Yes.
No.
Not sure.
Anyone sell me the Sword of Everlasting Cheese on WoW?
I started dancing when I was 14 and everyone I danced with was much older in comparison. This fortunately didnt put me off, but it has detered my friends in the past.
Age has no relevance in modern jive, my enjoyment of a dance is based on so many other factors. Modern Jive has something to offer every age range.
IMO To appeal to the younger generation and to therefore keep MJ alive, organisations need to work on their promotion . DJ's also need to keep an eye on the charts, just a handful of up to date tracks an evening would encouage 18-30yr olds to attend.
Zara xxxxxxx
Damn it! At 31 I knew I was supposed to be doing something other than travelling, dancing and generally having a good time - I just didnt realise I was supposed to be speed rearing a child to adulthood in ten years, then ditching my partner and taking up ceroc to covertly look for another one!
I'm 28 and MJ is the first form of dance I've tried. I remember when choosing between dance styles being mildly interested in the age demographic (but not nearly as much as other things), such that I'd prefer a "younger dance" like this or Salsa. Ceroc was certainly advertised as if it was a dance for the younger generation and there was a poll on this forum that made out it was pretty much an even spread all the way from 20-50 which was great. My first nights have been slightly older than I anticipated but it hasn't bothered me, and theres certainly been a share of younger people. Maybe the internet demographic skewed the results?! Would anyone say that Salsa or some other styles are generally younger?
I supose the complete answer to that is YES and its for young people as well.
The regular venue i go to has a complete mix 16 to 80
Along the south Coast from Brighton through to Hastings apart from Ceroc Brighton which has a majority of younger dancers, all the venues are populated mainly by 60 + year olds.
There are a few very talented younger dancers in Brighton (vegtable, Zara etc) and none in Eastbourne, Bexhill, Hastings. The Teacher in Hastings is 70 this year !!.
I am aiming this year to try several projects to try and introduce younger people to dancing. Personally I think the way to do it is younger teachers and failing that, younger music. More Hip Hop, RnB etc.
One of the first things I am doing is running a Night Club 2 Step workshop and advertsing it at the local college.
Don't know what is classified as younger really, I am still 18 in my head although I have to confess ,and I am sure it will come as a shock to some that I am not.
I think that there is a lot of kudos with Salsa amongst the younger dancers, my experience of most of the Salsa clubs I have gone to around the Northwest, including Manchester city centre and outskirts is one where there are generally more dancers who would be ticking the 20 - 30 box. However the big club in Manchester is primarily a night club, and treated by the majority as such, rather than a specific dance venue.When I went last it became very obvious that I couldn't have the same connection with a dancer that I could in a MJ venue , because it would have been misconstrued and I was just going to have a dance.
In my experience AT, Ballroom and Latin seem to attract a mix that tend in the majority to be a bit older. At the Ballroom and Latin class that I go to there is a good mix of ages. One lady that goes to this venue in Sale Manchester is in her 80s and got picked to go into the Strictly Ballroom house the year I think Jamie Mcloughlin was in it. She had to leave because her partner who was in his 30s could not keep up with the demands that the dancing made on him. What a great lady she has been dancing all her life and is a fit as a flea with a great figure.
In my book dancing keeps you young and age is only a number.
Last edited by rubyred; 6th-February-2008 at 06:15 PM.
if you love the life you live then you'll get a lot more done
I guess I'd like to know how old "old" is...
Age is no barrier when it comes to MJ.But now that there is a big swing towards Blues/WCS and more expressive interpretation of music it does pose a problem to me.Much as I love the current trend of Blues/WCS,as a 66 year old,I would feel uncomfortable for my partner as well as myself,dancing with anybody that is significantly younger than me for fear that the dance would be viewed by some,and they will,as anything but sleaze.That is of course assuming that any young lady would be comfortable in that situation in the first place.
I started ceroc when i was 29 and im sure the average age then was around 29
Im now 38 ok 42 for one more day and im sure the average age is around 40
I would suggest the average has gone up about 10yrs
Thats based on a few venues/weekenders
Im sure it will go up further over the next 10yrs probably to cira 45 ?
Sad to say not quite true. Infirmities will take over eventually :-(
Yes, as one with even more seniority, this is an issue of which I am all too well aware; even in the standard Ceroc experience. But most of this I am sure is in my mind; in reality I struggle to recall any signs or instances of ageism. I guess I'm part of the scene at my local classes and, whilst I mostly choose to dance with 50+ year olds (even they, significantly younger than me I have to say !!), a number of younger ladies seem quite happy to dance and request. I am grateful and humbled.
The trend toward slower tempos and the subtleties and sensualities of blues and wcs is only just beginning to impact out here in the limbo between the west country and the south midlands. A local Lindy outfit brought in a Nigel and Nina blues workshop a year or two ago, and now Strictly Ceroc introduces a coupl'a Sunday WCS workshops and a following Tea Dance. Not much to work on, but I do hope it's a trend that will continue.
However, as you intimate, present times are a real invitation and challenge to we oldsters as the music, I hope, moves in our direction. At its behest we must forget the years and dance and connect with intent and conviction so that, as we dance, leader and follower alike, reality may be subsumed and we can be whatever we may imagine.
One of the most active dancers in South Wales is in his seventies, and he's rarely off the floor all night. He'll dance with anyone of any age, and he really is an inspiration. If I'm as active as that if and when I reach his age I'll be happy!
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)
Bookmarks