TOTAL EXPRESSION the end of ceroc or the start of something new

[stewart38]

Interesting development at Berko and for ceroc. Not 'knew of course' but clearly ive seen more classes going this way. whats happening to the old bouncy ceroc.

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'TOTAL EXPRESSION' CLASS WITH HOWARD AND NICOLA

This Sunday 28th January and every last Sunday of the month Howard and Nicola will be teaching 'TOTAL EXPRESSION' as an Intermediate class at Berkhamsted Town Hall at 8.00 (after the Ceroc Beginners class)

'TOTAL EXPRESSION' is a fusion of Latin, Soul, and Blues, ideal for dancing in the 'Berko Blues Room, Fresh and Utopia, but also to help take Ceroc to another level adding style, technique and musicality.
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[David Bailey]

'TOTAL EXPRESSION' is a fusion of Latin, Soul, and Blues

What?

How does that work exactly?

Everyone keeps on saying these buzz words, but I personally haven't got a clue how to fuse Latin, Soul and Blues dancing. In fact, I've no idea what Soul dancing is either, so only know "TWO-THIRDS EXPRESSION".

And actually, I've no idea what "Latin dancing" means - Tango? Salsa? Paso Doble? They're not exactly all the same style are they? So that's down to "ONE-THIRD EXPRESSION".

It's taken Amir several years to start fusing MJ and AT into a dance, fusing three dance styles in a single workshop, well that's impressive.

I know, perhaps I should go on a workshop and find out these mysteries.

[Lee Bartholomew]

Ahhh, just buzz words.

Dancing is dancing. MJ is a mixture of dances in itself so claiming to teach a mixture of styles is nothing new.

[Lory]

'Berko Blues Room, Fresh and Utopia,

Where/What's Fresh?

[FunkyAngel]

'TOTAL EXPRESSION' CLASS WITH HOWARD AND NICOLA

This Sunday 28th January and every last Sunday of the month Howard and Nicola will be teaching 'TOTAL EXPRESSION' as an Intermediate class at Berkhamsted Town Hall at 8.00 (after the Ceroc Beginners class)

'TOTAL EXPRESSION' is a fusion of Latin, Soul, and Blues, ideal for dancing in the 'Berko Blues Room, Fresh and Utopia, but also to help take Ceroc to another level adding style, technique and musicality.

This sounds like Howard and Nicola will be continuing to teach exactly what they were already teaching once a month at Berko just that last time I checked they were calling it Blues. Hardly surprising the new improved version is still ideal for dancing in the Blues room then

I'm still trying to work out what Blues is anyway (other than the music). I seem to remember a lot of what is now being called Blues was being taught by some teachers a good 15 years ago just that back then it was still called Ceroc (or "smoochy Ceroc moves" or "Ceroc suitable for slow music" depending on who you talked to).

Mind you back then Ceroc was "the partner dance from France" not "a salsa-jive fusion" too... Am I the only one a bit fed up with all the re-badging of what is essentially the same thing?

FunkyAngel

[Dizzy]

Where/What's Fresh?

I believe it is Saturday Chiswick nights.

[Tessalicious]

Where/What's Fresh?

The newish freestyles at Chiswick Town Hall are an example of a 'Fresh' night - with a Groove room (classics) and Smooth room (chillout/blues). It's a branding thing that is being spread around the UK, apparently, although Chiswick is the only one I know of as yet.

[David Bailey]

Where/What's Fresh?

She is.

She's Fresh.
Fresh and exciting.
She means so much to me.
etc.



Actually, I've just realised that I'm not very good at Blues dancing either, so I'm probably more like "ONE SIXTH EXPRESSION" or possibly even "ZERO EXPRESSION"

Am I the only one a bit fed up with all the re-badging of what is essentially the same thing?

God, no, me too.

I'm also hacked-off with the whole "grouping of every other dance form under the sun into a single so-called-style". Calling a single style "Latin" is just insulting, it's just done to sex it up. Grrrrr

[fletch]

Actually, I've just realised that I'm not very good at Blues dancing


:

I'll 'blues; with you if you stop Tango'ing with me

You could to a Rodger Chinn

[stewart38]

What?


Everyone keeps on saying these buzz words, but I personally haven't got a clue how to fuse Latin, Soul and Blues dancing. In fact, I've no idea what Soul dancing is either, so only know "TWO-THIRDS EXPRESSION".

And actually, I've no idea what "Latin dancing" means - Tango? Salsa? Paso Doble? They're not exactly all the same style are they? So that's down to "ONE-THIRD EXPRESSION".

It's taken Amir several years to start fusing MJ and AT into a dance, fusing three dance styles in a single workshop, well that's impressive.

I know, perhaps I should go on a workshop and find out these mysteries.

How about putting coffee and Latin usic together

Latinolatte Dance

A fusion of passion and desire leaving a smoothy creamy after taste , bring you own kleenex

[Princess Fi]

I'm also hacked-off with the whole "grouping of every other dance form under the sun into a single so-called-style". Calling a single style "Latin" is just insulting, it's just done to sex it up. Grrrrr

Well I used to go to 'Latin' Dance classes, and the reason I think they called them 'Latin' was cause "rumba, cha cha, samba, salsa, pasadoble, tango classes" was too much to get on the flyer.

Could they just mean they will teach you style points reminiscent of each discipline that you can incorporate into your dancing?

On the otherhand if they are talking about blending them all simultaneously I'd be interested to see what that would look like!

[under par]

I know, perhaps I should go on a workshop and find out these mysteries.

Yes.. participation is good

[David Bailey]

I'll 'blues; with you if you stop Tango'ing with me

If you can't Tango, you can't Blues. That's a rule.
Yes, OK, I just made it up, but that's OK, as everyone else seems to be doing that too.

Could they just mean they will teach you style points reminiscent of each discipline that you can incorporate into your dancing?

Yes, I guess it could be that. In theory. And if they spend time talking about use of claves, comparisons of rumba vs. tango weight-changes, and the difference in hip action between cha-cha and salsa, and how to incorporate all these styles into Ceroc, then I'll be suitably impressed and abashed.

What do you reckon the odds are?

[Princess Fi]

Yes, I guess it could be that. In theory. And if they spend time talking about use of claves, comparisons of rumba vs. tango weight-changes, and the difference in hip action between cha-cha and salsa, and how to incorporate all these styles into Ceroc, then I'll be suitably impressed and abashed.

Like when the music is more a slow blues like rumba slow steps (I forget the terminology -actually I never bothered to remember it in the first place) whereas in faster, more up beat music using triple steps and shaking'that thing' may look good?

Just a thought

[under par]

Yes, I guess it could be that. In theory. And if they spend time talking about use of claves, comparisons of rumba vs. tango weight-changes, and the difference in hip action between cha-cha and salsa, and how to incorporate all these styles into Ceroc, then I'll be suitably impressed and abashed.

What do you reckon the odds are?

DJ Have you ever thought about teaching ???

Instead of posting all about how it is/could/should/might be done.

You might hate the branding but anything that gets away from bouncy ceroc hands and music is good for me in whatever packaging guise is in this week.

And it doesn't mention Tango ...

[tsh]

Isn't blues a fusion of tango and a crowded floor?

[David Bailey]

DJ Have you ever thought about teaching ???

Been there done that - for example, I was teaching salsa for a while, back in the 90s.

I stopped for several reasons, one of which was to improve and enjoy my dancing more.

But do I need to be a teacher in order to critique a class? Surely as a (potential - very potential in this case) punter my opinion is important?

To be clear, I'm not against being taught technique, I'm against the false marketing and dodgy branding which Ceroc indulges in.

Learning dance properly is hard, it takes work and effort and more work.

Dumbing-down a course to imply that technique can be picked up easily is just, well, dumb, if you're trying to improve general dance ability. Of course, it makes perfect sense if you just want to market something sexy and different, and don't care whether people improve at all.

[David Bailey]

Isn't blues a fusion of tango and a crowded floor?

Nope, as Tango floors can get much more crowded than any conceivable MJ floor.

[TheTramp]

Am I the only one a bit fed up with all the re-badging of what is essentially the same thing?

Nope. And am I the only one fed up with word 'fusion' being applied to any re-badging??

Blues Latin Soul - Hmmm. If it's a 'hit' with the punters, then you could come up with the name Bulls(hit)....

[David Bailey]

Blues Latin Soul - Hmmm. If it's a 'hit' with the punters, then you could come up with the name Bulls(hit)....

I notice that this franchise has a particularly good set of workshops, including:

Focus workshops: A very targeted two hours of learning and practise covering technical aspects of dancing such as: Lead, Follow, Connection, Frame, footwork, Spins, Turns, Style, Posture, Balance, etc...

Note the complete and utter absence of any buzzwords, such as "Latin", "Fusion", "Sexy", "TOTAL", etc.

It does exactly what it says on the tin, in other words.

Why can't we have these in the South?