Author The Dances Of Early California In Santa Barbara · The dances of early California are social figure dances that took place during infor-mal parties (fiestas) popular in Santa

A u t h o r

A b s t r a c t

Fa c u l t y M e n t o r

T h e U C I U n d e r g r a d u a t e R e s e a r c h J o u r n a l

Key Terms:♦ El Tecolero♦ Fiesta♦ Figures♦ Ramada♦ Rancho Period

The Dances Of Early California InSanta Barbara

Thea Vandervoort ~Dance

Thea’s research projectprompted her desire to pursuea career as a university profes-sor, continuing research indance and anthropologythroughout her life. Her re-search was a materialization ofher passion for dance history.She is working towards usingthe product of this research toaid fourth graders with theirlearning of California history.Thea gained valuable insightsinto the process of research andits rewards, which will benefither during future research en-deavors. Her advice to under-graduates pursuing research is:“Never, ever give up, alwayspersevere towards your goalsand have faith in yourself thatyou will achieve what you haveset out to accomplish.”

Thea Vandervoort’s project sheds light on a phenom-enon relevant to both dance history and Californiacultural history. Through original research andcareful reconstruction of three dances practiced innineteenth century California, Thea has unearthedan aspect of cultural heritage that would otherwise

be lost. The publication of “The Dances of Early California in Santa Barbara” repre-sents only the tip of a larger project that included oral history and archival research,reconstructing dances from the Rancho Period of Santa Barbara’s history, and docu-menting the dances on video. Her project helped to instigate a renewal of interest inhistorical dance in Santa Barbara and will introduce this unique social history topublic school children in Orange County. Thea’s professional level of work in eachaspect of this project is truly remarkable. Thea has gained skills in research design,fieldwork, documentation, and the rendering of her findings in both video and writtenformat.

~ Nancy RuyterSchool of The Arts

The dances of early California are social figure dances that took place during infor-mal parties (fiestas) popular in Santa Barbara since the 1820s. This research

documents three of the most popular dances through reconstruction, video filmingand production, musical and costume specification, descriptions of historical style andchoreography, and notation of movement and floor patterns. A general history ofthese dances within the Rancho Period of California history (1828-1868) is presented.Specifically, details concerning their performance, social connection, and importanceto the Santa Barbara community are explored. The primary research of dance recon-struction is supported by readings on the general nature and history of early Califor-nia dance. Further exploration includes extensive interviews and examination ofofficial archives and personal collections from Santa Barbara. The purpose of thisresearch is to preserve and perpetuate a significant aspect of California cultural his-tory, while tangibly establishing physical, artistic, and social connections to the past.

Deidre Sklar ~School of The Arts

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The Dances Of Early California In Santa Barbara

Introduction

There is a growing need to preserve the dances of earlyCalifornia so they are not lost forever in the fragile memo-ries of past generations. These dances enable participantsto experience the positive, communal, and joyous lifestyleof the Rancho Period, a pastoral age of California historyfrom 1828-1868, when Spanish, Indian, and Mexican peoplecame together on large ranches (ranchos) to raise stockand agriculture (Czarnowski, 1950). Through dance, par-ticipants gain insight into the daily life of New Spain, whileexperiencing social connection and unity as a group.

This project is an opportunity to establish physical, artis-tic, and social connections to early California, as well asan attempt to bridge the arts with academia for the fourthgrade classrooms of California. The dances will give thechildren a tangible experience of the life of the early Cali-fornians, as the primary educational focus in the fourthgrade is the study of California history. Through danceeducation and history, this project aims to give fourth gradestudents an uplifting experience of the joy felt from socialinteraction and connection, community, and cooperationof the people of early California. This will give studentsthe experience of learning the actual dances, bringing thereality of history into their movements. Also, researchand lecture demonstrations presented in this field are valu-able opportunities to stimulate children intellectually andto emotionally impact a large number of students throughdance.

Historical Context of Early California Dance

The pueblo of Santa Barbara, California, was establishedon April 21, 1782. This small civilian village of adobe brickbuildings, which included the Santa Barbara Royal Presidio(a military fort), was both the military headquarters andgovernmental center for much of central and southernCalifornia. The soldiers of the Presidio and their wivesplayed an important role in the development of what be-came the city of Santa Barbara (Santa Barbara Trust forHistoric Preservation, 1991). From the time of settle-ment (circa 1820), the colonists of New Spain celebratedtheir joys with family gatherings, which included dance,music, song, and food. The dances were originally adaptedby the settlers from English, Spanish, and other Euro-pean versions that they had encountered. Now labeled“early Californio dances,” they are an important part ofSanta Barbara and California history and continue to bepassed down to present generations.

During the Mexican era, the Mexican government grantedlarge areas of land to the early settlers and military offi-cials, which were developed into prosperous ranches. The

primary occupation of these ranch communities was rais-ing stock. From 1828-1846, the rancho system enjoyedgreat prosperity and is often labeled the “pastoral period”of California history (Czarnowski, 1950). Life on theranches was communal, simple, pleasant, fruitful, andsupported by strong familial bonds. Small, impromptugatherings were frequent, and dancing was of utmost im-portance (Czarnowski, 1950). Such dances as La JotaVieja, La Contradanza, and La Varsouviana were regu-larly enjoyed during these informal parties which havebeen popular in Santa Barbara since the 1820s. Thesesocial dances include figures similar to other populardances, such as square dancing or New England contradancing.

The dance and musical styles of Alta California werebrought from Spain via Mexico. In some cases, they showEuropean (New England) and South American colorings.Due to the geographical barriers of eastern California, thedances “remained isolated from outside influences longenough to become adapted to their new environment”(Czarnowski, 1950). The remoteness of California, its mildclimate, outdoor life, and the hospitable friendliness of earlysettlers may explain why “dance and song [were] readymedia for individual and group expression” (Czarnowski,1950). Life in early California was simple, consisting ofwork, meals, rest, religion, and entertainment throughsocial gatherings, dance, music, and playful recreation.

The new settlers of California had a passion for dancing.At gatherings of families and friends, dancing reinforcedsocial connections, customs, tradition, and community, butmost importantly, it reinforced familial bonds among allages. Informal parties were an opportunity for families toshare and celebrate with openness and generosity. Sincethe days of the Rancho Period, during which dance was acentral activity, these celebrations have played a signifi-cant part of California life from the days to the present.

Public performances of the dances of early California dur-ing Santa Barbara’s annual community festival were in-tegral to the survival of these dances. The “Poole-VerhelleDance Group” and the Native Daughters of the GoldenWest kept the dances alive in Santa Barbara from the 1920suntil the 1980s (see Figure 1). As the dances had lapsedinto near obscurity in the last decade, the 75th anniver-sary of the annual Old Spanish Days Fiesta celebration in1999 spurred a renewal of interest in the social and cul-tural traditions of the city. Several of the most populardances were included in the 1999 celebration, with the goalof perpetuating, preserving, and renewing interest in thedances of previous generations.

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Thea Vandervoort

The dances of early California have experienced many tran-sitions over time; all versions are valid and should be cel-ebrated. The figures have been altered and adapted intoas many variations as there were ranches in California.It is important to note that these dances are a mix of whatthe settlers brought with them, what they found alongtheir travels and when they arrived, and what they cre-ated during their lives.

Social Setting, Music, and Dress

Homes were builtto include a danc-ing space. Out-side, the spacewas referred to asa ramada, andinside the casa(house), it wascalled a sala (sa-lon) (Czarnowski,1950) (see Figure2). The ramadawas constructedin a favorable lo-cation near the house. Three sides were enclosed, withthe fourth open except for posts that formed a barrier acrossit to accommodate horsemen. The structure was coveredwith vines or tree boughs for shade. The dances were per-formed at informal gatherings, meriendas (picnics), wed-dings, religious functions, fiestas (social gatherings or par-ties) in honor of birth, baptism or death of children,washdays, fandangos (informal dancing parties of the lowerclasses), bailes (dances or balls of the upper classes, orlarge affairs of social significance), and other communityfunctions like Cascarone balls. Cascarones are beauti-fully colored eggs emptied of their contents, dried, and laterfilled with confetti (Czarnowski, 1950). A master of cer-emonies, called El Tecolero, directed the dancing at a fan-dango. The art of dancing was so valued that it was

included in almost all social gatherings of the early Cali-fornians. Those who did not participate “walked aroundthe room as a complimentary gesture and then took theirseats” (Czarnowski, 1950). The word tecolero stems fromtecolote, meaning “owl” (Czarnowski, 1950).

A high degree of decorum and conservative behavior ex-isted with respect to the courtship of men and women,who usually remained entirely separated at dance func-tions. Women might also have a chaperone, or dueña, tokeep them focused on “their innocent amusements”(Czarnowski, 1950). The dueña would often be a close rela-tive or friend of the family, like an aunt or nanny, whomaintained careful watch over the young woman. If thewoman became overly flirtatious or lacked a demure de-meanor towards a gentleman, she would be scolded or es-corted away. The custom of chaperoning a youth of court-ing age is not often seen in society today. Many youthsare permitted to attend social functions without a chaper-one and are not subjected to the conservative behavioralcustoms of the Rancho Period.

The colonists’ conservative approach to social behavior cor-relates directly with the style and deportment of dancesfrom the nineteenth century. While dancing, men andwomen remained at a distance from each other, slightly

modest and re-served in theirphysical carriage.Within a conser-vative socialframework, danc-ing was an oppor-tunity to courtwith members ofthe opposite sex.Dance was theonly vehicle forclose physical con-tact and commu-

nication. This mode of behavior is in sharp contrast to thedance styles of young people in contemporary society.

Changes in social customs due to population growth, thedevelopment of society, and class distinctions also affectedthe dances of early California:

In the early days simple dances took place in thehome and everyone was welcome to come. Asthe growth of towns and communities broughtin less desirable elements, it was necessary toissue invitations to balls, to all respectable fami-lies, rich or poor. Only those with invitationscould attend. Before 1840, there was little classdistinction, but during the following ten yearsclass distinctions became well defined(Czarnowski, 1950).

Figure 1

Figure 2

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Music for the early California dances, always lively andgay, was provided by a vihuela (guitar), violin, mandolin,occasionally a harp or flute, and a song. Members of theorchestra played in harmony with each other, complement-ing the song or accenting the dance steps. Repetition ofmusical phrases and melodies is common in the songs thataccompany these social dances. Many of the old Spanishsongs were written in varying tempos of the waltz (3/4)time signature, often giving the dances a lilting quality.

Paquita Del Rey, a costume historian and Spanish danceperformer, says that the style of dress popular in nine-teenth century Alta California included beautiful and elabo-rate Spanish-styled party dresses. These dresses were verycolorful and included the following: 1) close-fitting bodicescoming to a point in front, 2) fairly low necklines, 3) aslight puff to the three-quarter or full length sleevestrimmed with lace at the ends, and 4) long, full skirtswith several ruffles edged with trim which hung below theankles. The fabric for these dresses included silks, satins,velvets, and cottons (Del Rey, 1949). Several long, fullpetticoats would be worn under the dress (Del Rey, 1949).Also worn after the 1850s were decorative hair combs andlace mantillas (a popular style of head-covering, like a shawl,derived from Spanish influence). The large, so-called“Spanish shawls,” dating from approximately the 1880s,were folded in a triangle and worn as wraps (Del Rey, 1949)(see Figure 3).

The gentlemen’s party ensemble included a felt, broad-brimmed hat (generally colored black, white, brown, ordark blue) and a brightly colored handkerchief worn aroundthe head and under the hat (optional). A sash (made ofsilk, satin, or cotton) with fringe was worn around thewaist and tied on one side. A white linen or cotton shirtwith a high or open neck and long sleeves with cuffs wasworn with a long, narrow silk or cotton tie. Vests, madefrom silk, velvet, or cotton in a contrasting color to thejacket and trousers, were optional. A short, “bolero-style”jacket with long sleeves made of velvet, satin, corduroy,broadcloth, wool, or gabardine, in a solid color, was wornopen in front and often included embroidery in gold or sil-ver. Also included were either knee breeches with white

stockings, leggings, or long trousers with a flared bottom(fashionable after 1832) (Del Rey, 1949).

The Styles of the Dances of Early California

The style of dancing was light, gay, and informal, without“restraint or starchiness, in a natural unconscious style”(Vallejo, 1950). An integral part of the dance was the in-teraction among participants of all ages. The dances passeddown were simple enough that anyone could participate,regardless of age, dance experience, or ability.

In the dance figures, the emphasis is on social connection,community, and the beauty of the spatial patterns andfloor design. In effect, these dance figures are a form ofnon-verbal communication. The figures celebrate the joy-ous, communal, and social aspects of the rancho lifestyleand allow participants to dance together without formal-ity in a fun, exciting, and sometimes challenging manner.Most figures symbolize aspects of daily life and may tell astory through their movements. Typically, “El Tecolero,”a dance caller, would prompt the dancers before the startof each figure by calling out the figure’s name.

The upper body carriage is lifted and open. The dancerstouch by holding hands or shoulders. The ladies may holdtheir skirts at the sides with one or both hands, dependingon the arms’ freedom in a particular dance. The emphasisof the dances is not on formality or presentation to an au-dience, but on the positive experience of the dancers. Thereare often shouts of joy. The goal of the dance is an uplift-ing experience of shared movement and emotion.

Figure 3

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Thea Vandervoort

Methods

A multi-functional video was produced inorder to be released to elementary schools,dance schools, universities, museums, li-braries, and historical societies. This pa-per presents the historical context in whichthe dances of early California occurred anddocuments these dances within a histori-cal framework. The Santa Barbara His-toric Dance Ensemble, the video, “Dancesof Early California in Santa Barbara,” thispaper, artifact displays, and lecture demonstration mate-rials were created to share the beauty of early Californiadance with others in hopes that these dances would con-tinue to be passed down through generations to come.

The project began with the coordination of a twelve-mem-ber dance group that rehearsedapproximately every two weeksstarting August of 1998 in SantaBarbara. All research details,dance reconstruction, rehearsals,interviews, dance notation, andvideo production took a total ofnine months to complete.

The Santa Barbara HistoricDance Ensemble was created topreserve and perpetuate thedances of previous generations(see Figure 4). The dances wererevived with the aid of the localpeople who had once participatedin the historic dance and musicof this area. Through theirshared memories and helpful in-struction, three of the most popu-lar dances (La Jota Vieja, LaContradanza, and LaVarsouviana) were taught to thegroup. Especially helpful wereseveral members of the “Poole-Verhelle” and Native Daughters,“Las Fiesteras” dance groups(William and Dorathy Russell,Mary Louise Days and DoloresHartnett). The dances were reconstructed in their entiretyand rehearsed with taped music until they were ready forfilming in April of 1999.

Research included personal interviews and the gatheringof archival material. During the early months of theproject, preliminary research and preparation included in-

formal discussions with those who had done the dancesyears before. Data collection included examination of offi-cial archives and personal collections from Santa Barbara,including newspaper articles, original photos, journal en-tries, memoirs, correspondence, sheet music and record-ings, and original dance notation by family members (seeFigure 5).

Project participants who were members of the communityof Santa Barbara, including William and Dorathy Russell(my grandparents), were interviewed. Archival researchwas conducted at the office of the Old Spanish Days Fi-esta, the Santa Barbara Historical Society, and at thehomes of dance participants and others. Members of theNative Daughters of the Golden West provided materialsconcerning the “Las Fiesteras” dance group.

Figure 4

Figure 5

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The Russells were the primary source of historic detail.They contributed valuable written and verbal backgroundinformation through personal memories, their archivalcollection, and artifacts from previous generations. Thisdata included specifics about the early California dancesfrom Santa Barbara, the “Poole-Verhelle Dance Group,”and “Las Fiesteras.” In the same way the dances weretaught to them, they recounted three favorites, La JotaVieja, La Contradanza, and La Varsouviana, to the SantaBarbara Historic Dance Ensemble.

Informal dance notation was written for each dance, ac-companied by explanations understandable to the layper-son. This included specific movement and choreographicdescriptions, notes on floor patterns, diagrams, and help-ful hints for the reader. The notation was written to ac-company the video of the dances, thereby giving the viewera clearer understanding of the details necessary to executethe dances accurately.

The video, “Dances of Early California in Santa Barbara,”enables current and future generations to learn, appreci-ate, and enjoy these dances, and to gain a more intimateknowledge of the people of early California. As the yearcontinued, I rehearsed extensively with the dance groupand prepared the video-filming schedule. The Santa Bar-bara Historical Society was chosen as an authentic andpicturesque location. Its beautiful courtyard, with adobebuildings in the background, packed-dirt floor (used as thedance space), orange and pepper trees, wooden benches,geraniums, and flowing fountains was the perfect settingfor the video. Three traditional musicians were employedwho played the violin, mandolin, guitar, and who sangtraditional versions of the Spanish songs of early Califor-nia. All video participants were dressed in authentic cos-tumes. A videography student was recruited from theBrooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara to shootand edit the video.

A total of twenty-three people participated in the project.There were fourteen dancers in the video and performancedance ensemble: two fourth-grade boys (Eric Benítez andJosé Luévanos), two young teenagers (Pablo Cabrera andMarisol Cabrera), and ten adults ranging in age fromtwenty-four to their early-seventies (Francisco Cabrera,Martín Corrál, James García, Chad Harmon, MariaCabrera, Mary Louise Days, Erin Graffy de García, DoloresHartnett, Diana Vandervoort, and myself). Three musi-cians participated (Luise Moreno, Mike Mullins, and DavidRoine), contributing their expertise on the guitar, vocals,mandolin, and violin. The video was filmed and edited byArt Srithongkul, a student at Brooks Institute of Photog-raphy and member of Amber Productions in Santa Bar-bara.

Four people served as observers of the video: William andDorathy Russell, Lucy Raffetto, and Raluca Razus. TheRussels and Mrs. Raffetto contributed a significant amountof background information on the dances and related sub-jects. The photographer, Laurel Hungerford, attended adance ensemble dress rehearsal as well as the video film-ing to shoot dance sequences, details, figure positioning,and group photos. Eight of the project participants wereinterviewed during the months of March and April, 1999.

The method of research and video production was guidedby the goal of preserving the most accurate representationpossible of the original dances. Each meticulous step wasattended to, including script writing, production, direction,choice of filming details and camera angles, musical selec-tion, editing, titles, credits, and voice-overs.

Figure 6

Figure 7

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Thea Vandervoort

The Dances

La Jota ViejaThis dance is light, fun, and lively, with a fast pace andenergetic feeling. The music is in 3/4 (waltz) time, but thetempo is fast, similar to a 3/8 meter. The dance formationconsists primarily of an even number of couples in twolines about six feet apart. The woman is on the right ofher partner in each line, which alternates male and fe-male. Before the dance begins, partners join hands, cross-ing arms in front about waist height, left hand in left,right hand in right, with the right arm uppermost. Theformation varies during the dance, with the two rows ofcouples side by side, in groups of four, or circling as a group.

The Jota Step is a quick “two-step” waltz, similar to abouncy polka step. The dance phrase that repeats through-out the Jota Step starts with a step forward with the rightfoot, accenting the step on count one. A close of the leftfoot to the right foot marks count two, and count threecalls for a step forward with the right foot. The phrase isrepeated beginning again with the left foot accenting countone.

The dance begins with a bow to your partner who is nextto you in line. The two lines advance toward each otherand then retreat from each other before the start of eachfigure. The figures of La Jota Vieja include: El Remolino(the whirlwind or whirlpool), El Molinete (the little mill),the Grand Right and Left, La Canasta (the basket), ElGancho (the hook), La Rueda (the ring), La Puente (thebridge), and El Caracol (the spiral, serpentine, or snail-like pattern) (see Figure 6 and Figure 7).

El Remolino is the preparational step at the beginning ofthe first figure. It is repeated with a variation again andagain throughout the dance, at the end of each figure, andafter the Grand Right and Left. Figures often symbolizeaspects of daily life. For example, El Molinete, which fol-lows the first El Remolino, symbolizes a household millfor grinding spices, coffee, or grains. In La Canasta, aformation made of groups of four dancers creates the illu-sion of a woven basket. The Grand Right and Left followseach figure: the gentlemen dance counterclockwise whilethe ladies dance clockwise. The dancers finish in a semi-circle with their arms raised high in the air.

The tempo remains the same throughout La Jota Vieja,and there is little fluctuation in musical intensity or rhyth-mic pattern. Sixteen bars are used to complete each fig-ure; eight bars are used for the Grand Right and Left witha nine-count bridge connecting each section. The com-plete dance is comprised of six sections: El Molinete, La

Canasta, El Gancho, La Rueda, La Puente, and El Caracol.At the beginning of the first four sections, before each fig-ure, are the Advance, Turn, and Retreat, which are giventwo bars of music.

When the music commences, the singers begin their versesand refrains. During the verse, the figure is completed.During the refrain, the Grand Right and Left are com-pleted. The length of the refrain or chorus depends on thenumber of couples participating. The words of the chorusdiffer when repeated (Czarnowski, 1950). At the start of anew figure a new verse is sung in the same style, repeatedtwice to keep the time necessary for the completion of thefigure: “the verses were chosen at will by the musicians orsingers, but were handed down from a former time”(Coronel, 1877). The words for the song which accompa-nied La Jota Vieja were often composed “on the spot” bythe singer for the dance. At other times traditional verseswere sung (Czarnowski, 1950).

La ContradanzaLa Contradanza is an elegant, dignified, and stately dancewith a slow pace. Through its figures, it tells a story ofthe daily life in colonial Santa Barbara. La Contradanzawas an English country dance that “was [also] danced inSpain at balls and in the court in the early part of theeighteenth century” (Czarnowski, 1950). It was furtheradapted and altered once it arrived in the Santa Barbaraarea. Up to eighteen different figures are documented forLa Contradanza (Czarnowski, 1950). Various figures weredanced in different parts of California. This is one of themost beautiful dances of early California.

La Contradanza was danced by persons of the highest classand especially by the older members present. The generalpresentation of La Contradanza consists of music per-formed in slow waltz time. The dancers use the first 16bars of music for the formation of the figure and the sec-ond 16 bars for the waltz chorus, in which couples circlearound each other in a complex floor pattern. The openingformation consists of the couples in a long column, knownas a “longways set.” The lady is on the right of her part-ner. Odd-numbered couples face down the set whereaseven-numbered couples face up the set. This formationchanges as the dance progresses, but the opening relation-ship between couples is maintained.

The general step pattern is a traditional, counterclockwisewaltz square performed by the couples in a closed danceposition (in which partners face each other), turning thebody in a clockwise direction. The waltz balance step usesa similar step pattern but is performed side to side. Thefirst accented step is the largest and is performed with a

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gliding motion and a bend of the knees. It is used fortraveling. Counts two and three are smaller steps usedfor changing direction (or remaining in place as in thewaltz balance step).

The dance begins with a bow to your partner. Similar toLa Jota Vieja, El Tecolero reminds the dancers of whatfigure comes next. After each figure comes the waltz cho-rus in which couples circle around each other in an intri-cate and choreographically precise floor pattern. The waltzchorus is used to change the formation of the group, whichenables the couples to do the upcoming figure with newpartners. Couples who are not participating in a figuredue to the choreographic structure and specifications ofthe dance do the waltz balance step while waiting for thenext waltz chorus. This waiting step may be performedholding hands or, for the lady, with both hands holdingthe skirt.

The figures for La Contradanza include La Mano Derecha(the right hand) and La Mano Izquierda (the left hand).This introduction is followed by El Saludo (the greeting),El Molino (the mill), La Sola (the woman alone, empha-sizing the woman’s duties), El Nudo (the knot, emphasiz-

ing the male role in the family), El Cristo (worshipping atthe shrine), and La Cadena Grande (the long chain, sym-bolizing community). At the end of La Contradanza, thecouples waltz without a floor pattern until the music ends(see Figure 8 and Figure 9).

La VarsouvianaLa Varsouviana is a smooth and graceful circle dance withFrench origins and European influences. It is lively innature with an elegant feel to its steps and composition.The music includes a song that is sung in Spanish. It hasa distinctive, lilting waltz melody and a moderate tempo.The characteristic step of this dance is called theVarsouviana Step, which contains two long phrases andfour short phrases. This step sequence is done with a slightbounce of the supporting heel while the other foot is liftedin front of the ankle. The lifted foot then glides to the sideand is joined by the supporting foot. The uniqueness ofthe Varsouviana Step contributes to the lively nature ofthe dance. It is executed in a courtly fashion similar tothe balletic pas de bourée or the minuets of previous cen-turies. Also used in this dance is the open VarsouvianaDance Position in which the man stands behind his part-ner, holding her hands. Arms are relaxed, bent, and placedat shoulder level, slightly in front of the torso.

The dancers enter in the open Varsouviana Dance Posi-tion, using the Varsouviana Step, and proceed to form acircle. Next, the ladies face out and take their skirts whilethe men hold the waist of their partners to display theirbeauty and grace. Then the couples turn to form the spokesof a wheel in a closed dance position. They travel in to-wards the center of the circle and away (see Figure 10).To continue, the couples travel around the circle main-taining the Varsouviana Step pattern. The next sectionbegins when the ladiesturn to face out andthe gentlemen face in,as the entire grouphold hands and circlefirst clockwise andthen counter-clock-wise. Then, everyonedoes the Grand Rightand Left, the ladiesdancing clockwise andthe men dancingcounter-clockwise.After traveling aroundthe circle, the dancersmay end up with anew partner, depend-ing on the size of thegroup. To finish, thedancers repeat the beginning sequence in the openVarsouviana Dance Position.

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 8

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Thea Vandervoort

Conclusion

People of early California lived on isolated ranchos andcame together only occasionally to assist in large-scalechores like harvesting, round-ups, building construction,religious events, or social functions. In the evenings, afterthe tasks were completed, the parties would occur. Thedances performed were a vehicle for early Californians tocreate joy and celebrate community. The focus of theseparties was passing on tradition and having a good time.Dance was the core of the fiestas, and, in turn, the fiestaswere the vehicle for social interaction. The experiences ofthe Santa Barbara Historic Dance Ensemble mirror thoseof the early Californians: after dancing together for somany weeks, the dancers established strong, lasting friend-ships.

The dances of early California bring laughter, smiles, andjoy to people of all ages who dance together without con-cern for generation differences. In doing the dances forthe video, and in performance, we enjoyed ourselves tre-mendously, creating a unique bond between the entireSanta Barbara Historic Dance Ensemble, musicians,videographer, and observers (see Figure 11). We inter-acted through the figures of each dance, forming a coop-erative, multi-generational, and diverse community. Wefelt as if we really understood what it was like to havelived in the days of early California. This is the primaryreason why it is necessary to revive these dances and passthem on to fourth grade students studying this period ofhistory.

It is my hope that many others share in the experience ofthe dances of early California and taste the happiness ofhistory that they have to offer. La Jota Vieja will be in-cluded in “Dancing History Collection,” a vehicle for theinternational perpetuation of historic dances written byJill Beck, Dean of the School of the Arts at University ofCalifornia at Irvine. This research will also be included inan art documentary to be released on Public BroadcastingService (PBS) within the upcoming year. In addition, thevideo “Dances of Early California in Santa Barbara” will

Figure 11

be accessible through the Library of Congress in Washing-ton D.C. I expect to further disseminate the importance ofpreserving our cultural heritage through continued lecturedemonstrations with fourth grade classes in Laguna Beach,California. I hope to expand these lecture demonstrationsto include schools throughout Orange County, California,and eventually to have this research included in the statepublic education curriculum. This information and danceexperience, if implemented, will greatly enhance the fourthgrade students’ understanding of California history andculture. It is my hope that, through fourth grade publiceducation and the video and public performances by theSanta Barbara Historic Dance Ensemble, the dances of earlyCalifornia will proliferate into the culture of our society asan opportunity to recreate and relate to the past.

Acknowledgments

I wish to thank the following people for their generous con-tributions to my research, enabling me to recreate an accu-rate representation of early California culture and history.These contributions included primary sources of informa-tion and personal archival collections used for backgroundreference. Their dedication, support, memories, and activeparticipation are greatly appreciated. Many thanks to ev-eryone who contributed: Mary Louise Days, Erin Graffy deGarcia, Dolores Hartnett, Laurel Hungerford, Luis Moreno,Mike Mullins, George and Vie Obern, Old Spanish DaysFiesta in Santa Barbara, Lucy Raffetto, Raluca Razus, DavidRoine, William and Dorathy Russell, Nancy Ruyter, SantaBarbara Historic Dance Ensemble (Eric Benitez, FranciscoCabrera, Maria Cabrera, Marisol Cabrera, Pablo Cabrera,Martin Corral, Mary Louise Days, Erin Graffy de Garcia,James Garcia, Chad Harmon, Dolores Hartnett, JoseLuevanos and Diana Vandervoort), Santa Barbara Histori-cal Society and Museum, Deidre Sklar, Art Srithongkul,Amber Productions (Saulius Urbonas), Teresa Teres, andDiana Vandervoort.

Works Cited

Cabrera, Francisco and Maria Francisco. Personal Inter-view. 23 March 1999.

Coronel, Antonio Francisco. Things of California. Dictatedto Thomas Savage. Berkeley: Bancroft Library, Univer-sity of California, Berkeley, 1877.

Czarnowski, Lucile. Dances of Early California Days. PaloAlto: Pacific Books, 1950.

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Documents

Author The Dances Of Early California In Santa Barbara · The dances of early California are social figure dances that took place during infor-mal parties (fiestas) popular in Santa