Gail Folkins, who calls herself a "dance hall wife," has written about Texas Dance Halls (Texas Tech University Press). She toured the dance hall circuit with her husband John, bass guitarist, and with photographer Marcus Weekley, whose duotone pictures certainly enhance the presentation.
But don't overlook Folkins' prose. "From my first visit to Gruene Hall with friends in the early 1990s to the gigs that John has taken me to across Texas," she writes, "I've learned to slide across the dance hall salt and to smell the years buried in the woodsy-dust scent."
In Texas Dance Halls she said she set out to "share the halls not only through my eyes, but also through the individuals I met at each place who keep dance hall culture strong."
In 18 stories and more than 130 photos, Folkins and Weekley paint a vivid picture of community life as it revolves around some great old Texas dance halls. They visited places like Twin Sisters Hall, near Blanco; the Broken Spoke in Austin; Round-Up Hall in La Grange; Roundup Hall in Stamford; and of course, the Luckenbach and Gruene halls, and several outdoor venues as well.
Texas Dance Halls: A Two Step Circuit is an amazing history and showcase of the cultural legacy of Texas dance floors. Black-and-white photography throughout illustrates the motion and life that fills these gathering places, while the text traces the history, construction, and high events of the halls, as well as what goes into making Texas music and much more. A wonderful addition to American culture and Texas history collections.
A lively aspect of Texas is captured in Gail Folkins' new book, Texas Dance Halls: A Two-Step Circuit, from Texas Tech University Press. With photos by Marcus Weekly and an introduction by writer, musician, songwriter, and historian Andy Wilkinson, the book "celebrates how these halls still bring people together and foster joy."
The publisher comments, "Folkins etches portraits of proprietors who give space for music and dancing, of musicians who furnish the soundtrack for dramas and comedies that play out across hardwood or concrete floors, and of people who come to dance, listen, or simply share the experience with friends and neighbors. Paired with Marcus Weekley's photographs, some whirling and some dreamy, they capture beat and motion, even the scent of sawdust on the floor. Drawn in, we witness daytime preparations for evenings to come, and the quiet that returns after the dancers go home and the musicians have packed up for the night."
From the promoter:
Gail Folkins has captured the essence of the Texas dance hall experience in this brilliant and beautiful book and collection of photographs. Texas Dance Halls brings this whirling and sometimes dreamy to life, capturing the beat, motion and even the scent of sawdust on the floor. The only thing better than this beautifully written and illustrated book is the real thing.
From Austin360.com Feature - Sunday, December 09, 2007:
— Michael Corcoran
The classic Texas dancehalls are treasures, and they're buried right in your back yard. We all know about Luckenbach and Gruene Hall, the most famous dancehalls in Texas. And though it's not technically a dancehall, Floores Country Store in Helotes is a fave way-back venue for the college country crowd. But there are several lesser-known dancehalls in the area which will make you feel like you're stepping into 1956, or even earlier than that if a polka band is playing. Here are 15 classic hardwood havens, all built before World War II (and many before World War I), where you can get in your car and, in less than a 90-minute drive, transport yourself to a simpler, more innocent time.
(Many are open to the public only occasionally, so call first.)
