Salty Dog Rag • Couples Round Folk Dance • USA {Western Swing}

The Salty Dog Rag is a couples round folk dance from the 1950s in USA you may have danced in school. The first part of the dance comes from the 1890 “The Skater” dance variation of the Bohemian schottische, where dancers mimic an ice skating couple holding crossed hands and pushing right and left for travel. The evolution of The Skaters, The Gaiety Dance, The Ostende, The Castle Schottische, to The Salty Dog Rag is chronicled at Library of Dance with help from Richard Powers. The Salty Dog Rag was a part of the branching of square dances into round dances in the early 20th century in the United States. In the South, schottische dance was being combined with ragtime music to create “ragtime schottische.” Meanwhile, Western/Texas Swing music elements were being promoted by the likes of Henry Ford as an alternative to the “devil’s music:” jazz to keep square dancing pure, wholesome, and “American.”

Away down yonder in the state of Arkansas
where my great-grandpa met my great-grandma
they drink apple cider and they get on a jag
and they dance all night to the Salty Dog Rag

They play an old fiddle like you never heard before
They play the only tune that they ever did know
It's a ragtime ditty and the rhythm don't drag
now here's the way you dance to the Salty Dog Rag

Chorus:
One foot front, drag it back,
then you start to ball the jack.
You shake and you break and then you sag,
if your partner zigs you're supposed to zag.
Your heart is light, you tap your feet
in rhythm with that ragtime beat.
(Just) pack up your troubles in your old kit bag
and dance all night to the Salty Dog Rag.

Away down South 'neath the old Southern moon
the possum's up a tree and the hounds treed a coon
They'll hitch up the buggy to a broken down nag
and go out dancing to the Salty Dog Rag
They tune up the fiddle and they rosin up the bow
They strike a C chord on the old banjo
and holler hang on 'cause we ain't gonna drag
'cause here's the way you dance to the Salty Dog Rag

Dance Variations

This dance lends itself to playful interaction and swing dance turns, especially a backwards or forwards two-hand promenade pinwheel during the Step-Hop-Step-Hop sections. Watch the Dance with Peetipuff video for ideas.

It’s a Skating Dance!

Don’t forget in Part 1 to move R w/ a R to R, L behind, R to R, R hop and reverse to get the “skating” feel of the dance!

Cross-Roll-Star: “Chorus” or “2nd half of Part 1” or “Part 2”

The “Chorus” or “2nd half of Part 1” or “Part 2”, depending on which notes you follow, has a variation more likely due to confusion than choice. This is where partners are supposed to drop R hands and face each other and cross to change sides, roll back, and star around. The original notes call for M to remain facing LOD and W to turn ½ CCW to RLOD. Then the step is a schottische grapevine to the R for each with M moving away from the center and W moving inwards. Many M in videos do an awkward backing up step into the center, starting with the R, while the W moves out as prescribed. In this variant, then the burden of the turn from LOD to RLOD falls upon the M (½ CW) so a proper schottische grapevine R can be done. That M ½ CW turn is unnatural and takes some work to pivot backwards in time for count 1 on the R after just landing a hop on the L. It’s best to start the pivot with that count 4 L hop.

The ½-turn form may have originated because in the original choreography, the couple should next make a full CW star turn in four counts, but now you only need to make a half turn in those four steps to get to you original position, which can come quickly in faster versions of the recording. Because you dance that pattern twice, you could substitute a ½ turn and dance M on the outside 1st time and M on the inside 2nd time. In any case, the W still has to make a final ½ turn CW at the end of the star to return to LOD. If you look to the earliest choreography, the M turn to face outside the circle while W face inwards and the cross and roll happens with LOD and RLOD. This could be a problem with neighboring couples in a tight circle.

Your Options for Cross-Roll-Star

• M keep LOD, move to outside; W ½-turn CCW to RLOD, move inside.
  • Star 1 full turn OR Star ½-turn and dance 2nd time with M RLOD and W LOD
• M back ½-turn CW to RLOD, move to inside; W keep LOD, move to outside.
  • Alternatively, M face to outside and grapevine schottische backing up (awkward)
  • Star ½-turn each time.
• M turn ¼ CW and W turn ¼ CCW to face each other (M facing outside of circle, W facing inside.) Schottische grapevine in RLOD and LOD instead of in and out.
  • Start 1 full turn or ½ each time