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Folk Dance Federation of California, South, Inc. Westchester Lariats |
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The Westchester Lariats was founded in 1950 by Dr. and Mrs. J. Tillman Hall. It started as an extension of the Friday afternoon square dance classes taught by Dr. Hall at the request of neighborhood parents in Westchester. At the time, classes were offered to students in grades 2nd through 12th grade. It wasn’t long before some of the students were so accomplished, they were being asked to perform at local service and social club events. The Lariats was formed to provide these students, selected on the basis of skill, personal character and grades in school, with an opportunity to be further challenged by guest choreographers and to perform what they learned.
Over the next 24 years, Dr. Hall taught thousands of children in his Friday classes and rehearsed with the Lariats every Saturday morning. At any given time, approximately 200 members belonged to the Westchester Lariats. Each summer 20 young men and 25 young women were chosen to tour with 10 adult chaperones for 4-7 weeks. On their tours, they traveled throughout all 50 states, the Canadian provinces and nine countries in Western Europe. By the time Dr. Hall retired as executive and artistic director of the Lariats in 1974, the group had given over 2000 public performances and had toured 17 consecutive summers.
During the last seven years Dr. Hall was director of the Lariats, his younger daughter, Jody Hall Esser, served as the group’s main choreographer. During this time, she created more than 75 new numbers for the group and re-staged other signature numbers that remained in the group’s repertoire. Denny Delurgio took over the Lariats when Dr. Hall retired in 1974. Denny had been a dancer with the Lariats under Dr. Hall’s direction. She served as the Artistic Director from 1974-1981. Tom and Nance Mazzola were directors from 1981-1987. Billy Burke was Artistic Director from 1987-1989.
The 1990s saw many talented dancers lead the Lariats. Cozette Vergari directed the group from 1990-1992. Ann Kwinn, an ex Lariat, took the helm from 1992-1993. LynnAnne Hanson, Dawn Dyson, and Jennifer Benjoya, dancers from the professional folk dancing company, AMAN, served as Artistic Directors from 1993-2000. The 2000s had the classes by Artistic Director Vicky Cruz. Isabel Van Aalst took over the role of Artistic Director in 2020.