New Bielau Dance Hall Reunion is this Saturday

Not all Texas dance halls are the same, and New Bielau was definitely a different animal from the herd. As the Dance Hall Show crew have traveled over the years, chronicling halls and their communities for their upcoming television series, a similar story emerged from folks throughout Colorado, Lavaca, and Fayette counties: a big dance hall that was as hot as the music that emanated from its stage, cooled only by those syncopated ceiling fans that captured the attention of everyone who ever entered. It was more than a music hall, it was more than entertainment, it was a location where so many lives truly began through chance meetings, planned reunions, holiday adventures, and musical mysticism that untied generations for nearly 100 years.

Spurred by a chance conversation with Tim Langham of the Texas Unlimited Band one night at Freyburg Hall, the “New Bielau Dance Hall Reunion” was conceived as a showcase for some lost VHS footage that captured a perfect evening of revelry at the hall during a May 1991 dance by TUB. The ball began to roll, and what was originally a small screening has blossomed into a daytime gathering that will include personal stories and a musicians conversation from artists who played there from the 1960s through its 1990s finale. It will culminate with the rare footage provided by Mr. Langham, and we expect a lot of memories to flow from seeing so many familiar faces from 35 years ago caught on camera.

This reunion will be recorded for a future episode of “The Texas Dance Hall Show.” As such, we will not be allowing video recordings of the event, but there will be a few moments for pictures with those in attendance. By attending, you authorize “The Texas Dance Hall Show” to use your likeness on their program.

The New Bielau Dance Hall Reunion is this Saturday, May 30. Doors open at 1 p.m. with opening remarks beginning at 1:30 p.m. We will have a short history presentation, a discussion from musicians who played the hall (Triumphs, The Emotions, Texas Unlimited Band), and a screening of neverbefore- seen footage from a lively dance on Mother’s Day Weekend 1991.

And for the adults wishing to toast a good time, beer will be provided by the descendants of J.F. Beken, the gentleman who helped to build the hall.