Animal Dances

by Shanna Hatfield

I've been deep in research for a new sweet historical romance set in 1913.

While I was flipping through old newspaper articles from that year, one that caught my eye talked about animal dances.

Animal dances?

During the ragtime era that began in the 1890s and continued through the flapper phase, a number of dance steps referred to as "animal dances" gained popularity, while raising the eyebrows of those who strongly disapproved of the "scandalous" dance moves.

Among the dances were the Horse Trot, Turkey Trot, Kangaroo Hop, Bunny Hug, Grizzly Bear, and Duck Waddle.

Don't those names make you want to jump right up and start dancing?

The dances, and the music that accompanied them, illustrated a new, modern vibrancy previously unknown. They also allowed dance partners to draw close together — with touching and embracing! Oh, the shame of it all!

Those ragtime dancers shocked polite society and became a point of public outrage from coast to coast.

Reportedly, fear of attendees breaking into one of these forbidden dances resulted in the cancellation of President Woodrow Wilson's inaugural ball in 1913. 

Dances were banned or canceled. Arrests made. Newspapers across the country joined their voices to the outcries of indecency.

The December 12, 1912 Tacoma, WA, Times published a poem: 

 When you're in Walla Walla, friends, / You must not 'bunny hug' /Or 'turkey trot,' or like as not, / They'll slam you in the jug; / And, girls, don't romp with 'Texas Tom'; / To do so's taking chances, / For the cops have put the kibosh on / Those naughty, naughty dances."

The dances people found so "naughty" are incredible tame compared to what we see in today's world. 

Even a young Irving Berlin got in on the movement, writing the words to the The Grizzly Bear.

See this "scandalous" dance for yourself!

I cant help but wonder what a cowboy who'd been out on the range would have thought if he'd ridden into town for a Saturday night dance and walked in to find the crowd doing a Turkey Trot or one of the other dances.

In my soon to release sweet historical romance Evie (May 23), the book begins at a ball. Of course, there is a mention of the animal dances!

Here's a little excerpt from the story:

In front of him a woman danced alone in the moonlight. Dark hair spilled around her like a silken cloak while the pale gossamer layers of her gown made him think of a fairy’s wings. Slim arms raised upward, fingers artfully poised. A tall, willowy body slowly spun with fluid grace, as though she balanced on her toes like a ballerina.

Perhaps his imagination had gotten the best of him, but she put him in mind of a woodland sprite come to life. Or maybe she was more like Aphrodite.

From what he could see in the moonlight, the woman was exquisite. The poem he’d recited that afternoon to his rose bushes sprang to mind as he watched her dance, uninhibited, beneath the stars.

Although he hadn’t intended to speak aloud, the words whispering through his thoughts spilled out of his mouth. “She walks in beauty, like the night. Of cloudless climes and starry skies…’” He took a quick breath and added, “and moonlight.”

“Oh!” The woman stopped dancing and whipped around, gaping at him.

“Please don’t stop on my account,” he said, offering what he hoped was a boyish smile...

USA Today Bestselling Author Shanna Hatfield writes character-driven romances with relatable heroes and heroines. Her historical westerns have been described as “reminiscent of the era captured by Bonanza and The Virginian” while her contemporary works have been called “laugh-out-loud funny, and a little heart-pumping sexy without being explicit in any way.”

Convinced everyone deserves a happy ending, this hopeless romantic is out to make it happen, one story at a time. When she isn’t writing or indulging in chocolate (dark and decadent, please), Shanna hangs out with her husband, lovingly known as Captain Cavedweller.

Shanna is a member of Western Writers of America, Women Writing the West, Romance Writers of America, Sweet Romance Reads, Cowboy Kisses, and Pioneer Hearts.

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