Honor Your Partner - table of contents
Ed Durlacher was among America's most famous and influential square dance callers. In 1949, Durlacher published his book of 81 square, circle, and contra dances, as well as his set of recordings to accompany the book. The Table of Contents shows the breadth of his repertoire as well as providing a useful look into the figures in common use in the late 1940s.
Caller and dance historian Tony Parkes comments:
"Durlacher certainly reached more people than just about anyone else I can think of, both in person (reportedly 1,000 squares weekly in Central Park) and via his recordings (which have remained in print for 70 years, perhaps unique in the recreational dance field). And he was already enough of a name in the late 1930s to do the New York World’s Fair, which suggests his sources were more or less traditional.
"Two years later he recorded an album of called dances for Decca, although his name appeared in smaller type than bandleader Al MacLeod’s. In 1946 he made another album on the small Sonora label, which was later reissued on a number of budget labels, sometimes without credit to Ed.
"At some point in the 1940s Ed began calling regularly at several locations in NYC and Nassau County. Among them were Central Park, Riverside Park, and a YWCA in Manhattan; Lost Battalion Hall in Rego Park (still in use as a community center); and Jones Beach. At least at his larger dances, Ed used a union band, the Top Hands, ranging from four to (reportedly) eight pieces.
"During the peak years of the nationwide square dance boom (late 40s – early 50s), Ed was a respected and influential member of the calling fraternity. He pressed his fellow callers and organizers to keep square dancing accessible to the average American, rather than catering primarily to dance enthusiasts who wanted ever more complex material. In 1948 he set up a company, originally called Square Dance Associates, to make recordings on the Honor Your Partner label. Almost uniquely among the hundreds of square dance recordings that were being issued, Ed’s records featured spoken instructions; this enabled physical education instructors to use them without learning to call or teach the dances themselves. The company, which eventually changed its name to Educational Activities (and was absorbed by Smithsonian Folkways in April, 2021), added hundreds of audio and video recordings on many school subjects, but kept Ed’s first four albums in print through several changes of format: 78 rpm, LP, cassette, CD, and download. To the best of my knowledge, they are the only square dance records that have remained continuously in print since the boom years. Through these records, Ed probably affected the lives of more people than any other caller."
Subjects: Northeast - general
Tags: Ed Durlacher, Honor Your Partner
Item Relations
| This Item | is related to | Item: Honor Your Partner - records |
| This Item | is related to | Item: Ed Durlacher (photos) |
| This Item | is related to | Item: Ed Durlacher - Central Park, photos |
| This Item | is related to | Item: Ed Durlacher - Central Park Newsreel |
| This Item | is related to | Item: Juvenile Delinquency and Square Dancing |
| This Item | is related to | Item: Square Dancing in the Park |
Citation
Dublin Core
Title
Subject
Description
Caller and dance historian Tony Parkes comments:
"Durlacher certainly reached more people than just about anyone else I can think of, both in person (reportedly 1,000 squares weekly in Central Park) and via his recordings (which have remained in print for 70 years, perhaps unique in the recreational dance field). And he was already enough of a name in the late 1930s to do the New York World’s Fair, which suggests his sources were more or less traditional.
"Two years later he recorded an album of called dances for Decca, although his name appeared in smaller type than bandleader Al MacLeod’s. In 1946 he made another album on the small Sonora label, which was later reissued on a number of budget labels, sometimes without credit to Ed.
"At some point in the 1940s Ed began calling regularly at several locations in NYC and Nassau County. Among them were Central Park, Riverside Park, and a YWCA in Manhattan; Lost Battalion Hall in Rego Park (still in use as a community center); and Jones Beach. At least at his larger dances, Ed used a union band, the Top Hands, ranging from four to (reportedly) eight pieces.
"During the peak years of the nationwide square dance boom (late 40s – early 50s), Ed was a respected and influential member of the calling fraternity. He pressed his fellow callers and organizers to keep square dancing accessible to the average American, rather than catering primarily to dance enthusiasts who wanted ever more complex material. In 1948 he set up a company, originally called Square Dance Associates, to make recordings on the Honor Your Partner label. Almost uniquely among the hundreds of square dance recordings that were being issued, Ed’s records featured spoken instructions; this enabled physical education instructors to use them without learning to call or teach the dances themselves. The company, which eventually changed its name to Educational Activities (and was absorbed by Smithsonian Folkways in April, 2021), added hundreds of audio and video recordings on many school subjects, but kept Ed’s first four albums in print through several changes of format: 78 rpm, LP, cassette, CD, and download. To the best of my knowledge, they are the only square dance records that have remained continuously in print since the boom years. Through these records, Ed probably affected the lives of more people than any other caller."