There's something that I'd been wondering about recently, and after seeing a K-Ville commercial last night, it really made me curious. In one of the new commercials, they show a quick scene of some street performers dancing in Jackson Square. I spend a fair amount of time in the Quarter, and often have to walk through Jackson Square, usually at least once or twice a week. I've seen the musicians come back to play (there's usually at least someone out there performing, if not a small brass band), and I know many of the artists and tarot readers are back in the square. I think I've even seen the dancers who sometimes perform on the steps across Decatur Street from the cathedral, near Cafe du Monde... those teams of dancers who will gather a large group of tourists to sit on the steps and watch their performance. But to my recollection, I haven't seen any of the young kids tap dancing around the Quarter since Katrina. Someone tell me that I'm wrong... tell me that you've seen them performing along Decatur Street, because as far as I can tell this could very well be a tradition lost (at least temporarily) to Katrina.

Another lost Jackson Square tradition? Once in my work at the Louisiana State Museum, I came across an old photo of an organ-grinder monkey that used to perform in the square -- I want to say that the photo was taken sometime in the 40s or 50s. Can't say that I've ever seen a monkey in Jackson Square, so that is one tradition that is long gone. The picture of this money-grubbing pooch was taken in Jackson Square pre-Katrina too, by boxchain. Anyone seen this pup around lately?