Monday 23 September 2013

Sing, Sing, Sing. Or, Just Talk.

Oh, hello! It's been a while! Sorry to have kept you waiting. Summer got in the way- because we actually had one in the UK this year- and we needed time to recharge our talking batteries. Today- a little bit about finding our voices.

...no, no, we mean figuratively. Although this is a pretty good book.

He Goes:

People often talk about partner dancing in vocal terms - call-and-response, for example, the idea that some moves are split up into so that the first half of the move is mainly about the lead, the second half mainly about the follow - a swing-out from close hold, for instance, where typically the follow is staying in place for beats one to four, and moving during beats five to eight. In a call-and-response song or chant, the point is that there are two separate voices, distinguishable and in a sense independent. The response depends on the call, obviously, in the same way that two people may answer the same question differently but their answers will relate to the question. Similarly, the same question can be asked in more than one way. The way that someone chooses to perform a lead (ask a question) or follow one (answer it) is part of one's style, or voice. 

I can't say for sure whether I have a well-defined "voice" in dancing. Since I have been specialising as a lead for many years, I feel like a lot of the learning I've done has been related to not shouting over my partner's voice - and also that I'm less than ten percent of the way through the class notes. I guess, if I think about my lead style, what I try to aim for is the sort of experienced but open tone I like to use in my professional capacity: "I think the best thing to do is this, but if you want to do it differently we can make it work". I want my lead to be unambiguous but not ineluctable - my follows, hopefully, will know exactly where I would like them to go, but not feel like they absolutely have to. That way it's comforting and relaxing (because my follow can just do what I suggest without thinking about it if she or he wants to), but also open enough for someone to put in their own touches, even do something completely different if they want to. 

It's sometimes difficult - there are people I don't know how to dance with, because they have a connection or following style I'm unfamiliar with, and then it's like two people slightly out of key trying to sing together - the words are there, the timing's right, but there's discord all over the place.

As a final point, Roger Love's opus up there at the top of this entry isn't entirely for looks, because of one thing he says quite early on which applies just as well to dance as it does to singing: when you get the chance to set your voice free, do it! Bawl it out, don't swallow it because you're afraid of people hearing (seeing) it! At least fifty percent of style is just owning the other half...

She Goes:

Ha, Keith, you are rather polite in your leading. Maybe less so with me these days. With me it's less 'would you mind awfully going over there', and more 'so, overown ere, fancy it?' The dance equivalent of calling me Miss or by my first name, perhaps.

Finding my voice is increasingly important to me. It sounds so obvious now, but even though I considered dancing to be a conversation between two people, I never really thought about (until recently) the importance of individual voices within that conversation.

I can't pinpoint exactly when my change in thinking happened... But it probably came around the time I was in Mecca. (Herräng, for our newer readers ;) ) I relaxed into my dancing more, and rather than trying to respond in an attractive way to my leads questions, I tried making impromptu suggestions to them. And I feel as though I've had good responses. 

Working on my solo jazz, as well as dipping my toe into other styles has massively helped, as I can make quips more confidently when talking. 
There are some leads who I dance with regularly who used to scare me; they'd lead a move and I wouldn't know what to do at the end of their arm or with the extra two beats that were suddenly looming... And I now consider that to be the equivalent of them asking '...and what do you think?'. Since realising that, our dances have been much more enjoyable. It's nice to be asked my opinion!

Of course there are some leads who don't really converse, and it sometimes feels like I'm being lectured, or that we are reciting a pre ordained list of calls and responses. Some ask a question and then don't wait for, or talk over my response. Some leads I always have the same conversation with. Some always have something new to say. That's not to imply that any of these are good or bad- I'm just saying! 

Following on from Keith's reflection on singing; sometimes I do feel like with certain leads it goes from conversing to singing. I can think of two leads off the bat that spring to mind. (Go back to the post 10 Things I Lindy Love About You for name explanations) 

When I dance with Mr Hat, it's like he starts humming a tune and I pick it up, and we sing the same melody and we instinctively know where the moments are for breaking away from the same note and harmonising.

When I dance with Mr Bounce, sometimes it feels more like he knows the song better than I, but it's still familiar enough to me that I can clap along and I can feel when the opportunity for harmony pops up. 

I think I'll finish with this thought. I love the singing of early Chet Baker, adore the sound of Meschiya Lake, and would give a lot to sing anywhere near as good as Ella. But really, when it comes down to it, I'm very very happy to just sound like me :)

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