Fast Floors

[geoff332]

Well, this is inspired by both the only open venue around here has a terrible floor and watching people walking across a snow-covered courtyard. I'm interested in people's thoughts on dancing on a fast floor. By fast, I basically mean slippery. So, three sets questions...

How do you handle a fast floor? Do you change your dancing at all?
Do you prefer a fast floor? Do you find it harder or easier to dance on?
Have you ever been taught how to handle different types of floors?


For me...

I typically handle a really fast floor by focusing on my technique and taking smaller steps. I particularly avoid dips and drops. I usually keep my feet on the floor the whole time. I normally scuff up my shoes to slow them down a little. The most important thing is balance - if you're off balance, you put lateral pressure on your steps, which can cause them to slide out from under you.

I really like a fast floor, as long as it's consistent (and sprung). It forces me to be a better dancer. The only downside is that a lot of follows struggle on a fast floor, meaning I have to restrict the moves I lead a lot more.

Finally, not in MJ, but in ballroom I have been. Most of the stuff I do, I was taught in ballroom/latin classes.

[NZ Monkey]

How do you handle a fast floor? Do you change your dancing at all?
Do you prefer a fast floor? Do you find it harder or easier to dance on?
Have you ever been taught how to handle different types of floors?


I cange the style of my footwork a bit, focusing more on getting my weight directly into the floor. I stop doing checks altogether if it's fast enough.
Up to a point, yes.I find (found) Hammersmith to be too fast for my liking. Really fast floors make my knees hurt.
Nope.

[Steven666]

I wear trainers! Like I'll do the next Southport. :)

[ducasi]

I love a fast floor! Makes doing slides even more fun!

I wear Bloch's sneakers though, so probably don't have the same problems as folks who wear leather-soled shoes.

But, yeah, like Geoff said, consistency is important. Hate it when I go for a slide and trip over a sticky bit!

[Caro]

How do you handle a fast floor? Do you change your dancing at all?
Do you prefer a fast floor? Do you find it harder or easier to dance on?
Have you ever been taught how to handle different types of floors?





I cange the style of my footwork a bit, focusing more on getting my weight directly into the floor. I stop doing checks altogether if it's fast enough.
Up to a point, yes.I find (found) Hammersmith to be too fast for my liking. Really fast floors make my knees hurt.
Nope.

1 - on really, really fast floors, you have to adjust your dancing otherwise you'll just fall over. As you said, smaller steps, less playing around with stuff you've never done before. If I know in advance that the floor will be too fast (it does take a lot, as I like fast floors normally), I take shoes that still have a lot of suede under and I brush them.

2. Fast floors are good (up to that point where you have to adjust your dancing), I find them easier on the knees actually (often a fast floor compensates for a hard floor), contrary to NZM! Also allows for lots of cool footwork, a la Erica Berg, slides and small splits etc.

3. Once heard Tat talk about how she danced her routine on the fast floor at SP (she fell twice during rehearsal) and saying that she would dig into the floor like crazy and concentrate on 'I will not fall, I will not fall'. I'll give you performances are a different ball game altogether, but I do think that on fast floors you have to be lower into the floor to seek more connection into it.

[Whitebeard]

I love a fast floor! Makes doing slides even more fun!

I wear Bloch's sneakers though, so probably don't have the same problems as folks who wear leather-soled shoes.

But, yeah, like Geoff said, consistency is important. Hate it when I go for a slide and trip over a sticky bit!

Well. I hate slow sticky floors which are hard work and play havoc with my arthritic knees.

But I'm a slow learner, in every way, and it took nearly five years (!) for me to finally come to the conclusion that I really should seek faster replacements for my trusty Stealth sneakers. Where to get these though with, at the time, no dedicated dance shop in town and a reluctance to trade on the web for items where fit is so important? And most proper dance shoes have suede soles which I reasoned would be pretty slow until broken in over a fairly long period.

So, with some trepidation, I tried on and bought some quite standard leather soled and patent finish shoes from the Cappezione (I love the Italian language) range at M&S. I feared they might be pretty lethal on faster floors but, once I took the initial plunge, that has not proved to be the case. I've taken to them like a duck to water and really feel myself to be gliding over the dancefloor. Perhaps they suit my low impact slippy slidey style. Did have little missgivings after donning them and testing the boards at Evesham but, no, they were fine. They get noticed too !

[NZ Monkey]

2. Fast floors are good (up to that point where you have to adjust your dancing), I find them easier on the knees actually (often a fast floor compensates for a hard floor), contrary to NZM! Also allows for lots of cool footwork, a la Erica Berg, slides and small splits etc.

Contrary? I said virtually the same thing - they're good, up to a point. After that they make my knees sore. :confused:

[straycat]

One simple, yet crucial piece of advice, which really applies universally, but is key for feeling secure on a fast floor - always keep your weight directly over your feet. Do that relgiously, and you'll be fine.

[Caro]

Contrary? I said virtually the same thing - they're good, up to a point. After that they make my knees sore. :confused:

No sorry I meant fast floors are easier on the knees (I find I need less energy to move... you know being lazy and all that), I have never been to the point where a fast floor felt bad on my knees. Usually my knees get sore when the floor is hard. If the floor is hard and fast, they don't get so sore so quickly :)

[robd]

Usually my knees get sore when the floor is hard.

A real gentleman would offer you a cushion :nice:

[Caro]

A real gentleman would offer you a cushion :nice:

I did have a little bet with myself about how long it will take you to come up with something like that... :rolleyes:

[robd]

I did have a little bet with myself

Great idea! You can't lose :grin:

As regards that specific comment, well you were on pretty safe ground given that I am a member of the It's Not My Fault What You Said Can Be Misconstrued as A Sexual Innuendo (http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2201997661) facebook group :rolleyes:

[Gadget]

How do you handle a fast floor? Do you change your dancing at all?
Do you prefer a fast floor? Do you find it harder or easier to dance on?
Have you ever been taught how to handle different types of floors?


1) I don't 'lunge' or take any big steps - I can cover the same ground with a little push and slide.

2) Yes. Fast floor every time. But like others say, doing a slide and finding your shoes just stop dead gets really exasperating. (and can hurt the knees)

3) I have laminate floors. I go around in socks. You could say I'm self-taught :D
Sticky floors I 'bounce' more on - less slides and glides, more stomping.

[Steven666]

Am I the only one who likes slow floors?

[Lazy Dave]

Fast floors always sort the men out from the boys!
It's so funny when you see things like "Advanced Workshop" being pushed by organisers and some of the rubbish that gets taught to make people 'advanced'.
A fast floor will identify a dancer with 'advanced technique'. My advice is:
a) Identify these people and ask them where they learnt to dance.
b) Attend that club and listen carefully to the techniques taught (If you remember the moves it's a bonus)
One final tip - become one with the floor, don't just walk on its surface.

[geoff332]

Am I the only one who likes slow floors?It appears so.

As I (think I) said, I find fast floors push me to be technically better. If you make a mistake with your footing or balance on a fast floor, you're far more likely to pay for it.

It quickly highlights the dancers who know what they're doing (specifically: they know how to manage their weight and balance) from the ones who don't. I always take it much easier to start with, in particular, keeping them closer to me and using more closed holds and fewer changes in direction. But if the person I'm dancing with is handling it well, then you can really open up and use the speed.

[TA Guy]

Fan of fast floors. It makes the dancing so much smoother and more, I dunno, comfortable somehow.

Only ever come across one floor that was 'too fast', so fast it forced me to put my sneakers back on rather than wear the normal dance shoes. It's not used for dancing any more.

Difficult to 'dance in the dust' if you have to 'march' to get your feet moving.

[Astro]

Am I the only one who likes slow floors?

I hate slow floors.

I thought I liked fast floors till I went to Wembley,:eek::eek::eek: you danced brilliantly on that.

[straycat]

It's so funny when you see things like "Advanced Workshop" being pushed by organisers and some of the rubbish that gets taught to make people 'advanced'.
Such as?


A fast floor will identify a dancer with 'advanced technique'.
Surely any floor will identify a dancer with advanced technique. Watch their technique, and see if it's advanced. That's going to work regardless of the floor. IMO.



One final tip - become one with the floor, don't just walk on its surface.
Although be careful - people have been thrown out of venues for less :whistle:

[Lazy Dave]

Surely any floor will identify a dancer with advanced technique. Watch their technique, and see if it's advanced. That's going to work regardless of the floor. IMO.

Quite so, but dancers who have been taught/developed bad technique can bluff it on a regular speed floor, they can't on a fast floor. Plus the 'hotshots' with bad technique usually moan like hell about fast floors.... Bad workmen and tools... :nice:

[straycat]

Quite so, but dancers who have been taught/developed bad technique can bluff it on a regular speed floor, they can't on a fast floor. Plus the 'hotshots' with bad technique usually moan like hell about fast floors.... Bad workmen and tools... :nice:

Oddly enough, I find it easier by far to bluff it on a fast floor - the ability to slide around means I can fudge and cheat on my footwork like anything. On a sticky floor, for me, that would be much much harder to do.

[emmylou25]

I'd rather have a floor which lets you spin easily without straining the knees, but really not that bothered one way or the other. As long as the floor's consistent - no random sticky or too slippy places.

The main issue I find in venues with really slippy floors, is that some weaker dances seem to think they have to lead/push the follower really hard into a spin to make you multiple spin. Grr...if I want to multiple spin i will on my own terms or with someone I trust their lead.

[MartinHarper]

I don't like floors that are so fast I can't follow; specifically, not being able to travel, or stop travelling, when led to do so. Otherwise, it's all good.

[Andy Razzle]

personally I like medium type foor and change shoes to suit if different, if a floor is too fast you are forced to shorten steps and therefore makes certain moves and styling difficult which require long steps or leaning off centre. Its like running on ice, no long steps or fast changes in direction.

[Astro]

personally I like medium type foor.
It's what the venue should strive for IMO.
and change shoes to suit if different

because I don't want to lug more than one pair of shoes around.

[Koshka]

I love fast floors but that is because I love to spin (but had not thought about the whole floor:balance:falling over concept so thanks Geoff). I think that my ability to dance on the floors entirely depends on the quality of the lead and their ability to find my level then adapt to it, it also takes a few dances to adjust to the new floor and being used to the speed - this can be for fast and slow floors. It wasn't until I started to dance out of my local area that I learnt there was a difference in floors and this was mainly through talking to fellow dancers, even now locally I sometimes get asked why I am brushing my shoes.
One of the reasons I most like fast floors (aside from going spin spin spin) is that I can find new ways to drag / coerce people onto the dance floor - all in fun of course :)