Episode 157: Square Dancing with the Durlachers

The Long Island History Project

Glenn Durlacher looks back over his family’s legacy of square dance calling on Long Island with deserved pride. His grandfather Ed pioneered square dancing in the New York City area starting in the 1930s. At the urging of his friends in the Top Hands band, Ed made a name for himself calling dances and traveling to promote the use of his records and square dancing to phys ed teachers across the country.

This led to an association with Robert Moses and gigs calling at the 1939 World's Fair as well as in Central Park. But it was at the Jones Beach Bandshell that he made his greatest impression. First Ed, then his son Don, and then family friend Primo Fiore hosted weekly square dances every summer at the beach for over sixty years.

On today’s episode, Glenn relates the history of square dancing in his family and what he remembers of being at so many of those Jones Beach nights. We also discuss Glenn’s hopes for a more permanent commemoration of the importance of square dancing at Jones Beach.

If you or your family remember dancing at Jones Beach and would like to support the creation of a plaque to its memory, you can write to:

New York State Parks Regional Headquarters West Babylon, NY 11704

Further Research

• Square Dancing History Project
  • Central Park Newsreel
• Honor Your Partner (YouTube)
• Dix-Hills Melville Historical Association
• Ben & Jerry’s – About
• Audio Footnotes:
  • The Life Story of Primo Fiore