A Dance organ is a mechanical organ designed to be used in a dance hall or ballroom. Being intended for use indoors, dance organs tend to be quieter than the similar fairground organ. Dance organs were principally used in Belgium and the southern Netherlands. The Dance organ came into its own during the 1920s, with the large instruments built by Mortier. While the earlier instruments had classically carved wooden fronts, in the 1930s fashion dictated elaborate art deco appearances. Later still, during the 1950s, organs were built with a noticeably simpler appearance, often making use of formica and imitation wood coverings. Most of the new organs being built no longer used pipes for making the sound, but tended to use electronic organs altered to be played mechanically. With rhythm being an important part of dance, dance organs usually have many more percussion instruments than other mechanical organs. The instruments will often have piano accordions mounted on the front, and these are connected to and played by the organ. The saxophones found on the front of some organs are not actually played, but the keys will be operated to give the appearance that they are. There are also some combination electronic/pipe organs that have been built. Using computer technology, some of the latest innovations include giving volume control to the percussion by controlling the velocity of the beaters. Recordings of vocal parts can also be synchronized to the music that is set to play for singing accompaniment. Early Dance organs were operated by the 'book system' used on fair organs. The more modern instruments are often MIDI controlled. Apart from Mortier, the principal builders of Dance Organs were Gebr. Decap, in Belgium, Gaudin and Marenghi in France. Other high quality Belgian instruments were built by Hooghuys in Gerardsbergen (previously Grammont) and Brugge, after a long family history of building church-organs, reflected in the timbre and naming of the pipework.
