‘A People’s History of the Chicago Danse Floor: House Parties, 1980-2007’ part 4: The Summer of 1980

Yes there was dansing to be done @ the PRE dansing age of 14.

Part One-

The Great Eighth Grade Danse

We all thought it would be wack as hell. That nite, after the danse, we ran to our class officers to see if they would go to the principal to have another danse.

Our grammer school was special. Many my-memories are from that era, and I count myself lucky to have gone there. Some people have great h.s.'s, some great university time, but I think all who went to St. Rita grammer school back then felt special.

We recently-- well, summer of long remember, 2005-- had our grammer school reunion. I know that in The Middle Guard many are now in their "H.S. Reunion" Time. Some are going, some not. But over the decades between 1980 and 2005 members of The Old Guard talked a lot about our grammer school reunion- jokes, etc, but we really wanted it to happen. I will write about that nite someother time, but I'd like to point out we went dansing that 2005 nite.

But it's 1980, not 2005, I write about.

Originally put, The New Association were originally recruited to play the show. However, since most of our songs made fun of our classmates in decidely non p.c. ways, we decided not to gig.

Three of us had baseball games the day of the danse. I'd played little league for the last six years, and baseball came first. We'd have to arrive late, although that wasn't that big of a drag. Future NIU lineman and I were on the Bankers (no lie), and El Greco was on the team we played. Can't remember who won, but the three of us arrrived fashionably. Late.

We had our danse @ our schools gym. And the scence we came in on would be familier to all- boys on one side, girls on the other.

My buddies had brought my records there- we had "The Early Beatles", "Aftermath" (Had to pay "Stupid Girl"), "Hot Rocks", etc... I think "I am the Walrus" was played, but times ravages.......... People weren't too hep to music back then @ my school, so our gang of grunts could play kool guys by bringing in the Stones.

Did we danse?

Yes, these13 and 14 yr old boys dansed. We sure did. Bless the El Grec for starting the bravery in the boys. El Greco was the first of us to do The Slide, which was basically just run across the floor and............slide on our knees. He started, I burst onto that scene second, and if I remember, a few others joined us. Something about El Greco and I liking to look like fools. The other great danse was The Twist, and that was all Moho. Moho was wearing the white shirt and a black tie, and soon lots of us were doing it. I suppose he was dansing w/ someone, but I can't remember. But to this day:

"C'mon baby, lets do the Twist"

It ended too soon. Way too soon. Just like our youth. Mentioned earlier, we immed. tried to get another danse thrown for us the next week, but it was 25 years before some of us dansed to-gether again.

That 1980 nite, though, not wanted to be ended, massed great gangs of us to-gether as we walked all the way up 63d Street from St. Rita to Pulaski looking for a place to eat*. We settled on Arby's after being said no to @ every foodjoint along the way

Little Joe's

gave us big no's

so we atook

our-a business

elsewhere

Part Two-

On being a scared little boy,asked by an European Girl to danse, whilst not on the Contintent

Two months later I was called out by an Irish lass who crossed the danse floor in my uncles village to ask me to danse -- and I.................

The other great dansing incident in the Summer of 1980 occured in Ireland. I went for a month from c. 25 July-25 Aug 1980 and had the time of my life. Summer of '80 was outstanding and I hated to miss what was going on in the heighbourhood (Great changes), but deeply exciting to go to ireland for the second time.

My mom's island is very small, so they had two danses a week there. One a Caeli (sp), which was traditional music played by-- ready-- an accordianist and a drummer - and that was it. And yes, some of the best music came out of those two instruments. The other was more regular rock and roll stuff.

The Irish danse was great fun and I've done plenty since. However, so young and sacred, and now here is a girl crossing the floor on "Girls choice" time. I had to get up, I had to go out, but screw me forever for not actually being able to danse. It was a very uncomfortable time- just a scared boy, nothing but funny to look back on now-- but again-- this wonderful piece of femininity (please don't take "piece of feminity' in a bad way- she wasn't a 'piece'- wait, she was a piece- but wait, I don't mean it that way......ah, whatever..... ) and I too scared.

City boy unable to handle country girl. And it wouldn't be the last time.

..........................................................................

*=A long straggling line of students returning up 63d Street would in later years become one of the FAVOURITE targets of the Lancing Five's Roofing Force (not called so back in the day)

Linx to previous chapters

Part I

Part II

PartIII