Louisiana was once dotted with dancehalls—many communities were outfitted with at least one. Equal parts bar, performance hall, and community center, the traditional dance hall provided a space for much needed recreation. Although a few remain open today, the majority of these legendary institutions have closed their doors. Now a frequent stop for tourists from all over the world, Louisiana dancehalls started as an intensely local phenomenon. Come explore.
About:
The information on this site is organized by dancehall name, town, or parish and is displayed with any known information and images. Information on this website was collected from many sources that are listed when possible. If no source is given for the listed information, that indicates that it was gathered in a personal interview with the author. Information presented here may conflict with your own knowledge or recollections. Time and the type of beverages enjoyed at these establishments, author misunderstandings, and other errors can sometimes make this a hazy subject. If you have any comments or corrections, information or photographs on any of the listings and would like to share, please contact me.
Definition of dancehall:
For the purposes of this survey, dancehalls have been defined as: establishments frequently having live music and dancing as the main source of entertainment. This broad definition allows for the inclusion of house dances, pavilions, teen centers, meeting halls, nightclubs, and sometimes bars, as well as festivals. This is done in an attempt to acquire information about these places while multiple collaborating sources still exist.