All about the "Social" part of Dancing
So… about 5 minutes ago I saw a video. It was supposedly ‘Bachata’. What it really was consisted of an out-of-control diamond, a badly executed lateral, a rough chicote, and a couple other things. Basically, it was horridly executed Brazilian Zouk. It was not Bachata in the *slightest*. This isn’t the first time I’ve seen a video like this.
So, you have a favourite dance. You probably have a favourite style of said dance. But, what happens when certain styles are deemed ‘illegitimate’ because they’re not the ‘original’? I’ve seen this in almost every genre. Kizomba, WCS, Salsa, Zouk…The question is, why is it that certain styles of the same dance are ‘illegitimate’ vs. ‘legitimate’?
I read a heartbreaking Facebook post today. Through a friend’s post I learned that a beautiful, vibrant and well-loved dancer in his scene took her own life. To be clear, I never met this girl. All that I know about her I only know through her public Facebook profile. From what I could see, she looked like a beautiful and well-loved woman with a penchant for unknown horror films who made people smile and laugh. She does not appear to the world as someone in a deep, dark place on the verge of taking their own life.
There is perhaps almost no activity so entwined with moving and knowing your body – both its aesthetics and its capabilities – than dance. Unlike things like modeling, we require acute awareness of our body’s capabilities. Unlike traditional athletes, we have to not only get the job done – but look good doing it too. Plus, in dance, our body is usually in contact with others or shown off through clothing.
“I dance because dancing is life” – ‘T’ – New York, NY – USA Why do we dance? I dance because there is nothing else that engages me the same way physically, emotionally and socially all at once. It is a journey of perpetual growth alongside people I adore and cherish. But, I’m not the only dancer out there. In a quest to find what drives us dancers in our crazy, colorful, passionate pursuit of dance, I decided to reach out to the community. From solo artists to stage performers and social dancers, some themes seemed consistent across genre and…
I went to the Dominican with pretty low dance-pectations. I was travelling with my mother (a non-dancer), and I didn’t know anyone in the area. I tried in advance to connect with dance groups, but to no avail. Several friends had warned me that the island was ‘dangerous’, and I probably would not be OK venturing out into the night to find some dancing.
I have two main dance loves: Brazilian Zouk and West Coast Swing. There are certainly other styles that I adore, but none that quite captured my heart as deeply as these two. Zouk, with its flowing, deeply connected sensuality, creativity and exquisite sense of musicality… West Coast Swing, with its smooth flow unique connection, creativity, and vibrant sense of musicality…
A couple is embracing on the dance floor. The follow’s hips are swaying side to side as the lead signals just how to move. The music is deep and strong, pulsing through the dancers’ interpretations of rhythm, lyrics, and melody. The partners are in their own world; oblivious to the many other dancers around them in the dimly-lit and steamy room. Is their dance Sensual, Sexual, or Sexy? Your answer likely has a close tie to your dance background, culture, and comfort level on the dance floor. For example, a Kizomba dancer will have a very different interpretation of these…
There are countless reasons why dancing (in any form) is something you should have in your life. But there is something special about Zouk – something that captivates the soul. So, here are 6 reasons you should dance Zouk: 1. The Music. It can be everything from hypnotic to hip-hop, trance to lyrical. No matter what your flavour, you can connect to the music. I will never forget the first time that I walked into a Zouk social – it was a whole different world from the Salsa/Bachata flavours I had experienced before. There is something primal in the Zouk rhythm; something that…
We (dancers) are a community. There are good and bad things that go with this. For example, everyone knows everyone else’s business and history. Did you go on two dates back with that one guy from two years ago? Yup, we know about it. Did you and this other person get into a fight? Yes, we know about that, too.
I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about the reasons people dance. I have spent far less time thinking about the reasons people don’t – or won’t – dance. Today, in my mindless internet forays, I came across an article about a fitness expert who decided to gain and lose 70 lbs just to see what it felt like and relate to his clients here. What does gaining/losing weight have to do with this article? Not much. But his musings on why people don’t successfully lose weight got me thinking. The following is a hypothesis, and is certainly not backed…
One of the few times I got myself out to Lindy Hop, a very astounding thing happened. First off, I’m definitely a beginner when it comes to Lindy Hop. Of course, I can dance… which gives me a bit of a head start. In any case, I found myself at a Lindy dance one night, and had plenty of baskets of fun. It’s not my favorite dance in the world, but it’s fun. I see why people go mad bananas over it. As I was leaving, an older man (I won’t call him gentleman for the reasons following) came up to me…
Every once in a while, I see a new dancer who comes into the scene with not a clue what they are doing. Someone who has not had the chance or money to take classes, or who does not have the opportunity to gain exposure to the level of dancing some of us are regularly privy to. Sometimes, this dancer is naturally “gifted”; there is something in their past or some sort of other ability that gives them a jump start in the dance world. Other times, they have just stumbled into dance later in life, but have a deep-seated…