Have a Toe-Tapping Good Time in Texas Dance Halls

A treat this week! We have a guest blogger, Beverly Burmeier from www.goingonadventures.com and www.stripedpot.com, providing a great article about Texas Dance Halls.

Dance hall, restaurant, saloon, biergarten, and Czech bakery—roll it all together and you must be at Sengelmann Hall in Schulenburg, Texas. Renovated over a two-year period and opened in June 2009 after being closed for 60 years, the success of Senglemann Hall is proof that traditional dance halls are still kicking in Texas.

Photo Credit: Sengleman Hall

“In its heyday, farmers and ranchers would come to town and sell, shop, and trade and then come to Sengelmann Hall for the big Saturday night dance,” current owner Dana Harper says. “These dance halls are still places where children learn to dance by standing on their daddy’s toes, and that makes them worth saving,” adds Patrick Sparks, president of nonprofit Texas Dance Hall Preservation Inc.

Here’s the scoop on Senglemann Hall: Built in the 1890’s by the Senglemann brothers of Hamburg, Germany, the dance hall has been authentically restored by Harper, whose family originally settled in Schulenburg. It retains 19th century charm with carved marble pillars, the original long-leaf pine dance floor, wrought iron fixtures, pressed tin ceiling, and long wooden benches where today’s dancers can sit and rest a spell.

But it also includes 21st century amenities like a full service family restaurant serving “pul a pul” cuisine (a combination of German and Czech) and a seasonally changing menu with homemade breads, butters, pretzels and flavored spreads made with ingredients from local farms and ranches.

Hundreds of dance halls were scattered across central Texas during the 1920s and 1930s. These were built by predominately German and Czech immigrants who settled there during the 19th century. Senglemann and other dance halls like New Braunfels’ renowned Gruene Hall, authentic Luckenbach Hall, Austin’s Broken Spoke, and historic Cherry Springs Dance Hall became multi-faceted entertainment venues, a characteristic they retain today. In addition, modern day dance halls like Sengelmann preserve the culture and heritage of a former era. They bring a welcome revival of family entertainment (kids 12 and under receive free admission) and economic revitalization for many rural communities.

Many of these great halls have seen (and continue to feature) big name music stars. Country, Western swing, and polka are staples with traditional melodies still drawing crowds to the public dances. Special occasions like New Year’s Eve will provide reasonably priced dancing and dining to true Texas style music.