>

Month: March 2013


Mar
2013

It’s Easter! Time to do the Bunny Hop!

categories: 1950's, Vintage Dance, Vintage Easter, vintage holidays
Vintage Easter Photo of a young girl dressed as a bunny posing for a photo outside of her home.

The Bunny Hop Dance History / Videos & Photos

Ahhhh the Bunny Hop a social dance that originated in the 1952 at Balboa High School in San Francisco. The dance is a variation on a conga line. Participants dance in a line, holding on to the hips of the person in front of them. They tap the floor two times with their right foot, then with their left foot, then they hop forwards, backwards, and finally three hops forward to finish the sequence, which continues throughout the tune. The first person in the line leads the group around the floor (Wikipedia).

Ray Anthony the bunny Hop
Photo courtesy of “Shelly’s Vintage Sheet Music“

The Bunny Hop Song:

The original song that everyone dances the Bunny Hop to was done by Ray Anthony’s big band recording, heard below.

See the Bunny Hop in Action:

Ray Anthony & his orchestra perform the 1950s dance sensation known as “The Bunny Hop” on this 1953 episode of The Ray Anthony Show (video link).

I think the Bunny Hop is too cute for words and no 1950’s party should be without a hop hop hop around the dance floor with your friends (try a vintage cocktail or two to help if doing this sober is not your thing lol).

Below are some vintage Bunny Hop pictures for your viewing enjoyment

1950's Bunny Hop
Photo courtesy of allposters.com

1950s Photo: Ray Anthony leads a group as they dance to his big hit of “The Bunny Hop” at Ciro’s. Behind Anthony is actress Mitzi Gaynor and Hugh O’Brian. Man with the mustache is comedian Jerry Colonna. Marie Windsor watches on the left (Source). This looks like a fun party!

1950s Photo: Ray Anthony leads a group as they dance to his big hit of “The Bunny Hop” at Ciro’s. Behind Anthony is actress Mitzi Gaynor and Hugh O’Brian. Man with the mustache is comedian Jerry Colonna. Marie Windsor watches on the left.
Photo courtesy of “WesternClippings.com“

1950s Vintage Photo: A group of teenagers in 1950s dresses & suits for boys doing their own Bunny Hop.

Look how cute everyone looks at this dance, love it 🙂

1950s Vintage Photo: A group of teenagers in 1950s dresses & suits for boys doing their own Bunny Hop.

1950s Photo: Check out these handsome men (one being Ray Anthony on the left) leading the Bunny Hop for a stylish group of party goers.

1950s Photo: Check out these handsome men (one being Ray Anthony on the left) leading the Bunny Hop for a stylish group of party goers.

Happy Easter! Now go practice the Bunny Hop 🙂

FURTHER READING: Vintage Easter Archived Blog Posts 1920s-1960s

    Liz


    Mar
    2013

    I’m getting excited for the 16th Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly Weekend!

    categories: 1950's, Rockabilly

    Hi Everyone! T-minus one week till I’m in Las Vegas for the Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly weekend!

    title_viva_las_vegas_blu-ray

    I’m really excited for the trip this year because I’m going with a bunch of awesome friends (and my totally amazing husband) and this time around I’m more clothing & hair style prepared.  I went two years ago for my first time and I was blown away by what an amazing event it is and how UNDER prepared I was with my clothing and style. WOW, the ladies go full out and I showed up looking like..well I don’t know what I looked like but I did not look how I envisioned in my head I would lol!

    Here I am with some of my friends (and my husband to the left of me) that went last time just after we finished watching Jerry Lee Lewis! This year the headliner is Little Richard…amazing!

    viva liz pic

    I also prepared myself with learning some Rockabilly Jive this time around. Last time I went into the event with only my lindy hop skills and ended up just watching most of the event from the sidelines. NOT THIS TIME! I learned to do some basic Jive AND I learned the stroll too so I can join in with the ladies when a stroll song comes on.

    Here is a video from Last years Jive contest finale. Insert me this year, lol!

    [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stEnPm63Peg]

    Once again like the last couple of years, Toronto is represented at VIVA with a Toronto favorite band “Tennessee Voodoo Coupe” being selected to play. Yay!!! Big Rude Jake is the lead singer and is just mister personality on the stage and the rest of his band is also just as fun. They play on the Sunday at 1:00pm I believe in the Bienville room.

    The last item I’m really excited about is getting to hopefully meet some of the bloggers I follow on a daily basis. Many of them are going to be there and I’m eager to say hi (or just run and hide since I get super shy around new people I think are cool lol) and see their style in person. So hopefully I will have some pics of those meetings. Stay tuned!

    So my friends there will be no blog next week but stay tuned for a biggie when I get back 🙂

    Have a great week!

    Liz 🙂