Photographs of a Cajun Fais Do-Do Dance in Crowley, Louisiana in 1938

For the uninitiated a 'Fais do-do' (do is pronounced dough) refers to a Cajun dance party of some sort often held on a Sunday afternoon.

These photographs were taken by Russell Lee as part of the Farm Security Administration and now kept at the Library of Congress. The Cajun Fais do-do was at Crowley in Louisiana as part of the National Rice Festival then in its second year in 1938. It’s now called the International Rice Festival.

 

Fais do-do near Crowley, Louisiana, Russell Lee, October 1938

According to Jushua Clegg Caffery the term ‘Fais do-do’ (do is pronounced dough) refers to a public dance of some sort often held on a Sunday afternoon. The term is often said to have evolved from the practice of older relatives lulling babies to sleep in the ‘Parc aux petits’ – a room for young children in the back of Louisiana dance halls. Caffery offers an alternative however and one that is almost certainly correct. He writes:

There is another explanation, however, that has been overlooked. In various folk dancing traditions throughout America and Europe, the contra dance call/step dos-à-dos, from the French meaning “back to back,” gave rise to a diversity of vernacular terms. For instance, in Western square dancing, dos-à-dos transmuted into “dosado,” and remains a popular dance step and call to this day. In fact, www.dosado.com is the central online hub for contemporary Western square dancing. Similarly, in English, “dos à dos” became “do si do,” a familiar call retained in a number of Anglo-American folk songs and dance traditions.

 

Cajun orchestra for the Fais do-do. Having a break with drinks, Russell Lee, 1938

Crowley, Louisiana, October 1938

Fais do-do in Crowley Louisiana, 1938

Russell Lee, October 1938

Men congregating in the centre of the hall, Crowley, Louisiana, 1938

Men’s section at the Fais do-do, Crowley Louisiana, Russell Lee, 1938

Corner of the dance hall reserved for checking children while the parents dance

The man behind the bar

Fais do-do at Crowley, Louisiana, 1938

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