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Category: 1950’s

1950s Fashion, 1950s History, 1950s Parties, 1950s Music, 1950s Photos


Mar
2015

The Dancing Side of the Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly Weekend

categories: 1950's, Rockabilly, Vintage Dance

(Updated April 2025) In short time I will be in hot, sunny Las Vegas for the “Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly Weekender“. I’m very excited to be exiting cold Toronto and spending 6 days surrounded by cool music, cool clothes, cool people and even cooler dancing, but NOT cold weather.

Vintage 1950s / Early 1960s photo of a couple dancing Rock n Roll / Jive Dancing / Swing Dancing. Learn more about Rockabilly dances (bop, stroll & jive) at the Vintage Inn blog.

As a Lindy Hopper, I love to dance and I love to watch dancing and at Viva there are lots of all of that. There are Jivers, Lindy Hoppers, Boppers and Strollers and even once in a while I have seen some two steppers. Dancers from all over the world converge once a year on Las Vegas to listen and dance to some of the best artists in the Rockabilly scene past and present and I am one of them.

At Viva, Lindy Hop (my dance) is not your typical dance done, in fact it is in the small percentile of dances seen on the dance floor. The Jive, Boogie Woogie, Bop and Stroll take the lead.

Right now you might be scratching you head and asking, what exactly are these dances you speak of? Let me help you out.

The Vintage Dances You Will See At Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly Weekend

The”Rockabilly Jive”

Rockabilly Jive Dancing- Vinage 1940s photo of a man dancing with two women.

The Rockabilly Jive dance style comes from the south of the United States and was first introduced  by the military during World War II, inspired by swing and rock’n’roll. Then, in the early 50s, it adopted the rhythms of rockabilly music (mix of country and rhythm and blues).

Accessible by its simple steps (done on a one-two-turn-return, one-two-turn-return, one-two-turn-return count), this dance also allows many acrobatic moves, which makes it joyfully energetic!

Since the late 90s, Rockabilly Jive has regained popularity. Indeed, this dynamic and vibrant dance has won new fans, with people who enjoy the rebellious spirit of the 1950s (Source).

Jive dancing at the VIVA Pool Party-the women is wearing a vintage 1950s two piece swimsuit.
Source: The Sartorialist

Here is a video from Viva’s Jive Contest.

The Stroll

The stroll you see at Rockabilly events is not the original Stroll (seen below) that involved holding the hand of your partner as your “strolled” down the center.

The stroll of today is a repeating dance mostly done by the ladies but I have seen guys jump into the lines on a few occasions, but 99% of the time it’s mostly ladies (but guys..join the fun!). Once you get the pattern, it’s pretty simple to do and great way to dance if you don’t have a partner.

Music tends to be bouncy RnB, slower beats and rockin’ garage tunes.

Here is yours truly and some friends doing the “stroll” at Viva many moons ago. Gosh I look lost.

Rockabilly Stroll Viva Las Vegas

 Boppin’

This dance I have never heard of until I went to VIVA but apparently I have been doing a version of it almost every-time I went out dancing and did not have a partner.

According to Miss Wolff’s Jiving School:

This wild solo freestyle dance was more of a man’s dance from the ’30s to the ’50s, but in this equal opportunity millennium, gals and guys alike bop around with this fast crazy dance, popular worldwide, after remaining far underground for most of the ’60s.

This is a great workout – think rockabilly aerobics! Bopping is a passion-filled mix of tap, step and jive beats fueled by your love and feeling of the beat, the beat, the BEAT, each person feeling it in their own way.

Boogie Woogie

I honestly never heard of this dance until about 5 years ago and then I realized that I had been seeing it on the VIVA dance floor many times. Like Lindy Hop, it’s not as popular as Jiving at the event but you will still see it.

About: Although its music had its beginnings in the 1870s, and its glory period from the 1920s to the 1940s, the dance didn’t emerge until a little later. The dance known as Boogie Woogie took influence from what was danced to Rock ‘n’ Roll music in the 1950s, and has certain similarities to Lindy Hop (Source). The 6-count footwork of the dance is step step, triple-step, triple-step. It’s VERY Energetic!

Dance Classes at VIVA

IF you are going to VIVA this year you can take dances lessons from Miss Wolff’s Jiving School during the weekend and be a pro in no time.

Viva Las Vegas 17 dance floor
The Vintage Inn (me, liz) on the VIVA dance floor with my friend Dean on the Sunday Night.

Here is an overview of the 2024 Bop, Stroll & Jive Competitions.

The Lindy Hop

As stated above, the Lindy Hop is not typical at VIVA but it is done by many dancers. See my posts on the Lindy Hop HERE.

1930s Vintage photo of Black Dancers dancing the Lindy Hop at the Savoy Ballroom.

Will I be seeing you on the dance floor at VIVA? What is your favourite dance to do? Share any thoughts in the comments section below!

Further Reading:

Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly Weekend Poster.

Liz 🙂


Feb
2015

Cool Vintage Images from Yearbooks of the 1940s and 1950s

categories: 1940s, 1950's, vintage images, Vintage Yearbooks

Last time I was home I was looking thru my yearbooks and laughing at how hilarious I looked in every single photo (which I will not share for the world-wide web to poke fun at lol). I was 100% definitely not awkward at all during my High School years (insert sarcasm here).

I then got to thinking about yearbooks of yesteryear (1940s and 1950s) and what did their photos and yearbooks look like? Did those students also feel as awkward or unsure of themselves as I felt? I’m sure they did as that seems to be what happens when you’re a teenager but I had to see for myself so I poked around the internet and discovered loads of wonderful photos of all areas of High School life (awkward and not) that I thought would be fantastic to share with you.

Note: Because I found so many great photos from colleges, I will be sharing some of those too.

FURTHER READING (February 2023 update): Look Inside Vintage Yearbooks – Archive of blog posts I have written since this post.

Disclosure: Some of the links on my blog from Etsy , eBay are Affiliate Links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. 

NOTE: If you click on any of the items featured below and they are not available, don’t fret! Hit the search button and see what else is on the websites. There are 1000’s and 1000’s of items being listed daily.

Cool Vintage Images from Yearbooks of the 1940s and 1950s

Time to open the pages of that vintage yearbook…..

1940s vintage yearbook, look inside.
Source: Etsy-CrimsonHollow

First up an incredible smart-looking group of students from the early 1950s. I love how they are all wearing Letterman Sweaters in this photo, really great Letterman Sweaters. And the boy’s hair are immaculate.

1950s vintage photo of students in their letterman sweaters po;sing together outside of school.
Source: Flickr-Josh Nativio

I wonder if the above group was in the “Monogram Club”?

1946 Yearbook photo of the Monogram Club. The image showcases the young men in the club in their letterman sweaters.
Source: Flickr-Yvonne Thompson

1949-“Girls Sports”, “Traffic Officer”, Bill the “All American” and the “Card Club”. This yearbook photo is filled with so many goodies to look at (names, hairstyles, groups they were in).

1940's Vintage yearbook photos of young men and women. 1949-"Girls Sports", "Traffic Officer", Bill the "All American" and the "Card Club".
Source: Flickr-Dana Orlosky

The Superlatives (of the highest quality or degree) of Friendship Tennessee (1951 Yearbook).

Now my question..did Brock and Emma Succeed in life? And did Laura and Jackie remain Friendly? We will never know….

1950s vintage photo of a 1951 Vintage Yearbook -The Superlatives (of the highest quality or degree) of Friendship Tennessee (1951 Yearbook).
Source: Etsy-BrentwoodBazaar

1948 Yearbook Photo from Elizabeth State University, featuring “Miss Homecoming” Beatrice Hardy and her Attendants. Fantastic vintage hairstyles!

1940s vintage photo: 1948 Yearbook Photo from Elizabeth State University (Black university), featuring "Miss Homecoming" Beatrice Hardy and her Attendants.

Source: Digitalnc.org

Though this is not High School but an All Girls College from 1942. I love the name “Bells and Pomegranates”. Not sure what it means but it’s pretty cool all the same.

1942 Vintage Year book cover - Bells and Pomegranates.
Source: Etsy-GoodVintageHunting

Here is a yearbook from 1950 Stephenson High School in Michigan. I’m sharing this photo because I’m having a hard time believing these teenagers are actually teenagers? Don’t they look much older?

Side Note..Alice in the bottom right wins for best hair in my book. And can you read her note to Dug (sp?):

I will always remember the swell times we had together & fights as well…..

1950s Vintage Yearbook photos from 1950 Stephenson High School in Michigan. Super early 1950s vintage hairstyles.
Source: Etsy-wicksthings

Year 10 & 11 class photo from Central Highschool, Goldsboro, NC 1950 yearbook. LOVE the 1950s fashions on our stylish students!

1950s vintage photo of Year 10 & 11 class photo from Central Highschool, Goldsboro, NC 1950 yearbook. LOVE the 1950s fashions on our stylish students!

Source: Digitalnc.org

Centenary College, Shreveport, La. – 1948 yearbook.

Here Shreveport is your Football Sweetheart and your Homecoming Queen. Ahhhhhh aren’t they beautiful?

1940s vintage yearbook photo from Centenary College, Shreveport, La. - 1948 yearbook. Here Shreveport is your Football Sweetheart and your Homecoming Queen
Source: eBay-otisisdog

Quad Standford University in 1946 brings us not only colour in their yearbook but a really cool advertisement for pinup “play clothes”.

I bring you colour! And probably your homecoming queen and..I’m not sure about the other beauty in the fantastic swimsuit.

1940s vintage yearbook from Quad Standford University in 1946 featuring images of two young woman in pretty pinup styles posing in a 1940s swimsuit and 1940s evening gown.
Source: eBay

The below mentioned ad. Isn’t it great? I have personally never seen an ad in the 1940s advertise “Pinup clothes”. I’m sure they exist but this is a first for me.

1940s vintage advertising in a vintage yearbook
Source: eBay

In this 1940s photo, why was the friendliest boy called “Stinkey?”. So odd, very odd. But the most popular girl had great hair and clothes. Actually, so does “Stinkey” now that I Iook at the photo again.

1940s high school students in a yearbook featuring 1940s hairstyles.
Source: Flickr-Dani

Lastly I want to leave you with the funniest page entry that I read during my research. It’s from the 1949 Friendsville Tennesse Yearbook…..

1949 Friendsville Tennesse vintage Yearbook
Source: Etsy-BrentwoodBazaar

Now that I have done this post I have decided that I need to start collecting vintage yearbooks from these eras because well quite frankly they are a great eye into the past of a teenager.

Question: If you have one, what is your favorite high-school memory?

Further Reading:

Liz 🙂