Year

1958

Video Details

10:20; color; sound; V-192; flba008; S. 1579; Media 1979-21

Description

This film is composed of performance clips from the 1958 Florida Folk Festival held at the Stephen Foster Memorial in White Springs, Florida. Seminole expert Albert DeVane of Lake Placid introduces Seminole chief Billie Bowlegs and the Frank Shore family. The audio level is very low in this portion, making the commentary nearly inaudible. Oklahoma Creek Indian and famed artist Fred Beaver performs native dances with a rattle and encourages the audience to participate as he chants. This film also features a variety of folk dances, including a young group of girls who blend ballerina technique with a folk dance. There are also Filipino dancers from the University of Florida as well as square dancers. Toshiko Mishima, a Japanese-American singer, performs a lilting ballad. Later, whip-cracker and Gainesville native Claude Sheppard demonstrates tricks. The segment ends with Czech dancers performing the Beseda dance to accordion music by Jerry Psenka. There is some film deterioration at the start and end of the film, but the middle segment is clean. Produced by Robert Leahy Studio.

Contributors

Robert Leahy Studios

Corporate Subject

Florida Folk Festival
Florida Folklife Program

Geographic Subject

Stephan Foster Memorial Park (White Springs, Fla.)
White Springs

Subject

Folk art
Folk music
Folklore
Pageants
Promotional films