Story: Dancing

Railway workers’ dance, 1948

Railway workers, whose jobs meant they moved from place to place, put on their own dances. This film excerpt shows workers at Ōtira, on the West Coast, meeting for a Friday-night dance at a local hall. They are shown here dancing the maxina, with music provided by a piano player. Supper remained an important part of a dance. It was often provided by the women who attended, who brought plates of food to share.

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Archives New Zealand - Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga
Reference: Railway Worker. National Film Unit, 1948

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How to cite this page:

Megan Cook, 'Dancing - Jazz to rock ’n’ roll', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/video/40944/railway-workers-dance-1948 (accessed 29 March 2024)

Story by Megan Cook, published 5 Sep 2013