Joan Sawyer wrote an article that was published in the March 21, 1914 edition of The Omaha Daily Bee entitled, “A New Dance for You: Three in One Fully Described.” The article has been reproduced below:
Omaha daily bee., March 31, 1914, Page 9, Image 9
According to Ms. Sawyer, the Three-in-One is a combination of the one-step, waltz and tango. The tenor of the article, in fact, implies that Ms. Sawyer may have been instrumental in the original creation of the Three-in-One.
The dance begins and ends with the one step. The initial one-step section lasts until the dancers decide to segue into the “Jarrott Step.” The step may have been named after one of Ms. Walton’s partners (perhaps the partner pictured above – his name is not provided) who was billed, in one publication, as “Little Johnny Jarrott.” Ms. Walton describes the Jarrott Step thusly:
“[It] consists of a long glide, going forward three steps, pivoting on the fourth, going back three steps, and gauging the position so as not to go twice in the same direction.
There is then a light hold while breaking into the waltz tempo, because, on account of the change in time, there is one extra beat.”
Ms. Sawyer states that the dancers may pick any style of waltz at this juncture, including but presumably not limited to the Boston waltz or Hesitation waltz. The dancers are then instructed to gradually lengthen the waltz into the tango so that no extra step is needed.
Ms. Sawyer suggests an unusual tango variation that she apparently originated, in which the gentleman dances and the lady walks. She notes that it is “attractive to watch, mainly because it is different.”
The couple exits the tango with the gentleman backing, and the lady walking forward, to resume the one step.
The article was provided by Chronicling America. It can also be viewed at Nebraska Newspapers. The cover image was provided by Wikimedia Commons. The picture originated in The Tatler (Apr. 1921), as provided by the Internet Archive. According to Wikimedia, the image is in the public domain in the United States. The April 1921 edition of The Tatler describes the picture as follows:
“Miss Joan Sawyer, the famous American dancer, who has just returned from Paris and a year’s successful dancing tour of the European capitals. She will shortly be seen in vaudeville with her dancing partner, Lee Tanton, and her dog, Acheo III, a handsome Russian wolfhound, presented to her by the King of Spain in appreciation of her dancing instruction.”
The dog is, indeed, a good looking dog.
Fascinating Rhythms 
