The “Stag Line”: A Cape Breton Dance Hall phenomenon (part of our Cape Breton Social Heritage)

The “Stag Line”, a male high school dance practice, was certainly indigenous to Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia Canada.

Remember those Cape Breton school dances in the 1960s?

The community hall or gymnasium would be dimly lighted by a few flood lights. Whether the music was delivered by a jukebox, a DJ or live band, the use of a color organ and strobe light was prevalent – you had to have colored lights pulsing to the beat of the music. Waiting in anticipation of being asked to dance, the teenage ladies were seated along the walls of the dance floor while some of the young girls started things off by dancing with each other.

In Cape Breton this familiar 1960s dance scene now took a radical depart from the norm. The young gents, dressed in typical macho denim jeans 'n jacket, entered the dance hall 'struttin' their stuff'. Then, like "the March of the Penguins", these young males, 2 or 3 abreast, began a deliberate saunter (always in counter clockwise direction) around the dance floor.

This procession of "eligible male dance partners" (hence the name '''stag line''') expanded with more guys joining their buddies in the "dance floor walk about". In short order, this stag line grew to a solid moving procession (2 to 4 wide) of guys. For the entire evening, this organized stag line circled the dance floor, positioned between the dancing masses and the eligible ladies sitting along the edge of the gymnasium.

What was the purpose of this Cape Breton dance-matching ritual?

Being in the stag line, provided each male ample opportunity (multiple loops of the dance floor) to scope out the females, both dancing and sitting. He would spot his next potential dance partner. With both the encouragement and jabs from his immediate “stag line” buddies, once he worked up the nerve, (usually after 4-10 passes) the male would simply step out of the stag line in front of the chosen sitting lady and request a dance.

Now here is the shear brilliance of the stag line. It really was a simple male support system for those almost always shy and awkward teenage guys working up the courage to ask a girl to dance. If the female response was affirmative, the gentlemen simply escorted her to the dance floor then danced to as many tunes as was enjoyable for both. When the dancing was ended by either party, the guy escorted her back to her seat and then (this is perfect) rejoined his comrades in the stag line parade.

Now, should a female's response to a dance request be 'negatory' or even a little hesitant, the "stag line extracted" male need simply to step back into the line right next to the comfort and support ( or jabs) of his buddies. And likely only a few people even noticed the rejection let alone the valiant attempt. Everyone kept face. And the recovering male, once re-composed, would start the hunt for the next dance partner.

How did the stag line practice get started?

One plausible theory about the origin of the “stag line” is that at a dance enters the local 'fonzie”,tough guy with his entourage of tough guys. Being the “top catch for any lady”, these tough guys started to strut in front of the ladies seated around the dance floor. Low and behold, the 'regular', 'not so tough', 'but wanting to be part of the tough guy club' guys started following behind these tough guys. And so the 'stag line' was born. The stage line phenomenon appears to have only survived the 1960's teenage generation. Not sure if any photographs have captured this social dance practice.

So the stag line really brought a kind social order to Cape Breton teenage dances. No one got hurt and males learned to deal with rejection and ridicule in a more supportive (sometimes not) team environment.

Maybe stag lines should re-introduced for those over 50 dances. If for no other reason, seniors would get our walking exercise. Picture that.....

The “Stag Line”: A Cape Breton Dance Hall phenomenon (part of our Cape Breton Social Heritage)