Can doing continuous lifts and drops be called dancing??

[Astro]

I did not enjoy watching the SCD clip at all, for that reason.

I was impressed with the beginning, but my mind started wandering halfway through and I clicked it off.

[David Franklin]

So any thoughts on Victor/Hanna's dance this year? I thought it was the best I'd seen from them with possible exception of series 1, but in the DS forums it seems nearly everyone hated it. (A lot of comments that it looked almost pornographic, which I'm really not seeing, but there you go...)

[Tiggerbabe]

I liked it better than last years, too. It didn't strike me as being pornographic.

[Northants Girly]

I thought it was amazing!

[Mini Mac]

I thought it was amazing!

me and dad were sat there breathless it was a spectacular aerial lift performance, yes theyre wasnt dnacing but the lifts were out of this world!!!!

[Dreadful Scathe]

me and dad were sat there breathless it was a spectacular aerial lift performance, yes theyre wasnt dnacing but the lifts were out of this world!!!!

of course its dancing - if someones interpretation of the music is mostly lifts then good for them. If its not dancing, what is it...scrabble ?

[martingold]

I didnt realise it but by the way Victor was throwing Hanna about it looks like she only weighs about half a stone

Having said that i was amazed watching it three times what a show of immense strength some of those lifts were outstanding

[Terpsichorea]

I didnt realise it but by the way Victor was throwing Hanna about it looks like she only weighs about half a stone

Having said that i was amazed watching it three times what a show of immense strength some of those lifts were outstanding

It was really amazing to watch - they worked together so well that she looked as if she was being lifted by wires. Never seen it done so effortlessly before.

[David Bailey]

So any thoughts on Victor/Hanna's dance this year?

It's not my cup-of-tea, but it was very well done, yes.

but in the DS forums it seems nearly everyone hated it. (A lot of comments that it looked almost pornographic, which I'm really not seeing, but there you go...)

Porn? Blimey, they really are a bunch of loons.

[~*~Saligal~*~]

deleted post

[~*~Saligal~*~]

of course its dancing - if someones interpretation of the music is mostly lifts then good for them. If its not dancing, what is it...scrabble ?

gymnastics? or possibly rhythmic gymnastics? you know.. where they use a ball or ribbon etc... cept in this instance they use a woman

[David Franklin]

It's not my cup-of-tea, but it was very well done, yes.

Just to make it clear: I don't personally like the style Victor and Hanna have brought to exhibition dancing, and they wouldn't be world champs if I were marking. (I might not put it like that on the DS board, because there's someone on the DS board who knows Victor and Hanna reasonably well).

I actually find Victor and Hanna's success a little odd: from my perspective, they do a lot of things "wrong" that I really don't expect from the world champs. I can accept poor lines from Victor when he's holding someone overhead, but I really don't understand it when Hanna ends up in strange 'saggy' positions. I can only think that it's an intentional departure from the accepted norms. But I don't get it (or like it).

gymnastics? or possibly rhythmic gymnastics? you know.. where they use a ball or ribbon etc... cept in this instance they use a woman

You could use a ribbon and a woman...

[~*~Saligal~*~]

*snip*
You could use a ribbon and a woman...

*snip*

The choreography at the start looked like a beam routine ... overall it looks like the guy is the prop rather than the ribbon! they could have been a little more creative to camouflage what looks like her old rhythmic gymnastics routine converted for dance comp...

Thanks for the clip - after looking at it and then comparing the prior video clip... it's not a whole lot different (except for maybe the styling differences between a gymnastics routine and a "dance" routine).

[ducasi]

So any thoughts on Victor/Hanna's dance this year? I thought it was the best I'd seen from them with possible exception of series 1, but in the DS forums it seems nearly everyone hated it. (A lot of comments that it looked almost pornographic, which I'm really not seeing, but there you go...)

Here it is on youTube...

[Simon r]

So any thoughts on Victor/Hanna's dance this year? I thought it was the best I'd seen from them with possible exception of series 1, but in the DS forums it seems nearly everyone hated it. (A lot of comments that it looked almost pornographic, which I'm really not seeing, but there you go...)

I guess this really does come down to personnel Tastes. I preferred this routine to last years and felt the music more appropriate to the routine.

I actually liked the awkward lines that they hit, along with the contrast of clean lines in other parts of the music. This reminded me of a more contempory ballet look.

It's nice to see dancers push the boundaries especially when you are at the top of your game rather than playing safe.

I do think there was a slight mistake and they winged it for a few beats but other than that top notch.

[DavidB]

Here it is on youTube...

That was the best routine I've seen from them - especially the slow bit at the beginning. I have no idea how anyone could consider it even remotely pornographic.

But I wouldn't call it partner-dancing, as there's very little lead-and-follow involved. And that's not just my opinion, that's based on what DavidB said about the lack of follow in aerials (or drops, past the commit stage).

To me, lead-and-follow is essential to partner dancing. No lead-and-follow = no partner dance.

Just to make it clear - I did say that you can't follow lifts. But I don't agree that lead & follow is required for a partner dance. Connection is required, but not lead & follow. (That is only a requirement when the context of the dance demands it.)

Dancing is moving to music. Partner dancing is moving as a partnership to music. It doesn't matter what you are doing - whether you are in the air or not, doing simple or complicated moves, choreographed or freestyle.

When I see a full-time professional couple doing a cabaret, I want to see something that I wish I could do, but know I could never actually do. That could include anything from individual technique, performance, choreography, difficulty etc.

When I see an amateur cabaret, I want to see something that I didn't know they could do.

But in both cases I want to be entertained. I can't walk like a top Argentine Tango dancer. But just watching an AT couple walking to music wouldn't be entertaining to me. And no doubt some people don't find aerials entertaining. But it is still partner dancing.

And when done well, looks like this:

[~*~Saligal~*~]

*snip*
Dancing is moving to music. Partner dancing is moving as a partnership to music. It doesn't matter what you are doing - whether you are in the air or not, doing simple or complicated moves, choreographed or freestyle *snip*

Rhythmic gymnastics is also moving to music - would you call that dancing? or gymnastics? it's a combination of poses and tricks - just like the two routines shown in the recent posts. Where's the actual dancing?

[NZ Monkey]

it's a combination of poses and tricks - just like the two routines shown in the recent posts. Where's the actual dancing?

To be fair though, dancing of any variety could be described pretty accurately as a combination of tricks and poses, and the transitions between them, performed in a manner to emphasise music.

I guess the hard part is not making it look like that's what it is.

[ducasi]

And when done well, looks like this:

That's an incredible performance.

(Seems it helps to be called David if you like doing aerials, right? )

I can see the dance in it beyond just a gymnastic performance. Dancing doesn't need to always involve steps.

[David Franklin]

That's an incredible performance.

I was wondering whether to post that one on the DS forum. To my mind, that's a lot closer to "pornographic" than Victor/Hanna's routine. (Though still not terribly close, you understand). I can't work out how much the "porno complaint" on there boils down to "OMG! Hanna's not wearing a skirt!". Because after all, 7 square inches of fronds that aren't exactly covering anything once you're moving make all the difference, right?

(Seems it helps to be called David if you like doing aerials, right? )

Another David: (David Appel is 2 x US Open Showcase champ).

And another David I've never seen (even on video), but when DavidB says:

David & Leslie Elkin
The best cabaret dance couple I've ever seen. They made everything look effortless, and showed me what is meant by dancing through a lift.

you know they've got to be pretty special...