Texas Tommy (dance) facts for kids

The Texas Tommy was a lively partner dance. It started in San Francisco in the early 1900s. It was known for its energetic moves and a special "breakaway" step.

How the Texas Tommy Started

After the big 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire, the Barbary Coast area was rebuilt. It became a fun place with dance halls, theaters, and shops. Many popular dances of the 1900s and 1910s began here. The Texas Tommy first became famous at a large dance hall called The Thalia.

Around 1910, the dance was a hit at a lively club called Purcell's. It then became popular at the fancy Fairmont Hotel, a top spot for ballroom dancing in San Francisco. No one knows for sure who invented the Texas Tommy. Some people think it was Johnny Peters, an African American dancer.

In 1911, music for "The Texas Tommy Swing" was published. The Fairmont Hotel's band often played this song. Soon, the Texas Tommy was danced on Broadway in New York City. It was featured in the Ziegfeld Follies of 1911 and Darktown Follies. Johnny Peters and Ethel Williams, who were great at the dance, performed it on stage.

What the Dance Looked Like

Some dance experts believe the Texas Tommy was the first swing dance. This is because it was the first partner dance to include a "breakaway" step. In this step, dancers briefly let go of each other. This allowed for cool moves, tricks, and showing off.

Ethel Williams, who helped make the dance famous, described it. She said it involved "a kick and a hop three times on each foot followed by a slide." She also described a basic pattern from an old film: "a loose step, hop-kick, step, hop-kick, run, run, run, run."

One person who saw the dance in 1911 said it was very acrobatic. They described how the man would spin his partner. She would whirl towards the audience with a lot of speed. He would then catch her hand just in time. Another writer simply said it was "a whirling couple dance." The dance move called "Texas Tommy" was later used in the Lindy Hop in the 1930s.

The Music of the Texas Tommy

The song "Texas Tommy Swing" was written by Sid Brown. Val Harris wrote the words. It was published in San Francisco in early 1911. The sheet music cover looked like the front page of a newspaper. It had a headline that read, "The Dance That Makes the Whole World Stare."