An Informal History of Perdue's English Dance

This is a first draft -- written by Scott Higgs, based principally on conversations with Ruth & Emlen Cresson, with additional notes from Janney and Morrie Mather. If you see errors, blame Scott (and let him know).

Please take a look and then offer corrections, anecdotes, and other memories to help convert this "sketch" to a lively story, with colorful characters and memorable moments !

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Ruth & Emlen danced at Bill Hunn's dance at "The Old Mill" in the 1940s. This was the big dance in the area, with a mix of material - primarily "old-fashioned" squares with a few couple dances. Perdue Cleaver was among the regular participants, along with the Cressons, the Seegers, and the Proctors.

Perdue was a dance adventurer -- he went to Pinewoods and returned full of enthusiasm and new types of dances. His excitement infected some of the other dancers at the Old Mill. So, early in the 1950s, Clarence and Bea Fawcett offered their house as a place to try the English dances that Perdue was eager to introduce. This small gathering was successful, and grew into a regular event - the true genesis of Perdue's dance

After a few years, Bea and Clarence moved to California, and the group would have stopped, but Emlen encouraged Perdue to find another place. The dance moved to Michael Paine's uncle's barn in Paoli. This was the home of a helicopter designer -- before dancing could begin, the current helicopter project had to be hoisted up into the rafters to make room ! Many adventures were enjoyed by the dancers in that barn.

{ One snowy night Emlen and Ruth arrived ready to dance, but couldn't get their car in the driveway. When they trudged up to the barn, they found there was no electricity, only a kerosene lamp. By the light of that lamp, Michael Paine was trying to bake bread -- using a blowtorch (!?). Dancing wasn't possible in the barn, so they went to John Gaul's house and danced there. }

Perdue was the absolute leader of his group, and taught dances based on his own strong (and creative) personality. The Cressons soon realized that Perdue's interpretations were not always well-received by the official teachers at Pinewoods. "Perdue was a born choreographer," says Emlen, and he made lots of minor variations to 'improve' the dances. A striking example of this is the Philadelphia habit of walking the figure eight, then skipping at the end of Mr. Beveridge's Maggot. This made perfect sense to us, and fit the music, but the rest of the world frowned on such variations.

[Shifted from Paoli to a bank in Media for a while ??]

After some years at the barn in Paoli, Perdue's dance moved to a fully-enclosed space in Media, the "Fellowship House." This proved to be one of the longest-term homes for the group, continuing until 1983. The room had a low ceiling with bright fluorescent lights, a hard linoleum floor, and was awkwardly narrow. We still enjoyed many a delightful evening there, and Tom and Scott first danced with Perdue in that room.

{this paragraph invented - awaiting true details from Tom} Tom Senior began dancing as a child, in xxxx. His parents, George and Mae Ann, were active in several dance groups, including Perdue's. When Tom began teaching at Radnor High School (in 19xx), his proximity to Media made it natural for him to make Perdue's one of his regular dance nights.

Scott Higgs was a student when he met the Cressons -- at dances held at Haverford and Bryn Mawr Colleges in 1975. A few years later, it was only natural for Scott to connect with Perdue's dance as his interest in English dance increased. By this time, Perdue's teaching approach had changed dramatically.

In the early years, Perdue's habit was to adjust the evening program to suit the needs of the most inexperienced dancer in the room, and then to teach even the simplest moves in elaborate detail. By 1980, Perdue's advancing Parkinson's disease reduced his energy and appetite for teaching. Many dances were simply introduced by playing a few bars of the tune (on the record player), then turning to the dancers, croaking "you all know this one ..." and then dropping the needle again. We quickly learned to associate tunes with dances, and to draw on dancers' collective intelligence (rather than a leader's words) for cues and problem-solving..

During the early 1980s, typical attendance at dances ranged between 15 and 20. Scott recalls several nights when "I was just a year or two out of college, and everyone else in the room was over 60." Most of the time, there was a more heterogeneous mix of dancers, but the most faithful members were in their 60s and 70s.

By 1982, Perdue's failing health made it imperative for the group to recruit new leadership. Although several of the regular participants were dance teachers at other venues, the decision was made to take a gamble, and inject "young" energy into the program. Thus, Tom Senior and Scott Higgs were asked to share the dance leading, and began doing so in 1983.

We could have immediately shifted the repertoire and tone to reflect the exciting, rapidly-changing world of English dance that we knew from Pinewoods and GCD. Instead, we tried to maintain the dance along a course that would be familiar and enjoyable for those who had been dancing many years. It seemed respectful and appropriate -- and turned-out to be fun, too. New dances were introduced gradually, while the core repertoire remained solid. We also retained Perdue's habit of minimal teaching, appropriate for an evening of dancing familiar favorites.

Although there were no flyers or publicity for this dance, the word gradually spread that Perdue's dance (we retained the name, out of respect for a 30 year tradition) was a fun evening for experienced dancers. The 1980s were a growth time for contra, English, and Scottish dancing in this area, and many enthusiasts danced three (or more) styles. Although Perdue's offered almost no teaching, that was no impediment to alert dancers of other styles. On many evenings, total newcomers to ECD found themselves gliding effortlessly (well, maybe straining a bit ...) through dances like Newcastle, since everyone else in the set knew where to go and how to help.

In 1983, the Media Fellowship House asked for a 60% increase in rent (to $40), so we undertook research into alternate sites. Fortune smiled on our efforts, steering us to Christ Episcopal Church, which welcomed us to their social hall. In October 1983, we moved 4 blocks down the street, to a charming wood-floored room with piano and stage -- leaving behind the low ceiling, linoleum floor, and exposed cinderblock walls of the Fellowship House.

{here the narrative degenerates into scraps -- helpful details from anyone ?}

Tom & Barbara moved to Chicago in 198XX.

Village Porch ice cream after the dance. Large groups went out and overflowed the "porch," enjoying ice cream and camaraderie. When did this begin ?

Several "generations" of Swarthmore students have danced at Perdues. Jenny + Terry + Joanna continue teaching there. Many former students now bring their children to the dance !

Access to the church was originally via a timed door lock. This changed in the 1990s, so someone needed to remember to leave a door unlocked. Thus began our saga of getting locked-out and needing to climb in through windows. At least once every year, sometimes 2 or 3 times, all doors are locked. We always respectfully inquire at the rectory, get no answer, and start looking for an open window. We haven't had to dance in the parking lot yet !

Around 2000, the Village Porch changed its closing hours -- too early for us, so we tried Pinocchios. After a few months of uninteresting ice cream in an unpleasant atmosphere, we decided to do it ourselves !

In June 2004, we celebrate our 50th Anniversary. This is probably a couple of years late, but it still seems worth celebrating. Our next chapter will be in a new location.