60/40 dances...

[Dingo40]

In my teens there were dances held 3 or 4 times per week in local halls. A small admission charge took care of the small band and the hire of the hall.
The dances were generally shared among "old style" ( barn dances, progressive dances) and modern style (foxtrot, quickstep, English Walse) on a 50/50 or a 60/40 split: rock hadn't become a thing...yet!
This was some of the style of music we danced to:

In the days before the Tv, drive-in and rock took over, a small band of 3 or 4 musicians (often including an accordionist) could make a decent second income by playing for about 3 hours once or twice a week
In rural towns this custom persisted (on a monthly basis) into the 1980s with some customers travelling up to several hundred kilometres to attend (a supper being included).

 

[boxplayer4000]

Dingo40
The dances you describe were still very popular here in Scotland, Northern England until Covid. They still survive but with much less participation.
The dances were very friendly and were great social occasions as well dancing and provided me with a lot of work right into my late 70s. I miss the social interaction very much.
The musicians in the video above are all neighbours and friends.
The dance 'Mississippi Dip', despite its name, was devised by a dance instructor in my local city of Edinburgh in the early 20th century.

 

[Walker]

Ah yes... a fine rasping, rambunctious musette that really rolls it's Rs. More tunes please, Dingo!

 

[boxplayer4000]

The musette in the Gola is/was a very modest 18 cents as I remember, very modest by some local standards.

 

[Walker]

Oh sure, 18 cent is mellow... but I've heard some boxes and the tuning must be near 28 cent and the tune starts to get a bit garbled, like you're listening to it under water... maybe that's why some call it 'wet' tuning? Mind you the swimming pool is so expensive these days you'd be cheaper going to an accordion club and remember to bring your snorkel and nose clip. ​