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View Full Version : Dancing on The Half Beat Explained



Amir
4th-February-2005, 07:14 PM
The last thread evolved into a discusion of what the half beat was, rather the interesting question which is can anyone do it?

Here's how you can find the half beat:

Count twice as fast as a ceroc teacher, so that in the same time they say '7, 8' you say '5,6,7,8' like a swing dancer. Then put 'ands' in between your '5,6,7,8'. The 'ands' are the half beats.

Now step only on the half beats, and hey presto, you're dancing on the half beat.

So. Can any of you do it?

bigdjiver
4th-February-2005, 09:44 PM
At two beats per second one would have to be a quarter of a second behind the beat. One could just dance 250 ft from the loudspeaker to achieve that.

Clive Long
5th-February-2005, 10:24 AM
<< snip >>

Now step only on the half beats, and hey presto, you're dancing on the half beat.

So. Can any of you do it?

I think I do it naturally. It isn't a pretty sight.

CRL

Daisy Chain
5th-February-2005, 05:08 PM
So. Can any of you do it?

Only without music... :rofl:

Daisy

(A Step Dancing Little Flower)

Andreas
5th-February-2005, 07:56 PM
The last thread evolved into a discusion of what the half beat was, rather the interesting question which is can anyone do it?

Here's how you can find the half beat:

Count twice as fast as a ceroc teacher, so that in the same time they say '7, 8' you say '5,6,7,8' like a swing dancer. Then put 'ands' in between your '5,6,7,8'. The 'ands' are the half beats.

Now step only on the half beats, and hey presto, you're dancing on the half beat.

So. Can any of you do it?

In your last thread you explained that you wanted to do it to syncopate into the full beat. As a means of syncopation, yes, I can do it. Dancing constantly on the halfbeat, nope.

bigdjiver
5th-February-2005, 09:34 PM
I am still not sure that I understand the question.

However, it had me thinking why we dance on the beat, and I guess it is because we are musically joining in, and imitating making a sound in time, which we would do as our foot hits the floor. Given that, I tried dancing with the notion that I had a drumstick attched to my shoe, and was hitting the bottom of a drum on the rise. If that is dancing on the half beat, I can do that, to slow music. At normal speed - no chance.

Andy McGregor
6th-February-2005, 12:26 AM
The last thread evolved into a discusion of what the half beat was, rather the interesting question which is can anyone do it?

Here's how you can find the half beat:

Count twice as fast as a ceroc teacher, so that in the same time they say '7, 8' you say '5,6,7,8' like a swing dancer. Then put 'ands' in between your '5,6,7,8'. The 'ands' are the half beats.

Now step only on the half beats, and hey presto, you're dancing on the half beat.

So. Can any of you do it?
The thing is, you wouldn't be doing modern jive. You could do "swing": you'd be dancing to the same number of beats as there were in the bar, just a half-beat further on or back, the same timing as a swing dancer. The question is, could you do MJ to every second half-beat?

Less interestingly, why would you want to?

spindr
6th-February-2005, 04:53 AM
The thing is, you wouldn't be doing modern jive. You could do "swing": you'd be dancing to the same number of beats as there were in the bar, just a half-beat further on or back, the same timing as a swing dancer. The question is, could you do MJ to every second half-beat?

Hmmm, don't think so -- lindy / jive (swing) dancers don't dance on the half beat: 1 and 2 -- they dance triple steps 1 a 2: (whole beat), (quarter beat), (three quarter beat). There's a rumour that WCS dancers are starting to dance 1 and 2.


Less interestingly, why would you want to?

More importantly -- why would you dance in-spite / "across" the music.

SpinDr.

Banana Man
6th-February-2005, 01:50 PM
.................

More importantly -- why would you dance in-spite / "across" the music.

SpinDr.

Maybe it's a step towards dancing against the melody? A bit like vocalese, eg. Moody's Mood for Love.

Wendy
17th-March-2005, 02:19 PM
I think I wiggle every half beat :confused:

Wxxx

Geordieed
17th-March-2005, 02:31 PM
One interesting element that I have received in class is one that requires dancing to done on a rolling count. The theory helps to eliminate the hard edges that appear when defining the steps/count when executing moves. The movement of the body helps to create continual movement while and resisting the temptation of rushing ahead of the move.

John S
18th-March-2005, 02:11 PM
I think I wiggle every half beat :confused:

Wxxx
At least! :kiss:

Magic Hans
19th-March-2005, 11:20 AM
I've noticed some tracks seem to have such a strong (usually percussionary) beat that I find it difficult to determine the difference between the beat and half-beat.

What I do notice is a real niggle, and that it just doesn't feel right!

... about half-way through I'll pick up the beat!

Anyone else get this at all?