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Fancy Footwork in the Spencer Collection of American Popular Sheet Music

Across time and space people have used dance as a form of cultural expression and entertainment. Dancing comes in a variety of forms and styles, from ballet to line dancing to tap dance to various partner dances. Music provides the tune and tempo to which people move, glide, and sway across the floor. Music can also have lyrics that feature dance in social settings. The Frances G. Spencer Collection of American Popular Sheet Music at Baylor University has about 30,000 titles. This exhibit highlights 25 pieces related to dance in either the title or the song lyrics.

Explore four different categories including:

Circa 1910 Composed by Charles L. Johnson Kansas City, Mo. : Chas. L. Johnson & Co.

 

Music as Dance Accompaniment

 

 

Circa 1911 Composed by Paul Pratt Indianapolis : J.H. Aufderheide & Co.

 

Music for Specific Dances

 

 

Circa 1914 Composed by Malvin M. Franklin New York : Theodore Morse Music

 

Music with Lyrics that Tell a Story

 

 

The Dance They Call the Georgia Hunch

 

Music with Instructional Lyrics