Floorcraft ... or lack of it!!

[Gus]

OK ... I've had enough!!!! :reallymad

Has this been your experience over the last few weeks .... dancefloors rather busier than usual, more morons than usual colliding with people, stomping on feet, airsteppers trying to decapitate your partner?????

So far at least three friends of mine have sustained significant injuries through the thoughtlessness of other dancers ... and maybe the time has come to put an end to this.

In the 'good old days' there seemed to be more instruction coming form stage re 'floorcraft' ... or maybe that is just rose coloured spectacles. The reality of today is that there are far too many dancers, especially at the more experienced end, who simply do not know the basics of how to dance on the social dancefloor.

So ... what to do? My hangover induced thought is that it would be a GOOD idea if the instructors/franchisees on this Forum could get together is some format to lay down some guiding principle .... these to be then be taught either through standard classes or (free?) workshops.

Good idea/Bad idea?

[TheTramp]

Great idea (am I really saying that about something Gus suggested?? :D).

Not quite sure how you'd put it into practise though. I think that the people who have brains enough to put it into practise will probably already be the ones who will be dancing in a more 'controlled' way at busy events. And the people who aren't already dancing in said controlled manner, probably wouldn't listen to you anyhow. Am I being too cynical??

And yes, there was an airstepper doing his thing on a particularly crowded dance floor last night. Apparently, he's (a) known for it in Bristol where he comes from (yes, Lou, it was the guy doing airsteps the night I was down in Bristol), and (b) has already been told about it once - whereupon he got the 'hump' and stopped dancing for some months, but is now back, doing his thing, and (c) is also a crap dancer. I did briefly look for Franco (the organiser), but couldn't find him (it was very crowded).

Steve

[Dance Demon]

I made this point back on another thread, think it was the one about the 10th anniversary bash in Glasgow. I do agree, back in the good old days, teachers did make an announcement Re. consideration for other people on the floor. I get a bit narked at people who come on to the floor without looking for a suitable space, then proceed to do moves that are not suited to the conditions. I've lost count of the elbows in the ribs, or having my ankles trod on by a pair of Cuban heels. If this happens early on in the night, it can ruin your whole night if you are in too much pain to dance. C'mon folks, you can still enjoy a good dance without trying to do moves that take up more space than you have to do them in.:cheers: :devil:

[Lou]

Originally posted by TheTramp
Apparently, he's (a) known for it in Bristol where he comes from (yes, Lou, it was the guy doing airsteps the night I was down in Bristol
And a pal of mine. Sorry, Steve. *lol* He's a sweetheart, but I wish he wouldn't do this. :sad:

[TheTramp]

Maybe you should print out all the threads on airsteppers on here, and give them to him for some night-time reading....

Steve

[Ronde!]

Over here we have a formal "Intermediate Workshop," which is essentially a half-a-day introduction to the joys and sorrows of Intermediate moves: dips, drops, etiquette, dress, style, balance, spinning, double spinning and the like.

I have really great memories of it (my first dip! and some people have even done it twice), but this was the point at which the "unwritten rules" were explained to us in detail, as a small group of new intermediate dancers (you can take Intermediate Workshop after about 8 lessons).

I think it's a good idea to enforce the "group norms" this early on in people's dance careers. It means that when people cross the line (and I'm not entirely innocent, either) it only takes a casual word to let them know.

Live passionately,

[TheTramp]

We have beginner and intermediate workshops too Ronde. And those people who go on them probably (but not exclusively) aren't the ones who don't know anything about floorcraft. I don't know what sort of percentage of people who start ceroc go on the workshops (I didn't, but then, I'm just a beginner). But I'm sure that it's not a particularly high percentage.

And most airsteppers have done the workshops.... but they still do them at inappropriate times.

Maybe we could get Fran and her whip to sort them all out? :D

Steve

[Ronde!]

Originally posted by TheTramp
And most airsteppers have done the workshops.... but they still do them at inappropriate times.

Ah, yes... of course, aerials are something else altogether... we're fortunate that most of the advanced people practice their aerials in the adjacent hallway or off to one side, rather than on the dancefloor; but there's always the odd exception.

Still, by the sound of it, we don't have the mass of aerials to contend with that you seem to... maybe we just don't have the ability here?

[TheTramp]

Oh. I'm sure that you have just as many people doing airsteps as we do. Just that maybe they're a bit more thoughtful. I imagine that all the posts in this forum about airsteppers, are probably about only a few couples. We don't have huge numbers of people doing airsteps at every venue. Just the odd few inconsiderate people who generate lots of discussion :rolleyes:

Steve

[Ronde!]

Originally posted by TheTramp
We don't have huge numbers of people doing airsteps at every venue. Just the odd few inconsiderate people who generate lots of discussion :rolleyes:

OIC... well, hopefully you won't hear from some other Canberrans about some guy that's always on the dancefloor, he must think he owns it or something, and the way he carries on like he's Michael Flatley incarnate... frankly it's disgusting, as is the fact that he'll dance to Kylie or whatever Garbage is put on, so long as it's got a beat. I mean, it's like, hello, what gives? Huh, don't go there girlfriend...

LoL

[Jon]

It's not just airsteppers as these people tend to injure other people. But it's also important for men to know when it's appropriate to do drops/seducers etc. Far too often I see these moves done on a crowded danced floor with the lady practically on the floor horizontal and other couples taking emergency avoiding action from kicking her in the head.

The bottom line is it's commonsense and it's not how experienced a dancer you are.

At the venue I dance at the teacher hardly ever teaches airerals or drops/seducer moves. Yet the standard of dancers is one of the highest in the area, because we think of advanced moves in terms of smooth routines, style and body movement. All of this you can dance on any dancefloor safely!.