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Re: Re: Re: franch writin ..Don't back off Doc .. you're not alone

Dave,

Doc is incognito,
Does not exist,
No email adress,
No way to be reached,
The biggest "Pretender" to be scared of "Meanie" oh! so dangerous Claude, who's got is email for all to see.
Scared, give me a break,just a mediocre infantile physcological ruseon his part, so transparent, and so unnecessary.
I'll be more wary of someone,like "Doc" whom I don't see, don't know ,with no name, or email adress and can strike unanounced , I don't hide like "DOC" behind a pseudonym, so what you read is what you get.
I mean who's he, Teebooger maybe, we have , I have the right to speculate.
I'm leary of people whom feign false indignation, like Doc, I mean, Dave, who's she or he?

Does'nt even have the courage to email me privately.

Claude.

Re: franch writin

While Tee's IP addy comes back as a New York site and he is obviously not in La., His was the only reply that took a stab at responding to a post of mine regarding tradional dance, despite the corny slang. Pretty sad considering there were how many replies?

Re: Re: franch writin

That's fine Greg... but still I have have to wonder why any character would start out talking about his womans mother having her feet whacked off being in the hospital, using some outlandish dialect to describe it all... and go on to enlighten you (all of us as regulars) on the art of the dance just because you wanted to know what was and how it evolved back when! That's sorta morbid... sorta funny and sort'a way out there somewhere I don't quite understand about divulging of family matters in an in-sensitive fashion.

As far as a pet? This guy a pet? Hell, I would rather have goat... something that would eat the lawn and if it gets too dang annoying, winds up on the BBQ.

If this is (as you mention) someone from NY that is poking fun, Bro. it can't be doing you any good .. or me any good as outsiders that covet the relationship with a culture which I (and you) happen to respect.

Greg... I don't meen to be prudish sounding here.. I have come upon many that don't have much in life only to find them wonderful lessons in the human existance. None of which ever resorted to acting foolish and trying to be cute with the ignorant thing. I just think it is flat wrong, somehow.

Sorry man.. you are a regular here and I respect you... I respect any visitor that wants to drop in (not my place to get judgey)but please don't hose around folks that really understand the real deal.

Nonc D

Re: Re: Re: franch writin

Nonc D,
I wasnt defending this guy, just pointing out that he was the only one out of 10 replies or so that actually tried to answer the question. I personally dont care much for anyone poking fun at a dialect the way this guy has. I spent some time in the mts of NC and those folks get their share of being the laughing stock. I considered myself to be one of them and dont really know if I felt more anger or hurt from the slamming because it was personal.
There our IP address finders out there that allow you to see where people are. This guy's shows he is in New York.
Thanks Jude for answering the original question with a fine explanation. Thats all I was looking for.

Re: Re: franch writin

I hear ya Greg, so here's the best I can do for you.
You asked a question aboout "traditional" dance with the trem "jitterbug" in the question.
I assume you're refering to traditional Cajun dance ??? Well....... the jitterbug is not, and never has been, a "traditional" dance for Cajun music.
The traditional dance for Cajun is the waltz and two-step and they came here with the original exiled Acadians in 1755. I'm sure the waltz can be traced back to France. The jitterbug worked it's way into Cajun music exactly when you stated, in the 40's.
We used to have a Cajun festival here in my home town of Port Arthur, Texas ( back when I was young, we called it Port Arthur, Louisiana because there were more Cajuns here than any other ethnic group). We held a dancing contest where the contestants were required to dance a waltz and two-step.
Anyone who attempted to do the "jitterbug" was disqualified.
Hope this helps you better understand the traditional Cajun dance.
Jude

waltz from france

Dear Jude,

Waltz, Mazurka and other pair dances developed quite late in Europe (And France) Before, there where the row and figure dances (or square dance/Quadrille), so either the Acadians were very modern, or the Waltz and two step came in with the new immigrants from France directly to LA. If you want to have numbers and years, I have to look it up for you.
Gus

Of the dance

Jude I am glad you jumped in... Greg, we're fine pal.

So traditional is composed of: 2 step and waltz

While there exists to be German French speaking whites of Louisiana. There had to have been some old traditional steps that included Polka and the Muzurka as mentioned, at one time (my guess). I am not sure if the French Acadian whites considered the German faction as Cajuns.. or if it simply evolved to include Germans that spoke French, and simply called it French speaking people to represent the population as a whole.
There had to have been an influence on both Acadians and Germans. While the German segment were also farmers, I wonder if they introduced the sausage making (boudin and blood boudin) technique. Another couriosity, would be the dance forms of the black and Creole segments stemming from Africa, Haiti and the creole pipeline into the south including Louisiana. I am only guessing, that much of that segment was stiffled by the church, so that a lot of the cultural identity was stripped in any expressive forms of yet a differant method of dance for conformity. We are talking a differant form of music/dance that may be linked to celibrating carnival and forms of religion which would have differed greatly.

Thoughts? Ideas?

Re: Of the dance

I think a person could drive himself crazy trying to figure out how any of this stuff in our culture came to be. I always compare it to a good gumbo, you just throw a whole bunch of Acadians, Napolean soldiers, black creoles from all over, Germans, Irish, whatever else, give it a good stir, let it simmer a good while, and there you got a good pot of Cajun language, music, danse, and food.

On the danse thing, where does the old contredanse fit it? I think it is French, but I'm not sure. Before the 1900's the contredanses, mazurkas, and polka were apparently popular, but for how long I dont know. Then there is the Colinda.....

Re: Re: Of the dance

In many countries it was not done to dance in couples until quite recently. Look f.e. in Brttany (France, where most of the dances are row dances. (Poitou, where people emigrated to LA, quite the same. Great Brittain also, more figure dances, but little contact between man and wife, less close than in Mazurka, Polka, Waltz, Schottish.).

Reason, moral! People (and church) were very conservative at that time.

(will be away for some days, afterwards will try to find something about dances in history).

Gus
Gus

Re: Re: Re: Of the dance

Someone who used to post on this forum found this website a few years ago when the subject was discussed. Greg, you might like to explore these collections.

Christian

Les contredanses

Well, answered my question here, kinda, site #3.

Re: Re: Re: Re: Of the dance

Excellent resource. This will take a while to go through. Really trying to visualize what the early 1900's house dance would have looked like and wondering if anyone tries to capture that feel using period music and dance. Thanks to all who have replied.
Greg

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Of the dance

Try to find this CD ("Le Quadrille acadien" by Gérard Dôle/link above). He has recreated the music that people would dance to in Louisiana in the old days, with the help of several old Cajun musicians (Sady Courville, Frémont Fontenot...).

Christian

Cajun Culture

Hi Bryan and everyone
As someone who appreciates the Cajun culture, I enjoyed two books by Carl A Brasseaux , which discuss the history and evoloution of cajun people and culture. They are: "Acadian to Cajun, Transformation of a people, 1807-1877"(1992), and "French, Cajun, Houma, Creole, A Primer on Francophone Louisiana" (2005). They can be ordered on Amazon.com
Carl A Brasseaux is an amazing scholar and heads the Centre for Cultural and Eco Tourism at USL.
http://ccet.louisiana.edu/02a_Center_Associates_Bios/Brasseaux_Carl_A.html

Re: Cajun Culture

He comes to mind when there is any questions of how, why...

If you read anything by Carl, its as close to fact as can be, he does his homework. Me, I'm a speculator.

Which two step?

Jude,
I was on business in eastern Texas during the Folk life festival. I love to dance, so when they said they were having a Cajun dance contest, I grabbed a local girl (who ended up being the state champion in corn shucking, but that's a different story) and jumped on the floor.

Well, to my surprise, they were doing a "different" two step. I one I knew was what I would call an "even" two step. (same number of steps on each side) They were doing one where you do a different number of steps with each foot.

Which two-step did you learn growing up?
Which two-step do you think is "more" traditional?

DP



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