What’s a sock?

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A sock is a dance, often held for teenagers, that became popular in the 1950s when the term was coined. Because the dances were often held in school gymnasiums, the dancers would often take off their shoes and dance in their socks or stockings to avoid marking the gymnasium floors and to improve glide in dances such as the Twist, Mashed Potato and others. The dances held might simply be referred to as socks, since the practice was so common.

Several songs from the 1950s mention this type of dance. Little Richard’s tune Ready Teddy is about “sock ball,” for example. The most specific reference is Danny and the Juniors’ very popular 1958 song At the Hop, which describes the regular sock hop scene. Many films also depict these dances, most notably George Lucas’ 1973 film American Graffiti.

What differentiates a sock from other teen dances is that they are informal. They are different from proms or proms because they are less elegant and more common events. The dancers didn’t necessarily attend with a partner, unless they were dating, and instead showed up to dance to live or recorded music. The ball did not even have to take place in the evening hours, but could instead take place as an afternoon, early evening, or after-school event.

American Graffiti painted such a dance in 1962, but by the late 1960s the practice had become much less common. In the 1970s they were replaced by “dances”, still relatively informal events, but in which the dancers kept their shoes on. Dance styles have changed to reflect very different music. First in the late 1960s and early 1970s much of the psychedelic rock or standard rock of the era were popular choices, and then later disco music from the mid 1970s to early 1970s The 1980s reintroduced partner dancing for many tracks, and often required women to dance in heels.

Sock hop hasn’t died out entirely, however, and the tradition of having informal dances especially for younger children in elementary or middle school was embraced again in the 1990s. Many school administrators and parents hoped to discourage children from viewing proms as “romantic” events, but still wanted children to enjoy dancing to music.

The music played in modern sock hop can range from anything modern to anything dating back to the 1950s, and children are encouraged not to bring dates, but to come on their own. Some elementary schools also hold family-oriented dances. This strips them of any romantic or sexual elements because the children participate with their families and there are chaperones in every direction. While some children may complain of excessive adult supervision, it provides an opportunity for children to have a laugh with their parents, who often enjoy attending these dances as much as their own children.

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