|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Ballrooms
 |
 |
"Down on your heels and up on your toes" was the thing to do in the hit song for the Varsity Drag.Donald Tomkins (left) is credited with introducing the Varsity Drag in the 1920s. The danced is based around the Collegiate dances of that era. It was also a featured dance in the play "Good News" in September 6, 1927, which is probably where it was introduced to the general public.
Tomkins danced with Ruth Mayon in the 1947 movie Good News. June Allyson and Peter Lawford also danced the Varsity Drag in this movie. Zelma O'Neil is credited with the popularity of this dance as well.
Birth Place |
Creation Date |
Creator |
Dance Type |
||||||||
| USA | late 1910's | Donald Tomkins | Collegiate |
Posters, Lobby Cards etc. |
Sheet Music Covers |
 |
Varsity Drag Music Titles |
|||||
| n/a | The Varsity Drag (1927) |  |
Varsity Drag - Abe Lyman (1930) | MP3 | ||||
| Varsity Drag Blues (1927) | |
Varsity Drag - Anita O'Day (different version) | MP3 | |||||
 |
Varsity Drag - Ciro's Club Band (1927) | x | ||||||
|
Varsity Drag - Crew Cuts (1956) | MP3 | ||||||
|
Varsity Drag - Frank Black Orchestra (1927) | x | ||||||
|
Varsity Drag - George Olsen (1927) | MP3 | ||||||
|
Varsity Drag - Jack Hylton & his Orchestra (1953) | MP3 | ||||||
|
Varsity Drag - Jean Goldkette Orchestra (1957) | MP3 | ||||||
|
Varsity Drag - Pee Wee Hunt (1954) | x | ||||||
|
Varsity Drag - Peter Lawford & June Allyson | MP3 | ||||||
|
Varsity Drag - Revelers quintet (1927) | MP3 | ||||||
|
Varsity Drag - Ruth Etting | MP3 | ||||||
|
Varsity Drag - Sam Lanin (1928) | x | ||||||
|
Varsity Drag - Spike Jones & his City Slickers | x | ||||||
|
Varsity Drag Mambo - Machito | MP3 | ||||||
|
Varsity Drag Mambo - Tito Puente | MP3 | ||||||
|
$ 1995 Good News Musical Sndtrack | x | ||||||
|
... See all Drag Type songs | x | ||||||
Various "Drag Dance" Titles |
||
| A Minor Drag | Jig Drag | Slow Drag |
| A Real Slow Drag | Saratoga Drag | Varsity Drag (1927) |
| Dizzy Drag | Shoe Shiners Drag | Viper's Drag |
Night Clubs |
Theaters |
Locations |
||||
| n/a | 1928 - Equity Ball - NY | n/a | ||||
| 1927 - 46th Street Theatre | ||||||
Films / Movies |
Television |
Ballets / Stage |
||
| College Swing | 1975 - Lawrence Welk Show (Bobby and Cissy) | Good News (1927) | ||
| $ Good News [DVD] (1947) | Muppet Show - Betsy Bird does "Varsity Drag" (episode 505) | Good News (1995) | ||
| $ Good News (Audio Described) (1947) |
Muppet Show - Statler and Waldorf dance (episode 208) | Good News (1984) Zilker Summer Musical | ||
| The Varsity Drag | 5/9/1988 - ALF - (Season 2, Episode 26) | |||
 |
Publications |
|||
| 1/1928 - Dance Magazine | ||||
| 11/5/1939 - Fresno Bee (Zelma O'Neil) | ||||
| 9/7/1927 - NY Times (A. Brooks, page 35) | ||||
Other Related Dances of the time... |
||||
| Aeroplane Waltz | Charleston | Hippohop | LuLu Fado | Shiver Shake |
| Apache Dance | Chicken Flip | Honey Bug | Maxixe | Slow Drag |
| Argentine Ardor | Collegiate | Hooche Cooche | Mooch and Sugar | Syncopated Canter |
| Arizona Anguish | Collegiate Foxtrot | Horsetrot | Necktie Waltz | Tango |
| Bacchanalian waltz | Collegiate Shag | Hug-Me-Tight | One Step | Terripan Toddle |
| Boll Weevil Wiggle | Dewey Dip | Innovation | Ostrich Stretch | Texas Tommy |
| Boston Dip | Dizzy Drag | Jazzarimba | Pavlova Gavotte | Toddle |
| Break away | Fado Foxtrot | Kangaroo Canter | Peabody | Turkey Trot |
| Bunny Hug | Foxtrot | Kangaroo Waltz | Pickaninny Dandle | Two-Step |
| Buzzard Lope | Fuzzy-Wuzzy | Kitchen Sink | Pollywog Wiggle | Varsity Drag |
| Cabbage Clutch | Gaby Glide | Lambeth Walk | Puppy Snuggle | Walkin' The Dog |
| Camel Walk | Gilda Glide | Lame Duck | Quickstep | Waltz |
| Cantor Waltz | Grizzly Bear | Lemon Squeeze | Salome dance | Wiggle-de-Wiggle |
| Cartel Waltz | Grizzly Glide | Lindy Hop | Shadow Dance | |
| Castle Walk | Hesitation Waltz | Love Dance | Shimmy | |
Dancers, Choreographers etc. | Political |
|
| Albert Ludwig & Jean Morris | Peter Lawford | n/a |
| Bee Jackson | Ruth Mayon | |
| Donald Tomkins | Zelma O'Neal | |
| Dorothy McNulty (aka Penny Singleton (Blondie Bumstead) | June Allyson and Peter Lawford in Movie | |
| Ewing Kennedy | ||
| June Allison | ||
Books, Magazine Articles on the dance... |
|||||||||||
Title |
Author |
Date |
Publisher |
||||||||
| Down Memory Lane | Murray, Arthur | 1954 | Greenberg | ||||||||
| $ Jazz Dance: The Story of American Vernacular Dance | Stearns, Marshal | 1964 | De Capo Press | ||||||||
Musicians / Bands |
Other |
Poets / Writers |
||
| Alcide "Slow Drag" Pavageau | n/a | n/a | ||
| Desylva, Brown | ||||
| Fran Frey & George Olson | ||||
Misc. Research Words that may be related ... to help your searches |
|||
| Bobbed cuts | Flapper | Raccoon Coats | - |
| Collegiate | Knickers | Roaring Twenties | |
Varsity Drag Song Lyrics. |
| Babe: Hey everybody! What's goin' on here?, We can't let school get us depressed, after all the reason we're in college is to have fun, right? We've always thought, Knowledge was naught, We should be taught, To dance! Right here in Tait, We're up-to-date, We teach a great, New dance!, Don't think that I brag, I speak of the drag! Why should a chic, Learn how to speak, Latin and Greek, Badly?, Give 'em a neat, Motto complete, Say it with feet, Glady! First lesson right now, You'll love it and how! Guys: You'll love it! Babe: Here is the drag, See how it goes, Down on your heels, Up on your toes, That’s the way to do the varsity drag! It's hotter than hot!, Newer than new!, Meaner than mean!, Bluer than blue!, Gets as much applause as waving the flag! You can pass, Many a class , Whether you're dumb or wise, If you all answer the call, When your professor cries Everybody! Down on your heels, Up on your toes, Stay after school, Learn how it goes, Everybody do the varsity drag! Girls: Here is the drag, See how it goes, Down on your heels, Up on your toes, That’s the way to do the varsity drag! Babe: Its hotter than hotter than hot!, Newer than newer than new!, Meaner than meaner than mean!, Bluer than bluer than blue! Ensemble: Gets as much applause as waving the flag! You can pass many a class, Whether you're dumb or wise Babe: If you all answer the call, When your professor cries Ensemble: Everybody! Down on your heels!, Up on your toes!, Say goodbye to blues and do the, Drag! [musical break] You'll love it! [musical break] The Varsity drag! |
| December 29, 2012 | http://www.Streetswing.com/histmain/d5index.htm | |
| - |