In Louisiana from about the 1940’s to the late 1960’s dance halls like El Sido’s thrived.
John Sharp, Assistant Research Director at the University of Louisiana Lafayette is piecing together the history of Louisiana’s dance halls via website and upcoming documentary called “Dancehalls of Louisiana”. He says they were a big part of the fabric of society where people would gather like families, young couples and even children. Sharp says the “Golden Age” of the dance hall began after World War II.
He says, “Returning soldiers were very excited about immerse themselves in their culture again after being away at war.”
The decline in dance hall popularity could have been caused by several things being the change in legal drinking age, the cleanup of illegal gambling and the rise of casinos.
Sidney Williams Junior opened El Sido’s Zydeco and Blues Club in 1984. His club was frequented by movie stars and the legendary Buckwheat Zydeco. El Sido’s continues to shine as one of the remaining dance halls of the 200 or so that existed in Acadiana.
Sharp says his research has taught him the importance of storytelling and he hopes to keep the story of the Louisiana dance hall alive with his continued work.The website and documentary will help with the storytelling by securing those memories. He hopes the “Dancehalls of Louisiana” will debut by the end of this year.
For more information about Louisiana Dancehalls or to share your story, visit louisianadancehalls.com