He Goes:
Last week Spoon and I listed the attributes that made us avoid some of our potential dance partners. It's not easy to look at a list and not spot one or two things that you yourself are guilty of, and looking at Spoon's list I immediately thought: Oh, right. Floorcraft.
The mysterious art. The reason why Cuban salsa dancers supposedly do a left-to-right basic. The reason why Balboa starts to get popular as dance scenes get more crowded. The difference between you and your follow strutting off the floor confidently and limping off the floor with your arm under hers.
I consider myself a pretty reckless dancer. I like big moves, and I think it's generally coolest if you don't look too much at where you're going. But even with small moves and careful dancing there's a lot of scope for disaster. When I'm leading I'm thinking about the pulse of the music, about the position in the bar, about how I can get ready for the next move, how close we are to a break or the end, whether my right hand is safely in the middle of my follow's back or whether it's crept down like a sleaze hand to her waist, whether my posture's okay, whether there's something in the lyrics I can use... to do all of that in addition to keeping track of all of the couples dancing around us is a recipe for failure. I have to drop one or two tasks, and although usually it isn't floorcraft, sometimes it is.
The strange thing about floorcraft is who the victims are. It's almost always follows, with spectators coming a solid second. I guess this is because leads generally stay where they are, making them easier to track - while follows are sent spinning all over the place and spectators move unpredictably around the edge of the dance floor. Manoeuvring to minimise collisions with other dancers (for instance moving a lindy-charleston to the edge of the floor and facing in) sometimes also makes it more likely that spectators will get unfavourably involved. A few weeks ago, near the beginning of my big dance marathon, I did a hit-the-deck charleston (touching the floor on one with a big mule-kick behind). I'd thought I was nice and safe, but in fact there was a spectator close enough behind to get (gently) mule-kicked in the stomach. Kicking a stranger in the stomach is almost more mortifying than the accidental bad touch.
You'd think, having made that terrible mistake once, I would avoid it again. But a mere week later I found myself charleston-ing to some fast-tempo music. Three basics in a row, and then clearly it would be worth doing something to mark the end of the section. I checked behind. I checked behind again. I hit the deck, left leg out behind me - directly into a spectator's thigh. He'd somehow managed to ninja himself in the way in between me looking and me hitting the deck.
D'oh.
The trouble with floorcraft is that it's most necessary in the most cramped conditions, but they're also the conditions in which all the simple ways of doing it go out of the window - if you're dancing in a crush it's hard to keep your arse out so that you hit bumper-to-bumper because it's easier to be upright. The same for keeping your arms out. At a busy dance you're more likely to meet beginner follows with dangerously inappropriate footwear. There's also a psychological aspect - although I like busy dances because of the ambience, I also find they can be a little bit boring. If there's no room to swing out you're stuck largely with 6-count moves and tight partnered charleston - which can work, but if you have to dance a whole evening without swinging your follow out once it can begin to feel a little like you've failed dancing. I've taken to inventing what I call the "Red Rhythm Swingout" to try to get round this - more like a Lindy Circle that ends in open than a proper swing-out, in which I hang on to my follower almost until she's put her foot down on the seven beat so that I can place her safely into the tiny space available for her. It's not great, but it gives me the option of a swing-out that doesn't end in Picasso's Guernica.
The mysterious art. The reason why Cuban salsa dancers supposedly do a left-to-right basic. The reason why Balboa starts to get popular as dance scenes get more crowded. The difference between you and your follow strutting off the floor confidently and limping off the floor with your arm under hers.
I consider myself a pretty reckless dancer. I like big moves, and I think it's generally coolest if you don't look too much at where you're going. But even with small moves and careful dancing there's a lot of scope for disaster. When I'm leading I'm thinking about the pulse of the music, about the position in the bar, about how I can get ready for the next move, how close we are to a break or the end, whether my right hand is safely in the middle of my follow's back or whether it's crept down like a sleaze hand to her waist, whether my posture's okay, whether there's something in the lyrics I can use... to do all of that in addition to keeping track of all of the couples dancing around us is a recipe for failure. I have to drop one or two tasks, and although usually it isn't floorcraft, sometimes it is.
The strange thing about floorcraft is who the victims are. It's almost always follows, with spectators coming a solid second. I guess this is because leads generally stay where they are, making them easier to track - while follows are sent spinning all over the place and spectators move unpredictably around the edge of the dance floor. Manoeuvring to minimise collisions with other dancers (for instance moving a lindy-charleston to the edge of the floor and facing in) sometimes also makes it more likely that spectators will get unfavourably involved. A few weeks ago, near the beginning of my big dance marathon, I did a hit-the-deck charleston (touching the floor on one with a big mule-kick behind). I'd thought I was nice and safe, but in fact there was a spectator close enough behind to get (gently) mule-kicked in the stomach. Kicking a stranger in the stomach is almost more mortifying than the accidental bad touch.
You'd think, having made that terrible mistake once, I would avoid it again. But a mere week later I found myself charleston-ing to some fast-tempo music. Three basics in a row, and then clearly it would be worth doing something to mark the end of the section. I checked behind. I checked behind again. I hit the deck, left leg out behind me - directly into a spectator's thigh. He'd somehow managed to ninja himself in the way in between me looking and me hitting the deck.
D'oh.
The trouble with floorcraft is that it's most necessary in the most cramped conditions, but they're also the conditions in which all the simple ways of doing it go out of the window - if you're dancing in a crush it's hard to keep your arse out so that you hit bumper-to-bumper because it's easier to be upright. The same for keeping your arms out. At a busy dance you're more likely to meet beginner follows with dangerously inappropriate footwear. There's also a psychological aspect - although I like busy dances because of the ambience, I also find they can be a little bit boring. If there's no room to swing out you're stuck largely with 6-count moves and tight partnered charleston - which can work, but if you have to dance a whole evening without swinging your follow out once it can begin to feel a little like you've failed dancing. I've taken to inventing what I call the "Red Rhythm Swingout" to try to get round this - more like a Lindy Circle that ends in open than a proper swing-out, in which I hang on to my follower almost until she's put her foot down on the seven beat so that I can place her safely into the tiny space available for her. It's not great, but it gives me the option of a swing-out that doesn't end in Picasso's Guernica.
As well as brain-power, floorcraft requires muscle - it's not easy keeping your backside out and your arms up if you're dancing for three hours. I tend to straighten up as the night goes on and my legs and core muscles become more and more tired. At least this is one feature of dancing that corrects itself - by the time I'm tired, half of the other dancers are too, and the floor is clear once again.
She Goes:
Floor craft is a pretty flippin' big deal when it comes to social dancing. I find it absurd that people are still not able to take these basic concepts on boards. It's common sense! Come on now!
Let's start with spectators. They're mostly dancers and so can scoot round a tightly packed dancefloor without too much trauma. (being able to 'read' the flow of the moves).. However there is the odd individual who will try and short cut across a fast-filling-floor... and the results are not always 'phew that was close'... Also, the people stood/sat around the dance floor. Yes, you're all tuckered out, bless, from swinging the flip out during the last song, but please folks, keep your limbs out of stomping range!
Now. The nitty gritty.
I agree with Keith in terms of big moves being better. Big moves! Kicky legs! Flung out arms! Twist! Heels! However! It's bad enough accidentally injuring the person you're dancing with, never mind someone you're not. Spending a whole dance apologising is not exactly confidence-boosting and rather distracting. You spend a couple of bars post-apology guiltily glancing over your shoulder, and then a couple of bars trying to refocus yourself. You may miss the killer break in the tune. The song may end before you get your groove back. You may regain your focus only for it to happen again! (This happened to me recently, I actually poked someone in the face. Mortifying. Took me ages to regain my composure and pretty much ruined the dance for me from that point. Fortunately we had a second song which was less violent!)
It takes two to STFO, and good manners on the floor come from team work. Leads, keep your eyes peeled, but follows be aware too. Yes, they're driving, but remember, you can still grab the handbrake at any time. He's swinging you out and you know the space has been snapped up? Twist round early, slow it down, style it up, whatever!
When there is a collision/clipped heel/punch in the face, apologise! Even if you don't think it was your fault! Don't be the lead/follow people mutter grumpily about every time you have an incident.
There's a couple of great leads I can think of straight away who are great to dance with, but I dread when there's a busy dancefloor. I love unexpected dips and jumps, keep me on my toes, and I enjoy the challenge of an aggressive swing out, keep me on my count, but i don't like any of these things if I'm constantly having to reign the moves in on your behalf. (and believe me, I often am)
It really does come down to common sense and manners. If it's crowded as hell, dial down the swing outs. If it's a really fast floor, get used to it (and check your partner has too) before busting out some faster moves. And if injuries are sustained, apologise, shake it off and hop to the bar for a time out. Not exactly mind blowing stuff, is it? *innocent face*
Let's start with spectators. They're mostly dancers and so can scoot round a tightly packed dancefloor without too much trauma. (being able to 'read' the flow of the moves).. However there is the odd individual who will try and short cut across a fast-filling-floor... and the results are not always 'phew that was close'... Also, the people stood/sat around the dance floor. Yes, you're all tuckered out, bless, from swinging the flip out during the last song, but please folks, keep your limbs out of stomping range!
Now. The nitty gritty.
I agree with Keith in terms of big moves being better. Big moves! Kicky legs! Flung out arms! Twist! Heels! However! It's bad enough accidentally injuring the person you're dancing with, never mind someone you're not. Spending a whole dance apologising is not exactly confidence-boosting and rather distracting. You spend a couple of bars post-apology guiltily glancing over your shoulder, and then a couple of bars trying to refocus yourself. You may miss the killer break in the tune. The song may end before you get your groove back. You may regain your focus only for it to happen again! (This happened to me recently, I actually poked someone in the face. Mortifying. Took me ages to regain my composure and pretty much ruined the dance for me from that point. Fortunately we had a second song which was less violent!)
It takes two to STFO, and good manners on the floor come from team work. Leads, keep your eyes peeled, but follows be aware too. Yes, they're driving, but remember, you can still grab the handbrake at any time. He's swinging you out and you know the space has been snapped up? Twist round early, slow it down, style it up, whatever!
When there is a collision/clipped heel/punch in the face, apologise! Even if you don't think it was your fault! Don't be the lead/follow people mutter grumpily about every time you have an incident.
There's a couple of great leads I can think of straight away who are great to dance with, but I dread when there's a busy dancefloor. I love unexpected dips and jumps, keep me on my toes, and I enjoy the challenge of an aggressive swing out, keep me on my count, but i don't like any of these things if I'm constantly having to reign the moves in on your behalf. (and believe me, I often am)
It really does come down to common sense and manners. If it's crowded as hell, dial down the swing outs. If it's a really fast floor, get used to it (and check your partner has too) before busting out some faster moves. And if injuries are sustained, apologise, shake it off and hop to the bar for a time out. Not exactly mind blowing stuff, is it? *innocent face*
He Links:
As I've mentioned, I have an idea that creativity and improvisation in dance come from mistakes. But they can also come from deliberate experimentation. Fen K (of this post fame) is (as well as a swing dancer) a company dancer and dance teacher. She is currently working on The Physical Science Project, a chemistry-themed dance workshop. Here are the Physical Science dancers brilliantly improvising the effects of a Puppet potion.
Great points made here!
ReplyDeleteI can only stress Sarah's point that it always takes two to do a swing out! With good lead technique you are always aware of your space around you and you LOOK in the direction you swing out the follow, but the better/experienced the follow the more aware she/he is of where she/he will end up at count 8!
Second of all I cannot stress how important good technique is on the actual swing out/lindy turn/whip move. You see a lot of slack arms (left arm lead, right arm follow) or wrong timing if you do have looser arms. This first of all makes it extremely hard to lead and follow and secondly if the arms of both partners are stretched out to the max you end up using up A LOT of space! So keep your elbows close to the body and upper bodies square to each other!
Thirdly I do like my whips/swingouts, but I am perfectly fine dancing 6count only if it is crowded. there are so many moves out there, it is endless...
I just adapt to the crowd on the dancefloor (and expect others to do so, too!) and literally hate it when people do tandem charleston or big "kicky" side by side charleston if there is no room!!! It is just harder to control, so if you can't handle it and kick others all the time, stop doing it.
And a tip, if the dance floor is crowded and you want to do swing outs. Dance a second song with the girl and while everybody else is changing their partners you got a good bit of time to do some bigger moves!
Re: Keith's links
ReplyDeleteDeliberate experimentation: Sharon Davis taught a Jazz class a few months ago in which she was talking about how she and Juan experiment with putting on different characters and personalities (zombie, fred astaire, clown) in order to discover new variations and nuances in both solo and partnered figures.
Accidental experimentation: Sometimes when I dance my worst it's because I'm slavishly doing what the music says, regardless of whether I have the energy, and whether I have the necessary movements and rhythms already drilled into my body or not. Sometimes this is when exciting new discoveries happen. It doesn't have to be a break or musical 'Feature' - sometimes it's just a texture in the music at the right time
Lindy B, one of my teachers in Dublin, told a story about a dance she'd had at an exchange where her partner approached her waddling like a penguin and they did the whole dance as penguins. She never found out his name, but also never forgot him.
Deletealready drilled into my body
DeleteFnarr.
Thoughts:
ReplyDeleteThe most dangerous time on a dancefloor is actually when it's just before or after the point where it gets so packed that everyone reigns it in: there's still a bit of room to swing out, and people haven't started being über-cautious yet.
One way to shorten a swingout is to keep your arm in towards your hip through the 6,7,8 and not let it extend out to the normal distance. This is kind of tricky to do while remaining relaxed, but it's possible to do without affecting the follow too much.
Peter Loggins taught a class in Herräng on this Box step - basically "away-and-in(hold), away-and-in(hold)" which all the Old timers learned as kids and is the base from which they all learned Charleston, Lindy, Bal, Foxtrot, whatever. He postulated (and I agree) that if we were all taught that First, not only would we all have better swingouts, but we'd all be able to have super-fun super-fast dances on super-packed, super-fast (as in slippy) dancefloors.
Keith: Sticking your arse out more = a deeper stretch = faster, bigger movements, so minimising that is a sensible response on a packed floor.
Spoons: you can do even more: a marked increase in tension in either arm works both ways - from a follow it will slow me down, make me take notice and stop me in my tracks if needs be. Using the hand on my shoulder when we're in closed is particularly effective. Of course, that only works if you and your partner are relaxed enough in the first place ;) (some follows cling on with that hand through the whole dance, which is kind of like trying to cycle with someone clamping your brakes on. Mini-rant over)
i try and not fully extend my arms, and make more of an effort to keep my elbows closer to me when it's a busy floor. you're bang on about the tension, but there has to be a good dynamic between lead and follow for that to come across properly.
Deleterants always welcomed :)
Also re: Spoon's comments (this week I didn't get to read She Goes until after publication). I danced with a follow during the Dublin Lindy Exchange this year who must have had parking radar or something. Every time it looked as though a collision might occur, she'd already stopped before I signalled her. I never caught her paying attention to where she was going, she just seemed to know automatically where the danger was.
ReplyDelete