Does it swing???

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CafeSavoy · #46 Post by **CafeSavoy** » Wed Feb 26, 2003 9:38 am

falty411 wrote:
At the savoy, they would tend to do the peabody around the track to the really fast songs.

what exactly is the Peabody?

Swifty · #47 Post by **Swifty** » Wed Feb 26, 2003 10:29 am

--- There is not much written on the Peabody. The Peabody was named after William Frank Peabody, a controversial N.Y. Police Lieutenant (some say Fireman) around 1915, shortly after the invention of the Fox-Trot. The Peabody was basically a unique, fast fox-trot, done to ragtime music.

--- The dance position comes from the need by Peabody's huge size to hold his partner on his right side to accommodate his size (girth). The One Step and Peabody went on to become the (modern) Quick-step. The Quickstep bears very little resemblance to the dance of the Peabody today, however some of the steps remain the same.

--- The Peabody is kinda a corny little dance, that is lively and fun spirited to watch, It looks like the participants are having a good time doing it. The music is ragtime (50mpm+) and so is the dress. (Suits and Bowler derby's for the man and long full dresses for the lady.) The basic step is a Cross-Step and Lock step (1920) and the body position is that of "Right-Outside Position" (almost a promenade?).

--- On April 21st., 1934 at the Casa Del Rey Nightclub, there was a huge Peabody Contest. The T.V. Show "Dance Fever" had a couple of dancers dance the Peabody in the 1980's.

http://www.streetswing.com/histmain/z3pbody.htm

Also: http://www.eijkhout.net/rad/dance_specific/vintage.html

I haven't seen a reference to it being done at the Savoy, but I'm too young to remember either way.

KevinSchaper · #48 Post by **KevinSchaper** » Wed Feb 26, 2003 3:02 pm

Swifty wrote: I haven't seen a reference to it being done at the Savoy, but I'm too young to remember either way.

Somebody asked Frankie at SONW '00 in the panel discussion if there were any steps or dances from the savoy that hadn't come back that he wishes had (or something along those lines) and he mentioned the Peabody. It was gonna be an elective this time around, but it ended up getting cancelled..

I've seen Peter Loggins do it... it did look like a lot of fun.