Endangered Places in 2015: Texas Dancehalls

Dancehalls—places for small-town Texans to gather for community—are struggling to survive in a changing Texas.

1 minute read

December 25, 2015, 9:00 AM PST

Charles Scudder pens a magazine-style feature article about the waning of a Texas institution: the dancehall:

The two-step is as much a part of our state identity as cattle drives and Friday night football. For generations, Texans have danced at little halls from Galveston to Lubbock and just about everywhere in between.

But time is threatening the Texas dance hall with extinction.

According to Scudder, less than half of the state's historic dance halls are in use, and many of those still operating are attracting far fewer people and are adjusting operations to stay afloat.

In a feature full of videos and photos, Scudder tells the story of three examples of historic dance halls in small towns in Texas.

FULL STORY: Number of Texas dance halls is dwindling, but some keep two-stepping

Tuesday, December 22, 2015 in The Dallas Morning News

History / Preservation Urban Development Texas Dancehalls gathering places

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