note:
add a break-away, do the Georgia Grind, and wiggle the hips, (the woman dancing provocatively) and a few improvised steps and you have the Texas Tommy.

From Newman's Book-1913:
Dancers start in 'Closed Position'.
1) Leaders = Glide Left Foot to side, (Followers start with Right Foot)
2-3-4) Raise R. F. a little to rear, and hop three times on the L. F.; in this position count-2-3-4, turning to the right.
Repeat same with the R. F., continuing the turn, one measure.
(This is virtually a skating movement and should be made with a slight bend on the first step. The hops should be made softly and the raised foot held not too high).
Glide L. F. to side (1), hop on it with R. F. raised slightly (2); same with R. F. to right (3) (4). This is a Barn Dance Step.
Four short running steps forward L. F. (1), R. F. (2), L. F. (3), R. F. (4).
Repeat the entire dance, turning to the left also.

Great care should be taken not to exaggerate the hops, and to turn quite around in the skating movement.
There are a number of arrangements of the Texas Tommy, but none more suitable for ballroom purpose than this.
Music:"Ephraim's Brass Band Jones," or the song "Texas Tommy Swing," or any schottische with a good swing. 4-4 tempo. end Newman! end of paraphrase.

(Note: interesting - actual use of the words "Swing" here in 1913).