Occasionally have read or heard reference to Circle Dancing or some such phrase, for instance 'Was invited in to so n so's circle to dance', can anyone give an explanation of this please, as i'm intrigued.

Best Russ

Occasionally have read or heard reference to Circle Dancing or some such phrase, for instance 'Was invited in to so n so's circle to dance', can anyone give an explanation of this please, as i'm intrigued.

Best Russ

Can't give a first hand explanation, but did find this recently, which should help. Some other first hand Wheel stories and photos here too). Copied from: https://manchestersoul.co.uk/msoul/Life_an_Times_of-a-Wheeler.html

'Prior to the coffee bar and cellar clubs, the dance halls had been strict on dancers being in mixed sex couples only......lads dancing individually or in a crowd were strictly not allowed.

Naturally, at The Wheel we were able to dance individually or in a group so dancing in a circle became popular. Although in my own estimation, I was a totally crap dancer, I developed a few routines .....soul dancing was not only good fun, it was a good ice-breaker with the girls. Our lot numbered some good dancers amongst us. Harry Hines, Charlie Bassett and Johnny Richardson stood out as the best. When we danced in a circle, I was always expected and encouraged to take a regular stint in the centre, but I always had the sneaking feeling my mates might have been having a clandestine laugh. Nobody ever told me I was a crap dancer and I hung up my dancing boots after the Wheel, so I'll probably never know for sure!'

Can't give a first hand explanation, but did find this recently, which should help. Some other first hand Wheel stories and photos here too). Copied from: https://manchestersou...-a-Wheeler.html

'Prior to the coffee bar and cellar clubs, the dance halls had been strict on dancers being in mixed sex couples only......lads dancing individually or in a crowd were strictly not allowed.

Naturally, at The Wheel we were able to dance individually or in a group so dancing in a circle became popular. Although in my own estimation, I was a totally crap dancer, I developed a few routines .....soul dancing was not only good fun, it was a good ice-breaker with the girls. Our lot numbered some good dancers amongst us. Harry Hines, Charlie Bassett and Johnny Richardson stood out as the best. When we danced in a circle, I was always expected and encouraged to take a regular stint in the centre, but I always had the sneaking feeling my mates might have been having a clandestine laugh. Nobody ever told me I was a crap dancer and I hung up my dancing boots after the Wheel, so I'll probably never know for sure!'

sounds wheely good fun,

in my youth us lasses used to dance round our handbags in a circle!!!

sue

Can't give a first hand explanation, but did find this recently, which should help. Some other first hand Wheel stories and photos here too). Copied from: https://manchestersou...-a-Wheeler.html

'Prior to the coffee bar and cellar clubs, the dance halls had been strict on dancers being in mixed sex couples only......lads dancing individually or in a crowd were strictly not allowed.

Naturally, at The Wheel we were able to dance individually or in a group so dancing in a circle became popular. Although in my own estimation, I was a totally crap dancer, I developed a few routines .....soul dancing was not only good fun, it was a good ice-breaker with the girls. Our lot numbered some good dancers amongst us. Harry Hines, Charlie Bassett and Johnny Richardson stood out as the best. When we danced in a circle, I was always expected and encouraged to take a regular stint in the centre, but I always had the sneaking feeling my mates might have been having a clandestine laugh. Nobody ever told me I was a crap dancer and I hung up my dancing boots after the Wheel, so I'll probably never know for sure!'

Thanks for posting the link----fantastic reading,and very true about the Wheel boys being the top men.I vividly remember the Congleton lads back from the Wheel in Congleton park on a Sunday,still smashed,sharply dressed,top girls -----and me thinking "I want some of that"

Thanks again

Steve

Can't give a first hand explanation, but did find this recently, which should help. Some other first hand Wheel stories and photos here too). Copied from: https://manchestersou...-a-Wheeler.html

Good read

We did the same at the Lantern in Harboro and at the Northants dances the same time as the wheel, occasionally if one of your mates was a bit playful, you'd get the odd Doc Marten up the backside but generally if you had the bollox to go in the middle you were left to it.

When i was a young sprogg in the early 70's i can remember at my local youth club where NOGGER was a regular jock the elder lads formed a circle with a chair placed in the middle of it to this perticular SOUND.The circle & the chair were mentioned in the lyrics of this record. the lines of this popular sound goes . --- Eerybody forms a circle, now somebody jumps the chair. Ya clap your hands, Ya stamp your feet ,You do the twirl to the CU MA LA beat. So everybody who was in the circle clapped & stamped their feet at the appropiate time in the record and certai one's used to try the luck at running from the circle towards the chair and doing a swallow over the top of it. Anyway thats my therory. that's trying to remember nearly 40 years ago. MAYBE some of the old WHEELIES & TORCH-ITES COULD SAY THAT THIS WAS OR WAS NOT THE START OF THE THINGS MENTIONED IN CHUBBY CHECKER'S -- CU MA LA BE-STAY RECORD being intoduced into some folks moves on the Dancefloor.