For many, the school dance was something to look forward to. Here was an event, sanctioned by both the school and parents, that permitted physical expression and, better yet, a place where kids were encouraged to approach those of the opposite sex.

Unfortunately, if there was hope that a school dance would help the wallflower or introvert break out, it usually did not. Their plight was made more painful as they watched longingly from the sidelines, isolated and on display for all to see.

However, even for the extroverts, make no mistake. If a boy was serious about a girl, enormous courage was needed to ask her to dance – the implications of public rejection loomed large. Of course, there were a small number of men, brazen and thick-skinned, for whom apparently public rejection meant nothing. I see men (or should I say land sharks) like this today, who have no fear whatsoever approaching women in any environment, making their pitch, for all to hear and see. But for most, the rejection monster raised its head at the thought of approaching the woman of your desire and asking her to dance.

Women had and still have a very sensible solution – dance alone or in groups with other women. If a man has the courage to pry one away, she will, if interested, most likely oblige. This ups the ante, of course, for a man interested in a woman – he must now face the prospect of group rejection and humiliation. Only the seasoned land shark with thick skin is willing to swim in these waters.

Times have changed. School dances are now faced with more provocative, sexually suggestive dancing, aka grinding. Some schools have even cancelled dances entirely. Others have resorted to a variety of rules and enforcement – see New York Times articles on the phenomenon here and here.

Irrespective of time or culture, there is no question that most dancing has a sexual element. Generations of parents have struggled, attempting to control the impulses of youth, at sea in an ocean of hormones. But in the anything goes environment of New York City, the gyrating, writhing, and provocative dress found in the annual Dance Parade are really quite tame. And the performances in the ensuing Dance Fest held in Tompkins Square Park are an international smorgasbord of dance styles and traditions, with 161 participating organizations. The Dance Parade & Festival is both a venue for unstructured fun as well as a myriad of serious dancers and performers. See my gallery of photos here.

I’m sure many will be pleased to know that in the Dance Parade, where spectators and dancers can both be found in great number, Wallflowers are Welcome 🙂

Related Posts: Dance Parade, Dance Parade 2009

Preparations for the annual Village Halloween Parade start at 2 PM, five hours in advance of the parade itself. For more information about the parade and previous years’ photos, see the links below. This year, with the parade on a Saturday, I decided to head to the setup area early in the day. This is actually a good time for perusing and photographing the many participants who arrive early – there are no crowds and still some daylight.

It was a very fortuitous decision, because as the parade began, slowly did the rain, starting as a light drizzle and building to a rain heavy enough to put a damper on the event. What began as crowds crushing to see the parade became a mass exodus as paraders and spectators began fleeing. I have no idea how many marchers remained, but I imagine a good number were not daunted after all the work and preparations that many put into this yearly extravaganza.

I did some photography for a short time in the rain, holding a umbrella at the same time, but this quickly became too tedious, with risk of damaging my camera equipment.
Participating in the parade, either as a photographer or a parader, requires planning and strategy. In all the years I have been to the parade, I do not remember rain. But nature is not guaranteed to cooperate…

NOTE: A history of the parade, with links and photos from the past three years, can be found on my previous postings: Halloween Parade Preview 2006, Halloween Parade 2006, Village Parade 2007 Preview, Village Halloween Parade 2007, Village Halloween Parade 2007 Part 2, Halloween Parade 2008, Halloween Parade 2008 Part 2

The nice thing about a small pond is how all the fish, big and small, get to know each other. Like other focused and passionate special interest groups, meetings of magicians have the character of a family gathering. Lest you think I exaggerate to justify the use of a quaint metaphor, note that the largest organization of magicians is IBM, the International Brotherhood of Magicians (with 15,000 members worldwide).

And so it was last night, when friendly fish gathered at Fantasma Magic to celebrate the 90th birthday of Larry Weeks. The place was abuzz with plenty of nostalgic chatting. Larry was in fine form and astonishing condition for a man his age – lucid and lively.
I say lively because the world of professional magicians is not populated with what might be considered a normal cross-section of society – this is a world of colorful characters.

Larry Weeks was both a stage and children’s show magician (and juggler). He also was a magic dealer and manufacturer, producer of a regular magic convention, and entertainment agent. Since his adolescence, Larry has collected magic, juggling, and vaudeville props, photographs, books, films, and other show-business memorabilia. In 1937, Weeks won the Inter-Collegiate Baton Twirling Championship.

Larry Weeks (Lester F. Weeks) was born in Massachusetts on September 24, 1919. His family moved to New York, where he grew up. Inducted into the U.S. Army during World War II, Weeks was seen by Irving Berlin, who had him transferred to the company performing Berlin’s show, This Is the Army, where Larry performed a juggling act. The show toured military bases worldwide and was later made into a film, in which Weeks did a shortened version of his act.

Also attending Larry’s party was Jay Green (photo lower right), professional juggler and early pioneer in the development of juggling equipment. Hovey Burgess (photo lower left) is a circus aficionado, performer, juggler, and educator. For over 30 years, Hovey has taught Circus Techniques at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts.

The evening featured a stage show with magicians, comics, and a juggling act. When it comes to people, I’ll take a pond over the ocean any day 🙂