DANCING in BORROWED SHOES: a HISTORY of BALLROOM DANCING in SOUTH AFRICA (1600S-1940S)
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DANCING IN BORROWED SHOES: A HISTORY OF BALLROOM DANCING IN SOUTH AFRICA (1600s-1940s) by ALIDA MARIA GREEN Submitted as requirement for the degree MAGISTERS HEREDITATIS CULTURAEQUE SCIENTIAE (CULTURAL HISTORY) in the Faculty of Humanities University of Pretoria Pretoria 2008 Supervisor: Prof. K.L. Harris © University of Pretoria “Social dancing reflects the Spirit of the Age more faithfully than any other Art”.* * Lancer, “In the dancing world: Official results of the examinations”, Rand Daily Mail, 11/05/1935, p. 8. CONTENT List of Abbreviations ....................................................................................................iii Acknowledgement .........................................................................................................v Summary.......................................................................................................................vi Chapter 1 Opening the floor: an overview of literature on ballroom dancing 1 1.1 Introduction....................................................................................................1 1.2 Literature overview........................................................................................6 1.3 Methodology and research...........................................................................24 Chapter 2 First steps: international ballroom dancing 33 2.1 Dancing to the seventeenth century .............................................................33 2.2 From the “contredanse” to the “cake wake”................................................37 2.3 Distinctively ballroom: waltz, tango, foxtrot and quick-stepping ...............46 Chapter 3 Belonging and not belonging in the ballroom:South Africa to 1926 54 3.1 Regal steps for locals: 1652 to 1830............................................................55 3.2 For the love of precious minerals and dance ...............................................63 3.3 Governor-generals set the pace: 1902-1926 ................................................68 3.4 “Belonging” and “not belonging”................................................................74 Chapter 4 Ballroom passions: dancing panache in 1920 and 1930 79 4.1 Royal support: dancing governor-generals and princes...............................79 4.2 Taking the floor: Dancing necessities..........................................................86 4.3 Music, media and motion pictures...............................................................94 Chapter 5 Perfecting the steps: competitive ballroom dancing 103 5.1 Passionate Competitors..............................................................................103 5.2 Examining the step.....................................................................................110 5.3 Almost British............................................................................................119 5.4 Missing the beat .........................................................................................125 Chapter 6 Dancing in the shadows 132 6.1 Shadow dancing to a different tune?..........................................................132 6.2 Competing on the edge ..............................................................................146 6.3 Dancing around objection..........................................................................149 Chapter 7 Epilogue: Dancing in black and white shoes 159 Sources 168 8.1 Archival sources.........................................................................................168 8.2 Government publications...........................................................................172 8.3 Newspapers................................................................................................172 8.4 Journals ......................................................................................................182 8.5 Periodicals..................................................................................................183 8.6 Literature....................................................................................................185 8.7 Theses ........................................................................................................190 8.8 Electronic information ...............................................................................191 8.9 Personal information..................................................................................192 8.10 Miscellaneous ............................................................................................192 Declaration.................................................................................................................193 List of Abbreviations ADA – Amateurs Dancers Association ANC – African National Congress AOF – Ancient Order of Fox Trotters BAO – Bantoe-administrasie en Ontwikkeling (Native Administration and Development) BMSC – Bantu Men’s Social Centre CADA – Cape Amateur Dance Association CBM – Contrary Body Movement CBMP – Contrary Body Movement positions DACST – Department of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology FEDANSA – Federation of Dance Sport South Africa GG – Governor General records GNLB – Government Native Labour Bureau ICU – Industrial and Commercial workers Union ISCOR – (South African) Iron and Steel Corporation ISTD – Imperial Society of Teachers Dancing KAB – Kaapse Argiefbewaarplek (Cape Town Archive Deposit) KJB – Kommissarisse van Johannesburg (Commissioners Johannesburg) LD – Law Department Transvaal NADA – Natal Amateur Dance Association NATDA (SA) – National Association of Teachers of Dancing NFA – National Film Archives NG – Nederduits Gereformeerde NP – National Party SAB – Suid-Afrikaanse Argiefbewaarplek (Public Records of central government since 1910) SABC – South African Broadcasting Corporation SADTA – South African Dance Teachers Association SADSF – South African Dance Sport Federation SANCAD – South African National Council for Amateur Dancers SAP – South African Party iii SASCOC – South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee TAB – Transvaalse Argief Bewaarplek (Public records of the Transvaal Province) TADA – Transvaal Amateur Dance Association TPB – Direkteur van Plaaslike Bestuur (Director of Local Government) TVO – Transvaal Volunteers VOC – Vereenigde Oost-Indisch Compagnie WLD – Registrar of the Supreme Court of South Africa Witwatersrand Local Division iv Acknowledgement My sincerest gratitude goes towards the following people: My mother, father, Magda and Henali for their support throughout my studies; my husband for all his patience (and for dance that brought us together); the lecturers of the Historical and Heritage Studies department. My thanks are also due to the external examiner for his contribution. I will forever be grateful towards Prof Karen Harris for her encouragement, guidance and compassion. v Summary This study deals with the history of ballroom dancing in South Africa. While reference will be made to the founding of ballroom in the early eighteenth century in South Africa, the study will mainly focus on the period between 1920 and 1940 in the Johannesburg, Pretoria region. The study will determine how and why ballroom dancing came to South Africa from abroad; how South Africans borrowed from the international dancing world; what they copied, what ideas they followed, how they chose to dance ballroom and how this affected South African society at large. Keywords: Ballroom dancing; dance; inter-group relations; South African Dance Teachers Association (SADTA); Transvaal Non-European Ballroom Dancing Association; Federation of Dance Sport South Africa (FEDANSA); Bantu Men’s Social Centre (BMSC); leisure; governor-generals; social clubs; music bands; dance fashion. vi Chapter 1 Opening the floor: an overview of literature on ballroom dancing 1.1 Introduction Ballroom dancing appears as a Westernised and Euro-centric social activity. The music, technique and costumes either originated or were adapted to contemporary standards by European and American dancing bodies.1 Prominent federations and figures in the ballroom dancing world are almost exclusively centred in Britain and Europe and most of the dancing necessities are from the West. Since Europeans first set foot on South African soil, South African society (including the freeburghers, blacks and oppressed slaves) imitated the ballroom dances of their colonial forefathers or “masters”. Borrowing the dancing technique and ideas from the Europeans did not necessarily imply that the South Africans did not have dances of their own, or that they wanted to change the ballroom dances to something more familiar to them. On the contrary, “traditional” dances were continually used and altered for either cultural or religious practices as well as to reinforce social bonds; ballroom dancing on the other hand still remained dominated by Western influences. To dance these borrowed ballroom dance routines, South African society also needed to borrow the music, shoes, dresses and etiquette from the West because it was believed across the cultural spectrum, to “truly” dance ballroom they had to mirror the West. The socio-economic position of a specific community influenced both the amount and manner in which they were able to copy or borrow. Borrowing often also implied association with the borrower (the West) – and this meant England in particular – while during the early twentieth century there was also borrowing between different groups within South Africa. The literature focusing on ballroom dancing in South Africa