Fine and Not So Fine Arts
This category includes dance, art, theater and music related posts.
Hoarding is not collection development
Ah-One, Ah-Two!
Ah-One, Ah-Two: Life with My Musical Family
Welk with McGeehan
1974
My America, Your America
Welk with McGeehan
1976
Submitter: Here are two of the four Lawrence Welk biographies in our collection. The full color foldout of the whole cast is my favorite.
Holly: There is a special place in my heart for Lawrence Welk. My dad was a high school band director, and the Lawrence Welk show was shown faithfully in my house every week of my childhood, without fail. (So was Hee-Haw. My dad is “well-rounded” fellow.) I can see having a Lawrence Welk biography (if it still circulates) in a public library, but four is pushing it.
Disco Lives!
Disco Dance Steps
Villari
1978
Submitter: […My] coworkers know I love disco music. Sadly, I can’t dance, even with the help of the hundreds of disco tutorials on YouTube. But I love this book. However, most of our dance items that are checked out are DVDs and usually those are checked out by people about to get married so they can learn to do their wedding dance. Did you know there’s different types of The Hustle? I had no idea.
Holly: An oldie but goodie (on ALB, anyway…we posted this one back in 2009, very shortly after this site was first launched). Submitter has vastly improved upon that post, though, so let’s talk disco dancing again! Apparently our first post didn’t inspire you all to weed this one, so let’s try again. As a matter of fact, we’ve posted a LOT of disco books over the years and they still keep getting submitted! Every one of you: go to the shelves and WEED THE DISCO BOOKS. Disco is dead.
Disco Dancing with Donny and Marie
Disco with Donny and Marie
Heaton and Zimmerman
1979
I had a reference question a while back where I had to explain Donny and Marie to a teenager. God, I felt old. If you are more than 40 years or so, you probably remember them fondly or with disdain. I doubt there is any middle ground. I think it was probably one of those shows that was best viewed when high. If you need schooling on Donny and Marie, click here. Although Donny and Marie are around in Vegas and other venues, they are not what they were in the late 70s. (As if anyone is.)
This book is purely dance instruction for disco-complete with cut out feet. I encourage that everyone learn some of the techniques presented such as the “Travolta Point” or the “Disco Chicken”. My dancing skills were never that good, but I think I can manage the Travolta Point without too much trouble. I would bet just about every library in the US had more than a few choices on disco dancing at the time, however I think we can let this go and hustle to the book sale. So break out your shiny shirt, shag cut, and puka shell necklace and get ready to boogie.
Groovin’ in the Stacks,
Mary
More Disco Help at the Library: