the Paul Jones Mixer Dance

Introduced into the Australian dance scene in 1920
The Mixer Dances were being created to enlist a break from tradition. A fun way to change partners and ensure even the most demure could take part in dancing with new people.

the local Qld News introduced the fun dance as such in January 1920

An event of much interest in the dancing world took place at the Embassy Club, London recently – when the “Paul Jones” was introduced. The introduction of the new dance marks a departure from the ultra-modern type of Ballroom Dance and a return on new lines to the old style.
The dance was described as follows –
It begins with the band playing a one step and couples dancing in the ordinary way. Then a whistle is blown and immediately a circle is formed by the entire company joining hands while the orchestra continues to play.
The circle revolves to the right until the whistle is blown again, whereupon the circle is broken and the dancers turn outwards, the ladies going to the right mid the gentlemen to the left. From this movement a chain is formed very much in the style of the old Lancers.
When the whistle is blown once more each gentleman takes possession of the nearest lady as a partner. The dance continues in this formation until the whistle is blown yet again, when two circles are formed, the inner circle being made up of ladies and the outer of gentlemen.
These two circles proceed to revolve in opposite directions and on the next blast of the whistle the gentleman takes the lady immediately in front of him.
So the fun proceeds until the dancers have sorted themselves out and original partners are restored.

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