Is repetition good?

[MartinHarper]

I recall once being told (briefly) about the structure of music, and how it's made up in part of repeating sections, and you can even visualise this as The Shape of Song (http://www.turbulence.org/Works/song/method/method.html).

This brought me onto thinking about other forms of dance, and how they often include repetition: the choreographed stuff done on top of the pops, folk dancing, line dancing. The question arises: is that same repetition good in jive? Either in the specific moves, or in the style those moves are done. I'm thinking that, for example, acknowledging all the breaks in a similar way might make a dance feel more cohesive and structured, rather than being a random sampling of whatever happens to be on the dancers' minds.

All this kind of stuff is out of my range, but it's interesting watching/hearing what other folks do...

[DianaS]

I recall once being told (briefly) about the structure of music, and how it's made up in part of repeating sections, and you can even visualise this as The Shape of Song (http://www.turbulence.org/Works/song/method/method.html).

This brought me onto thinking about other forms of dance, and how they often include repetition: the choreographed stuff done on top of the pops, folk dancing, line dancing. The question arises: is that same repetition good in jive? Either in the specific moves, or in the style those moves are done. I'm thinking that, for example, acknowledging all the breaks in a similar way might make a dance feel more cohesive and structured, rather than being a random sampling of whatever happens to be on the dancers' minds.

All this kind of stuff is out of my range, but it's interesting watching/hearing what other folks do...
Hi Martin,
I have one partner who dances infrequently with me and does some combinations that are ususally new.
What I LOVE is that he repeats them, if I don't get the move the first time he plays it through a few times and does whole sequences that are repeated with variations. Its like dancing with someone who embroiders. I can feel the pattern repeat and change. It's LOVELY, I adore dancing with him!
Give it a go!!
Di

[dannyboy]

Is that same repetition good in jive? Either in the specific moves, or in the style those moves are done. I'm thinking that, for example, acknowledging all the breaks in a similar way might make a dance feel more cohesive and structured, rather than being a random sampling of whatever happens to be on the dancers' minds.

Getcha Martin. Not sure it would be as apparent in dance, as it is in music. Would need to be rehearsed though, as with musical perfomance, therefore your point would relate to choreographed dancing rather than freestyle. And yes, I think a cohesive and structured dance would be more pleasing to the eye.

[Trish]

The question arises: is that same repetition good in jive? Either in the specific moves, or in the style those moves are done. I'm thinking that, for example, acknowledging all the breaks in a similar way might make a dance feel more cohesive and structured, rather than being a random sampling of whatever happens to be on the dancers' minds.


I was dancing with our teacher, Kirsty on Tuesday to "She Bangs" and everytime the chorus came on she would somehow get me into a basket position and bump hips with me exactly in time to the words "she bangs" - this was not only very clever but also great fun! She actually only missed the words about twice - which I really admire her for, not easy!!!

You do sometimes get guys who repeat the same pattern over and over again (deliberately, rather than because they don't know any other moves) to the music. This is great if it fits in, although if they keep to too small a repertoire it isn't so interesting.

I've found when I'm leading I sometimes do this. It's not as difficult as you might think though - especially if you get a longer repeated squence, like a "round the world" or a sequence of doublehanded turns, which fit a particular bit of the music.

Good luck with it!

Trish

[Yogi_Bear]

Trish,
I will have to make it over to P'boro again sometime with my best Yogi Bear t-shirt on and have a dance...I am a sucker for musical interpretation given half the chance :waycool:

[DavidY]

I was dancing with our teacher, Kirsty on Tuesday to "She Bangs" and everytime the chorus came on she would somehow get me into a basket position and bump hips with me exactly in time to the words "she bangs"I think this was from the cabaret routine to She Bangs which Emma Pettitt's team did at Ceroc Champs last year (I suspect Kirsty was in the team (?)). Emma has also taught this as a workshop & I remember the "hip-bumps-on-She-Bangs" bit.

[RobC]

I think this was from the cabaret routine to She Bangs which Emma Pettitt's team did at Ceroc Champs last year (I suspect Kirsty was in the team (?)). Emma has also taught this as a workshop & I remember the "hip-bumps-on-She-Bangs" bit.
Yes, but originally before that, Nigel & Nina taught a choreographed routine to She Bangs at a previous MJC a few years back. I know - I was part of the group who subsequently performed it during the Cabaret slot in the evening. :waycool:

[bigdjiver]

When I can get my brain in gear I use particular moves and sequences that I think fit to often played songs. However, it is difficult to find partners willing to cooperate with some of the more way out ideas. :sad:

[Trish]

I think this was from the cabaret routine to She Bangs which Emma Pettitt's team did at Ceroc Champs last year (I suspect Kirsty was in the team (?)). Emma has also taught this as a workshop & I remember the "hip-bumps-on-She-Bangs" bit.

Yes she was (or certainly at least for some of the exhibition dances, I have a feeling she was subsituting for someone else who did the Champs), although she obviously wasn't leading!

I've been told off by a friend for encouraging this now (I won't name the person, she did me the favour of emailing me rather than giving me bad rep!). She tells me it's everywhere, and getting very boring! It was new to me though. She tends to dance in a lot more places than I do! I can sympathise with that actually, I guess if every guy did the hip bump thing it would get a bit wearing after a while!


Trish,
I will have to make it over to P'boro again sometime with my best Yogi Bear t-shirt on and have a dance...I am a sucker for musical interpretation given half the chance

I'd love that Yogi - The venue managers can point me out to you, it's quite scary actually, most people at Peterborough seem to know who I am, I only wish I could remember half their names! Comes from taxiing for good few years I guess. :)

[Yogi_Bear]

Yes, but originally before that, Nigel & Nina taught a choreographed routine to She Bangs at a previous MJC a few years back. I know - I was part of the group who subsequently performed it during the Cabaret slot in the evening. :waycool:
...and likewise at Camber Sands a couple of years ago for the punters cabaret...

[Yogi_Bear]

I'd love that Yogi - The venue managers can point me out to you, it's quite scary actually, most people at Peterborough seem to know who I am, I only wish I could remember half their names! Comes from taxiing for good few years I guess. :) Will do! :nice: