Minneapolis held the first Aquatennial in July 1940, featuring Chief One Bull, Gene Autry and a new dance step, the Aquatrot. The Minneapolis Star alerted Minnesotans to the big dance:

Contest Will Introduce
Aquatennial Dance Step

Aquatrot to Be Tried
in Nine Other
Towns

Detail of first Aquatennial poster.

Minneapolis and nine other Minnesota towns will conduct regional dance contests to introduce the new Aquatrot, official dance of the Minneapolis Aquatennial, July 20 to 28.

Mimeographed diagrams of basic Aquatrot steps will be mailed to Chambers of Commerce in each of the nine towns, as well as to two ballrooms in Minneapolis.

Regional contests will be conducted the week before the Aquatennial, while eliminations in local ballrooms will start this week. Local eliminations will be Wednesday nights at Excelsior ballroom and Friday nights at the Marigold.

Regional contests will be conducted in Duluth, and during special dances in the eight-night stopover towns along the route of the Aquatennial Paul Bunyan Canoe derby from Bemidji to Minneapolis the week before the Aquatennial.

Canoe derby towns and dates for their dances are Bemidji, July 12; Grand Rapids, July 13; Palisade, July 14; Aitkin, July 15; Brainerd, July 16; Little Falls, July 17; St. Cloud, July 18; and Anoka, July 19.

Prizes will be offered in each contest, and winners will compete in the statewide Aquatrot finals during the Aquatennial street dance on Nicollet avenue, Tuesday night, July 23.

First and second place trophies will be awarded, Richards said, and winners will be featured in Aquatennial attractions later in the week.

Sixty-five Minneapolis business establishments, representing 9,00 men and women employes, already have contracted for official costumes for the Aquatennial and more than 30 other firms, with more than 6,000 additional employes, are expected to order costumes within 10 days.

Dance fever: Demonstrating the Aquatrot in 1940.

This entry was posted on Monday, July 9th, 2007 at 11:24 pm and is filed under Main, Muscle, Society. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.