No, I never memorized dance steps or could even master a decent "Twist." I could bend awkwardly to a "Limbo Rock" under a party pole and made brief attempts with "The Macarena." I even tried country line dancing and, admittedly, survived one uncomfortable class in ballroom dancing. But in my high school years, dancing was not cool among my colleagues. I attended a sock dance or two mostly to hear live rock n' roll, hang out with buddies and gawk at usually unattainable girls. When I did occasionally dance to the music with those girls, it was that wild free form thing. It worked for me, just feeling the beat of the music and being careful not to trip on my feet or anyone else's.
The most surprising dance occasion that I experienced was highlighted by a top 40 act called the Outsiders, who rode on a 1966 national hit called "Time Won't Let Me." It was big news when the Outsiders were scheduled to play at a dance in my high school gym, but the result was disappointing. The band showed up very late, played a song or two along with the hit single, then packed up and left. The whole school was deflated from a too short glimpse of real rock stars, who didn't even hang around to sign autographs.
The other memorable sock hop, one that I missed, was in a local elementary school gym. it featured a black, "soul" band called the Jackson Five from nearby Gary, Indiana. I had already graduated from high school when I heard about the dance and the family-friendly pop group, who had a number-one hit with "I Want You Back." Their leader, Michael, was just a little kid and I had no interest in going to this teenybopper fest. Who knew at the time all that would follow in the wildly eccentric, media-hyped career of future superstar Michael Jackson?
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