The 20th Century Retro Dance Party
With every passing year the 20th century drops a little further back in the rear view mirror. Those who are 21 and under were born after the 20th century ended. Only those 40 and above probably really lived long enough in the 20th century to fully experience it. Yet many young people today are fascinated with it.
When it came to the fast pace of change and technological advancement, the 20th century was unprecedented. This rapid pace of change was also present in American culture. American thinking, tastes and fashions evolved and changed at an amazing speed.
Not until the late 1990s did people have cell phones and internet on a significant scale and the majority probably didn't have either until 2000 or later. These are only two of many, many late 20th century developments which quickly changed society in very dramatic and momentous (perhaps even ominous) ways.
Even young people of the time struggled to keep up with developments. Music and fashion changed rapidly. Subcultures suddenly appeared in profusion and then often just as quickly disappeared. What was cool one year was hardly remembered just a few years later. These were the decades when individuals were encouraged to think for themselves - rather than acquiesce to group-think - and to experience and enjoy life. These were the decades of records (both 45s and LPs), then cassettes (with personally recorded "mixes"), then CDs.
From the 1950s to the 1990s there was a lot of fun too. These were the golden decades of pop music and of dancing to pop music as couples - two things which have virtually disappeared in the years since. But on the night of January 29th we will bring them back!
We'll be playing classic pop music made for dancing - both renowned and relatively obscure - from the 1950s-1990s, selecting highly danceable songs played one at a time from among the wide span of musical genres from the era such as rock and roll, rockabilly, doowop, dance craze tunes, surf music, girl groups, British Invasion, soul, bubblegum, disco, power pop, New Wave, Eurodance, techno and even Country - to name just some. Gentlemen will handle the action old school 20th century style, actually asking ladies to dance - as couples - out on the dance floor! (Gentlemen, there will be many ladies present who are eager to dance. Do you duty!)
And the fashions will be amazing, with so many cool options from a fifty year span to choose from! Pick some dope threads, refine your moves, dig the beat, get into the groove... and you'll be "ridin' No. 9" in no time!
Fashion: Rockabilly? Mod? Hippie? Disco? New Wave? Just a few of so many choices! The late 20th century was a fast-changing time for fashion. Do a little research, use some creativity (and perhaps do a little vintage clothes shopping too) and show us your best impression of somewhere from the 1950s-1990s! (We plan to have a fashion contest for the most authentic look from each decade - the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s & 1990s!) Right On & Outta Sight!
Don't forget the 20th Century Hairstyles: Yes! So many to choose from! Short hair, long hair, big hair, greased hair, hair gel, hair spray, natural, curled hair, straightened hair, ponytails, spiked hair, Disco Danny, men with hats, men without hats... match your hairstyle with your decade and retro look. Cool? Hep? Boss? Marvy? Hip? Groovy? Awesome? Rad? Dope? You choose!
Music & Dance: We'll be traveling to the second half of the 20th century with some of the best dance music of the decades and a wide range of changing dance styles of the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s & 1990s! The music will be mixed-decades style so prepare to switch dance moves quickly as you'll never know what tune from what year might be coming next! You might enjoy doing some study and practice in advance of the dance to up your learning curve. But you don't have to be the world's greatest dancer and there will be no judgy vibe on dance skills - so just have fun! If you lived in the era then tap into your memories, do some exercising in advance, and rediscover your favourite dance moves. If you are younger, do some research and look up authentic videos of real people doing real dancing (not actors or professional dancers doing choreographed dances) during the decades we'll be representing. For educational purposes we've posted links below to some great retro dance vids to get you started on a fun learning journey through the dances, music and fashions of the late 20th century! (More vid links still coming, so check back often. :o)
1961 Peppermint Twist - Twistin' USA
1970 Love Grows Where My Rosemary Goes
1976 Right Back Where We Started From
1982 Our Lips Are Sealed / Some Other Girl
1987 Heaven Is A Place On Earth
When: The evening of Saturday, January 29th, 2022 there will be social time beginning at 6:30 with the dance from 7 to approximately 10:30.
Where: The Gym of Mesa Baptist Church at 2425 S. Alma School Rd. in Mesa. This is the southeast corner of Alma School Rd. & Medina Ave. (Medina Ave. is halfway between Baseline & Guadalupe.)
Who: Homeschool Families & Friends. Parents, young adults, teens, and even middle schoolers all enjoy friendly, joyful, multigenerational We Make History dances! It is not at all necessary to be an experienced dancer or even a "good" dancer. We Make History dances aren't performance dances. They are friendly, engaging social dances for real, everyday people. Novices and first-timers are encouraged and very welcome to join in the fun!
Expect a room full of smiles!
Come & Welcome: Admission is open to a limited number of well mannered persons of grace and respect. We attract a very joyful and gracious group of people who know how to properly conduct themselves according to our House Standards. Since admission is limited, please do act quickly to secure your place!
Families: This is a clean, family friendly event. We welcome families to bring all members of sufficient social and physical maturity to enjoy the occasion. Well disciplined, attentive and respectful young people are typically ready (and tall enough) for the dances at some point from ages 8 to 12. Please do not bring children under the age of eight. Please do not bring children of any age who are not of adequate social maturity, who do not exercise self discipline, who have a bad attitude, who are disrespectful, who don't want to dance or who simply don't want to be there. We do ask that all children be attended by adults.
Reservations: Since admission is limited, please do act quickly to secure your place! In advance we ask only $16 each through January 26th or $25 each at the door. For advance registrations you may use the link below or may send a check with your name, email address and the number attending to We Make History, P.O. Box 1776, Queen Creek, Arizona 85142. Admissions are paperless, so there are no printed tickets. All who make advance reservations will have their name and the number of reservations made on a list at the door. (Advance reservations must be received by Wednesday, January 26th.) We do not offer refunds.
Filming & Photography: Nonprofessional photography of friends and family is welcome. We ask please - no filming or videotaping (other than our house videographer) as some attending are not comfortable with being filmed and potentially dispersed on social media or elsewhere. Please respect everyone's privacy so that all may dance and enjoy the experience. Thank you for your understanding. (Some house media might or might not be posted at our next web update.)
Special Notes: Covid? We ask that safety and respect be coupled with personal liberty and responsibility. It is our desire that all be safe and that all participating respect the safety and be gracious toward the comfort levels of all others attending. At this time we have the following special notes for this event though further updates are possible. 1) We encourage each person/family attending please to bring your own hand sanitizer. 2) We will not be offering refreshments. Please bring a water bottle or hydroflask. There is a drinking fountain with a water bottle filler. 3) If it became necessary to postpone or cancel this event we would offer a credit to be carried forward to a rescheduled date or to a future We Make History event. 4) We ask any who have recently (within the past two weeks) had fever, cold or flu symptoms themselves or who have been near someone with such symptoms to please stay home. If you have advance admissions you may gift them to a friend or we can credit you toward an upcoming event. (We have several fine events coming this Spring and Summer which you may choose from!) 5) Please note that by attending the 20th Century Retro Dance Party, you voluntarily assume all risks, including risks related to exposure to Covid-19. Persons attending do so at their own risk.
from "We Got The Beat" which peaked on the US charts in the Spring of 1982:
Go-go music really makes us dance
Doin' the Pony puts us in a trance
Do Watusi, just give us a chance
That's when we fall in line
'Cause we got the beat
We got the beat
We got the beat
Yeah, we got it!
We got the beat
We got the beat
We got the beat
Everybody get on your feet
We got the beat
We know you can dance to the beat
We got the beat
Jump back, get down
Round and round and round
Wooooooooooo!
We got the beat
We got the beat
We got the beat
We got the beat
We got the beat
We got the beat
We got the beat
We got the beat
We got the beat
We got the beat
We got the beat
We got the beat
We got the beat
We got the beat!
