Are you a Middle or Edge dancer?

[Lory]

Sparked off by some posts on the UTOPIA thread.. I was wondering how many people make a concious decision as to which part of the floor they like to dance on.......

I'm an 'edge' dancer', as I don't like people coming at me from all angles, I can find it quite distracting as i'm constantly worrying about bumping into people! :blush:

I like to concentrate on my partner and not whats going on around me.:wink:

[Jamie]

Sparked off by some posts on the UTOPIA thread.. I was wondering how many people make a concious decision as to which part of the floor they like to dance on.......

I'm an 'edge' dancer', as I don't like people coming at me from all angles, I can find it quite distracting as i'm constantly worrying about bumping into people! :blush:

I like to concentrate on my partner and not whats going on around me.:wink:

Ditto :yeah:

EDIT - Also, I dance in a slot mostly, so the edge of a dance floor defines the slot I want to dance in

[Cruella]

I'l be wherever the guy wants to take me.:wink:

[Trouble]

i normally find a hole and jump in it. :wink:

[foxylady]

I'l be wherever the guy wants to take me.:wink:

I'm with you darling....

(but I also don't like having to constantly watch out for other people coming at me from all directions, but to me that is to do with the crowdedness of the floor not the middle or the edge)

[fletch]

(but I also don't like having to constantly watch out for other people coming at me from all directions,


I wish :rolleyes: I normally running after my men :tears:

[Lynn]

Depends

- on the floor - I tend to avoid overly sticky/slippy patches
- on my partner - I usually let my partner choose where to dance
- on the lights - bright flashing lights + small person trying to look up at taller dancers (which is almost everyone I dance with) = try to edge away from that area
- how empty the venue is - if there is plenty of space, middle is good.
- what the arrangement of chairs/people at edge is like. Sometimes if chairs and tables are encroaching onto the dance floor, and lots of people are standing at the edge, you can stand more of chance being bumped into by someone trying to walk round them, than by people dancing on the floor around you.

But on a really busy floor - where there is an option - yeah, probably the edge.

[Tessalicious]

Just to qualify my votes so everyone doesn't just shout 'Hotshot': I choose the edge when I'm leading, because my floorcraft is not as great as I'd like it to be and I don't want to put my partners at any risk, although I will go anywhere I'm put when following (:innocent: ), and I usually dance near the stage because I either know the DJ or I am the DJ, so I like to be in touch with what's going on at the decks.

[Cruella]

i normally find a hole and jump in it. :wink:

By request?

[Cruella]

Don't know why, but i do dance near the stage. Maybe i'm a 'wanna be Hotshot' or i'm just stalking Tessalicious :wink:

[MartinHarper]

By the fans. I like the hair-in-wind effect. Oh, and it cools me down.
Alternatively, right in the middle, because my floorcraft is just that good.

[SilverFox]

constantly watch out for other people coming at me from all directions, :eek: Bukkake blues eh? :devil:

:blush:

(Is that better Di?...)

[foxylady]

:eek: Bukkake

I've learnt a new word !! Bad boy SF ! :devil:

[robd]

Don't talk about people behind their back SF, just spray it to their face next time.

[Cruella]

Don't talk about people behind their back SF, just spray it to their face next time
You had to go to Wikipedia too i see!:whistle:

(Is that better Di?...)
(Yup!:wink: )

[Hayles]

I'm an edge dancer. I hate it when a guy asks me to dance (especially in the middle of a track) and then drags me through all the other dancing couples on the floor to an overcrowded spot in the middle of the floor. :confused:
What's the point?! If I wanna be graceful and use my spare arm I'm gonna poke someone's eyes out!
:rolleyes:

[robd]

You had to go to Wikipedia too i see!:whistle:


:innocent:

You really think so? A quick glance at my 'special' video collection would have sufficed.

[Trouble]

I'l be wherever the guy wants to take me.:wink:


normally to the hole that i rejected.

[Ghost]

I'l be wherever the guy wants to take me.:wink:
:yeah:
Edge / space by choice, but I will let women take me to where they want to dance, usually with a :devil: in their eyes :flower:

[Twirly]

Wherever there is space definitely! I don't always get a choice though... unless I've asked them to dance and then drag them onto the floor that is!

[Cruella]

normally to the hole that i rejected.

Too much info about your sexual preferences. :sick:

[Mythical]

Wherever I can show off the most!! :D :D (obviously! :p)
And is it me, or does the poll add up to like 175% at the moment??

[Trouble]

Too much info about your sexual preferences. :sick:

Sexual !!! Cruella get your mind out of the gutter :na:

[Seahorse]

Edge and right at the back.

[Lost Leader]

I quite like like corners myself. Generally avoid the middle unless it is relatively empty. Will drag / invite partner across / around the floor if I can see an empty space some way away. Other than that a "quiet" edge will do me.

[DD+]

Its the edge for me when i'm leading or following... at least then i'm only watching for one side of numpties coming along!!:whistle:

[ducasi]

On a crowded dance-floor, I usually try to stay on the edge – there's usually more room and it suits slotted dancing. (Sometimes though I will use a corner and will rotate my slot to use both edges.)

On a less crowded floor, I like to be in the middle – more room for big stuff.

I have found that in many venues there tends to be more space by the stage – this is my main <s>excuse</s> reason for hanging around with the hot-shots. ;)

[Trousers]

Ha! you load of self confessed HotShots you!

:whistle:

I'm Edgy me. . . . I get very angry when harrassed and bumped and really hate it if my personal super sonic sonar radar fails and the girl ends up in another couple - generally because they are moving mind. So I'm with Lory edge is good, you are down to attack from three sides; corners better!

I will admit to the fact there is an upside to the edge - people can see you and if they like what they see you don't need to ask many people for dances because they come to you.

:flower:

[FoxyFunkster]

I'm with you darling....

(but I also don't like having to constantly watch out for other people coming at me from all directions, but to me that is to do with the crowdedness of the floor not the middle or the edge)

i`ll be there also then....Fancy double trouble???? i mean the dance and not the forumite i may add....:rofl:

[Cruella]

i`ll be there also then....Fancy double trouble???? i mean the dance and not the forumite i may add....:rofl:

Ooh, Me and the two Foxys what more could i want!

[Northants Girly]

As a follower I usually dance whereever my leader wants to dance, unless I'm with Matt - then I choose :devil:

[rubyred]

I am definitely on the edge :wink: No one can see me when I am tucked away in the middle and I am soooo shy when I dance - :rolleyes: I need space and an audience LOL.:flower:

just reading through these posts and it seems the edge is definitely prefered - just how much edge is there left now???

[FoxyFunkster]

Ooh, Me and the two Foxys what more could i want!


What was cruella`s take on foxes.....if she didn`t have enough Dalmations would we foxes be considered an at risk species??? :sick:

[Cruella]

What was cruella`s take on foxes.....if she didn`t have enough Dalmations would we foxes be considered an at risk species??? :sick:

No, you're safe with me, trust me, :whistle: :devil:

[FoxyFunkster]

Sexual !!! Cruella get your mind out of the gutter :na:


Talking of minds in gutters.....i`ve been taught my Foxylady to keep dancing up and down in the slot rather than dancing in circles.....:wink:

[Jamie]

No, you're safe with me, trust me, :whistle: :devil:

Weren't they the first words I said to you? :rofl:

[foxylady]

Talking of minds in gutters.....i`ve been taught my Foxylady to keep dancing up and down in the slot rather than dancing in circles.....:wink:

Good boy you're learning - up and down and keep it smooth and all the ladies will be very happy :blush: . :devil: ..

[Cruella]

Talking of minds in gutters.....i`ve been taught my Foxylady to keep dancing up and down in the slot rather than dancing in circles.....:wink:

Circles can work too, for some variation.

[FoxyFunkster]

No, you're safe with me, trust me, :whistle: :devil:

thats a relief....:respect: as you pose no threat can i have the next 8 dances please off the reel next time i see you then....:wink:

[FoxyFunkster]

Circles can work too, for some variation.

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:
i`d hope to be considered a cunning luiguist as well as being considered a improving blues dancer in need of much much more training.....:wink:

[fletch]

:

it seems the edge is definitely prefered - just how much edge is there left now???


plenty, if you have lived your life on it :whistle:

[Cruella]

Weren't they the first words I said to you? :rofl:

Yes, I believe they were! :rofl: But i'm far more innocent than you!:innocent: (Not that that's saying much)

[Cruella]

thats a relief....:respect: as you pose no threat can i have the next 8 dances please off the reel next time i see you then....:wink:
Of course you can :flower:



(Did you hear that Foxylady, he believed me! Next he'll believe you are sweet and harmless too!)

[FoxyFunkster]

Yes, I believe they were! :rofl: But i'm far more innocent than you!:innocent: (Not that that's saying much)


thats a little disappointing Cruella...i was kinda hoping to recreate Jamie`s soft porn dance with you at Chill and see if we can stir the forum melting pot some more....i klnow i have to work on my eye contact along with other things but lets have a go.....:wink:

[rubyred]

plenty, if you have lived your life on it :whistle:

O yes! :flower:

[Gadget]

If there's room, I dance the whole dance floor. (almost literally :D)
If there's not, I can dance {almost} on the spot.

Normally the dance floor isn't that empty for the first, and it's not that busy for the second, so I'm somewhere inbetween. :D

[foxylady]

But i'm far more innocent than you!:innocent:





(Did you hear that Foxylady, he believed me! Next he'll believe you are sweet and harmless too!)

People on here seem to believe anything !!

and I am sweet, harmless, and a very very good girl.....

[Andy McGregor]

By the fans. I like the hair-in-wind effect. Oh, and it cools me down.
Alternatively, right in the middle, because my floorcraft is just that good.You could get a decent haircut (party on, Garth) and you wouldn't need to have the wind blow in your hair. Speaking personally, I don't need the breeze as I have a cooling panel in the middle of my hair:whistle:

And, to move on-topic :innocent: I am, very much an edge dancer, for all the reasons given above. I occasionally, pass trough the middle of the dancefloor when retreating to the other side of the floor to avoid a stalker :eek:

[Jamie]

thats a little disappointing Cruella...i was kinda hoping to recreate Jamie`s soft porn dance with you at Chill and see if we can stir the forum melting pot some more....i klnow i have to work on my eye contact along with other things but lets have a go.....:wink:

I'd love to see her face... Remind me to book seats! :wink: No doubt I'll be on the guest list... :waycool:

[Cruella]

People on here seem to believe anything !!

and I am sweet, harmless, and a very very good girl.....

The 'good' I can believe!

[fletch]

thats a little disappointing Cruella...i was kinda hoping to recreate Jamie`s soft porn dance with you at Chill and see if we can stir the forum melting pot some more....i klnow i have to work on my eye contact along with other things but lets have a go.....:wink:

nah! you will have to think of something new its been done :rolleyes:

[foxylady]

I'd love to see her face... Remind me to book seats! :wink: No doubt I'll be on the guest list... :waycool:

Ringside seats for me too please - on the edge of the dancefloor (in an attempt to put this thread back on topic before some power hungry moderator splits it off into another thread)

[Norty Nomie]

Sparked off by some posts on the UTOPIA thread.. I was wondering how many people make a concious decision as to which part of the floor they like to dance on.......

I'm an 'edge' dancer', as I don't like people coming at me from all angles, I can find it quite distracting as i'm constantly worrying about bumping into people! :blush:

I like to concentrate on my partner and not whats going on around me.:wink:

Very trun me as well!!!:nice:

[Cruella]

thats a little disappointing Cruella...i was kinda hoping to recreate Jamie`s soft porn dance with you at Chill and see if we can stir the forum melting pot some more....i klnow i have to work on my eye contact along with other things but lets have a go.....:wink:


I'd love to see her face... Remind me to book seats! :wink: No doubt I'll be on the guest list... :waycool:

I'm officially scared! :what:

[Andy McGregor]

I quite like like corners myself. Generally avoid the middle unless it is relatively empty. Will drag / invite partner across / around the floor if I can see an empty space some way away. Other than that a "quiet" edge will do me.I used to be a corner dancer as it is like a super edge. But I started to find that people cut off the corners when walking around the dancefloor, sometimes with drinks, and I now avoid the corners.

[FoxyFunkster]

People on here seem to believe anything !!

and I am sweet, harmless, and a very very good girl.....

Sweet....i`ve seen no evidence of sweet i`m afraid
Harmless....only if you can call raising the temperature in the room considerably harmless!!!
and you are very very very very very good..........:wink:

[Cruella]

nah! you will have to think of something new its been done :rolleyes:

We could always include the zimmer frame as a prop!

[Jamie]

I'm officially scared! :what:

As you should be, you've all ****ed it at Chill... My party and I'll do what I want to :whistle:





:innocent:

[FoxyFunkster]

Ringside seats for me too please - on the edge of the dancefloor (in an attempt to put this thread back on topic before some power hungry moderator splits it off into another thread)

i was going to suggest taking this outside but thats been suggested before somewhere recently!!!!!!!!!!!

i officially give no thought to where i dance to be honest....unofficially i like to go nearer the stage because i was told that is where the better standard of dancers reside....and as a beginner i was advised to get better go and seek the better women to dance with....any thoughts???

[Lory]

and you are very very very very very good..........:wink:

:really: well...:whistle:

[Jamie]

I prefer to dance where it's well lit, has room and preferably near a fan for the occasional gust of wind (to blow DTS's gust of wind away!)

It's usually the edge, or a corner for me.

[jivecat]

In the middle, where it's private.

If the floor's crowded I'm not likely to be on it anyway.

Not on the edge next to a crowd of onlookers unless I was feeling VERY confident.

I like venues with dark corners and lots of pillars to hide behind.

[Little Monkey]

I prefer edges, or in front of the stage, just so it's less risk of dancers bumping into me from all angles! Also, it's much easier to do WCS at a jive venue if you stick to the edges, as it is at least slightly easier to maintain a slot to dance in... Corners can be good, too, but some very annoying people cut across them when they walk around the dance floor, occasionally charging straight into dancers on the floor, seemingly oblivious to the fact that there are actually people dancing and moving about on the floor!:angry:

I saw a classic example of this on Saturday. It was late at night, and the dance venue (GUU) was pretty empty. One couple were dancing in a corner, and had lots of room. They decided to do a big, slidey move (as there were nobody else around, so they wouldn't bump into any other dancers), when all of a sudden a numpty decided to walk straight across the dance floor and nearly crashed right into them! He seemed absolutely astonished to discover there were people dancing in his path on the way to the door!!:mad: It was only because of a very quick reaction from the leader that they didn't actually crash...

[Andy McGregor]

I prefer edges, or in front of the stage, just so it's less risk of dancers bumping into me from all angles! Also, it's much easier to do WCS at a jive venue if you stick to the edges, as it is at least slightly easier to maintain a slot to dance in... Of course, you could find yourself a nice WCS venue and leave the MJ venues to the MJers :wink:

IMHO a great deal of collisions are caused by mixed dances. MJ fits nicely with other people doing the same dance - a couple doing a Cha Cha in the middle of an MJ floor seems to increase the chances of a collision: a couple doing Lindy Hop in the middle of an MJ floor guarantees a collision!

I do think that WCS actually fits nicely with MJ and seems to use the same space and similar timing of movement. But, some of the other dances :mad:

The annoying thing I've noticed is that the dancers doing those other dances that don't fit on an MJ dancefloor are the better dancers. They should know better but some of them have an air about them that says "I'm a better dancer than you. You should give way to me as I'm doing a much more difficult and stylish dance and my dance move needs the space you're occupying - if you don't get out of the way, you'll get a kick in the shins to remind you of your place" :mad:

IMHO you should dance like everyone around you is a porcupine and you'd like to avoid punctures. However, there are some people who dance like the only porcupine in a room of balloons - they expect you to dissappear when they touch you...

[David Bailey]

Of course, you could find yourself a nice WCS venue and leave the MJ venues to the MJers :wink:
Are there any left? :D


IMHO a great deal of collisions are caused by mixed dances. MJ fits nicely with other people doing the same dance - a couple doing a Cha Cha in the middle of an MJ floor seems to increase the chances of a collision: a couple doing Lindy Hop in the middle of an MJ floor guarantees a collision!
Cha cha definitely takes up more space than MJ - I think the same could be said for WCS. AT doesn't actually take up more space, but the "progressive" thing, combined with the fact that it's mostly done quite slowly at the moment, makes it also an obstacle.


The annoying thing I've noticed is that the dancers doing those other dances that don't fit on an MJ dancefloor are the better dancers. They should know better but some of them have an air about them that says "I'm a better dancer than you. You should give way to me as I'm doing a much more difficult and stylish dance and my dance move needs the space you're occupying - if you don't get out of the way, you'll get a kick in the shins to remind you of your place" :mad:
Unfortunately I agree. The problem is that whilst these may well be "better dancers", they're not usually experts at the non-MJ style, and so their floorcraft in these dances is not as good as it is in MJ.

I try to find a lot of space when I practice non-MJ - unfortunately, sometimes you start off with lots of space, then lots of people come on the floor and you end up with little space.

Having said that, I've also noticed some appalling floorcraft from respected MJ dancers doing MJ; simply because they're doing "competition style" dancing - lots of big moves, visuals, flailing arms and so on.


IMHO you should dance like everyone around you is a porcupine and you'd like to avoid punctures. However, there are some people who dance like the only porcupine in a room of balloons - they expect you to dissappear when they touch you...
:yeah: Words of wisdom indeed.

[Beowulf]

I'm on the edge..

*twitches*

But seriously anywhere there's space. I prefer the edge as I have less potential points for people to bump into me.. I'm FAR from being a hotshot but have been occasionally known to dance by the stage.. basically anywhere there's space and room for my dangerous size 11 feet is good for me.

[David Bailey]

Oh, and:

power hungry moderator
Mwa hahahahaha...

[Dreadful Scathe]

Oh, and:

Mwa hahahahaha...
I never wanted to be an ordinary forumite, I wanted to be....a MODERATOR, leaping from thread to thread as the words flow down the page of my firefox browser. The posts on first move, the disparaging hotshots, tpbm nonsense and ceroc IS sliced bread......

take it away Lou.... :)

[Gadget]

...oh I do lindy-hop and I'm OK,
I dance all night and I sleep all day...

{:blush:I couldn't get "ceroc" or "Modern Jive" to scan right}

[Little Monkey]

Of course, you could find yourself a nice WCS venue and leave the MJ venues to the MJers :wink:

Yeah, you try that in Dundee..... There are none!:rolleyes: And there's very few WCS freestyle nights in Scotland, and on the rare occasion that one is arranged, I always seem to be either in London (going to WCS freestyles!:wink: ) or at a weekender. So yeah, in the ideal (dance) world, that's just what I'd do.


I do think that WCS actually fits nicely with MJ and seems to use the same space and similar timing of movement. But, some of the other dances :mad:

It fits nicely if you manage to find some space on the edge of the floor / by the stage, and the floor isn't too busy. Otherwise people constantly dance into your slot, as they'll glimpse some free floorspace and dive into it. I have very often tried dancing WCS at MJ venues, and had to change to MJ in mid dance, as we didn't have enough space to maintain a slot. But towards the latter half of the night, there's generally more space, and not a problem to do WCS.


The annoying thing I've noticed is that the dancers doing those other dances that don't fit on an MJ dancefloor are the better dancers. They should know better but some of them have an air about them that says "I'm a better dancer than you. You should give way to me as I'm doing a much more difficult and stylish dance and my dance move needs the space you're occupying - if you don't get out of the way, you'll get a kick in the shins to remind you of your place" :mad:

Yes, I've come across some 'great' dancers who seem to think they own the dancefloor. Very bl**dy annoying! They'll do big, impressive, flash moves, with absolutely no consideration for other dancers around them, who might trip over their outstretched feet (in a dip, drop, 'ronde' etc), or get a hand or elbow in the face, or simply be crashed into when the 'great' dancers do big travelling moves....... And they hardly ever say sorry, but seem to think it's everyone else who's in their way.:angry:

Anyway, how many times have we all bitched about this before?

:rolleyes:

[Dance Demon]

And there's very few WCS freestyle nights in Scotland,

Iknow a place where the DJ plays a lot of WCS music.....:whistle:

[Little Monkey]

Iknow a place where the DJ plays a lot of WCS music.....:whistle:

Really? :whistle:

But I always have to depend on lifts from friends..... And very often it clashes with other things (weekenders, London etc), or I just can't get a lift :(

Edit - I know several DJs in Bonnie Scotland who play lots of wcs music in their sets (yes, even at ceroc:wink: ), but there's not many dedicated wcs nights...... And there's also a certain lack of wcs dancers in this part of the country.

[MartinHarper]

A couple doing Lindy Hop in the middle of an MJ floor guarantees a collision! ... I do think that WCS actually fits nicely with MJ and seems to use the same space and similar timing of movement.

Hmm, not my experience. I've danced Lindy in the middle of Utopia, weekenders (upstairs and downstairs), and regular Ceroc venues, and it's all been fairly peaceful. Lindy isn't necessarilly slotted, so my feeling is that it adapts better to an MJ environment than WCS, where slotting seems integral to the dance. As a Lindy dancer in a room full of MJ dancers I do have to adjust my floorcraft a little around some moves, notably Charlestons and Swingouts.

Polka, on the other hand...

[David Bailey]

Polka, on the other hand...
I'm still waiting to see the "Frogger" impersonation :rofl:

[Ghost]

IMHO you should dance like everyone around you is a porcupine and you'd like to avoid punctures. However, there are some people who dance like the only porcupine in a room of balloons - they expect you to dissappear when they touch you...
:wink:

The other drawback with people doing other dance styles is it's much harder to read where they're going if you don't know it and so floorcraft becomes much harder (unless you do the sensible option and get as far away as possible :whistle: ). So I generally have a fairly good idea of what a Ceroc couple are going to be doing in the next beat or two and there's an overal "feel" to Ceroc moves that helps predict stuff. Conversely someone doing WCS is going to keep moving in ways I don't expect, simply because it is WCS and not Ceroc. With a beat's notice I can stay out of someone's way fairly smoothly; when I'm being wrong-footed by them doing strange things however....:sick: