The Big Apple Comes Home - Locations
My Apologies for not getting this information up earlier.
We'll be conducting the dances and workshops at several venues throughout Columbia, But they will all be within a short distance of the downtown area.
Big Apple
1000 Hampton St.Columbia, SC 29201
Happening here: Advanced tryouts, Advanced Track, Friday Night Dance
Floors: Hardwoods
Of course in wouldn't be as great of a weekend if we didn't dance at the Historic Big Apple, the dance hall credited with the birth of the dance itself.
The historic Big Apple was originally the House of Peace synagogue, located at 1318 Gate Street (today Park Street). After the congregation outgrew the building, the structure was sold with the stipulation that it never be used as a synagogue again. In 1936, it became an African-American dance hall called the Big Apple Night Club. At a time when most businesses in South Carolina were segregated, the Big Apple Night Club became one of ColumbiaÕs most popular African-American dance spots. Within a year of the club's opening, African-American youth crafted an energetic dance that spawned a national craze. Now located at 1000 Hampton Street, the building retains many of its original architectural features such as the synagogueÕs domed ceiling and the neon moon and stars from its days as a nightclub. The Big Apple is now owned and operated by the Historic Columbia Foundation which seeks to nurture, support and protect the historical and cultural heritage of Columbia and its environs through programs of advocacy, education and preservation.
www.hilarymercer.com