[Dixielandjazz] Dance tempos for OKOM

[Dan Augustine]

DJML and othrers--
     Here in Austin we're gradually becoming more aware of the young 
(although not necessarily) swing and other dancers, and are starting 
to find ways to let them know we exist (by 'we' i mean not only OKOM 
bands but also the Austin Traditional Jazz Society, where i'm a 
member of the board).
     One thing that i think we could do better at (and i also play 
tuba in a couple OKOM bands in Austin) is tempos, specifically more 
varied tempos, faster tempos, and tempos in differing styles of 
songs. It seems that as bands get older some of them tend to play a 
lot of songs in about the same tempos, but never anything very fast 
(or at least as fast as younger dancers like every so often).  We 
play what we think our audiences want to hear, and i think we do a 
pretty good job of mixing up the song-styles and tempos, but i'd like 
to know how we could improve on these for swing-dancers and the like.
     Can anyone come up with a range of tempos, possibly within styles 
of song, that bands could refer to as they play to keep the dancers 
interested?  (Do the swing-dancing groups have a list of 
dance-styles?)  I'm not talking so much about beats per minute as i 
am about the style and mood of the music.  You certainly wouldn't 
want to play "Sweet Lotus Blossom" in anywhere near the tempo or 
style of "Oriental Strut", for example.  Further, what about songs 
within styles, such as different styles in Condon-style songs, 
Watters-Murphy songs, etc.  Another example, chosen from a song-list: 
styles and tempos in "Cabaret", "Cakewalkin' Babies from Home", and 
"Exactly Like You" -- three entirely different types of songs, but 
i'm not, never was, and never want to be a dancer, so i don't know 
what tempos would be best for those songs.  (My father, also not a 
dancer, advised me that if i want to dance, just go in the bathroom, 
lock the door, and turn out the lights.  Hell, i can't dance even 
then.)
     Thoughts?

     Dan
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**  Dan Augustine  --  Austin, Texas  --  ds.augustine at mail.utexas.edu
**  "The less a science is advanced, the more its terminology tends
**   to rest on an uncritical assumption of mutual understanding."
**             -- Willard V. Quine in _Word and Object_
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