Document Type
Article
Department
Dance (Pomona), Theatre (Pomona)
Publication Date
1982
Keywords
fandangos, bailes, early California, dancing, dance events
Abstract
"A Californian would hardly pause in a dance for an earthquake, and would renew it before the vibrations ceased." It would be simplistic merely to say that the Californios loved to dance and play, because it is a truism. Dancing fulfilled a number of very real needs of a society which was politically and economically peripheral, and which was characterized by rigorous social customs and segregation of sexes. Almost every description of early California attests to the fanatical love for dancing, the numerous occasions when the Californians danced, and the importance and prestige accorded to an outstanding dancer. For an understanding of Colton's oft-quoted remark which depicts the passion and intensity with which the Californians danced, two factors must be taken into consideration.
Rights Information
© 1982 Historical Society of Southern California. All Rights Reserved.
Terms of Use & License Information
Recommended Citation
Shay, Anthony. “Fandangos and Bailes: Dancing and Dance in Early California,” Southern California Quarterly 64, no. 2 (Summer, 1982), pp. 99-113.
