In the last few years I've found that fast is actually the new slow. At least it is for me.
Those mentally fast tracks that used to signal "time for a break" are now the ones where I seek out a great partner: just like I used to do when I heard the intro to a slow track.
There's just a much playful stuff in fast tracks as there is in the slower stuff. It just comes at you faster. And the great thing about fast tracks is that the difference between moving and not moving is so much more dramatic.
I'm glad there's more people who are "H" free
I kind of know what you're saying, but I disagree about some aspects. Balance, for example - not really required for fast dancing as you're constantly moving. It's much more difficult to achieve balance moving slowly, as small mistakes are more obvious.
Dancing slowly well (in MJ) is extremely difficult - most people look like, as a friend said "They're on drugs" - look at the recent Blues competition DVD for example, most of the competitors just can't dance to slow music, and that's painfully obvious.
All things being equal, they're equally difficult.
Dancing well, in any genre, to any speed, is equally difficult. It's a beginner-level fallacy to think that Slow Dancing is Cool Dancing - about the level of analysis that thinks that if you're dancing in a slot you must be doing WCS - but that doesn't mean that Fast Dancing is easier - or more difficult - than slow dancing.
It just requires different skills, that's all.
Ah, I wasn't talking about moves, I was talking about dancing
OK, seriously now.... a lack of quality of movement is painfully obvious at slow paces, and virtually everyone makes the mistake of rushing to the next step and then having to wait half a beat to stay on time once they get there in the beggining. A regular (for MJ) pace of music is much more forgiving in this regard.
Speed helps to hide the lack of this quality of movement to a large degree. These are the "sins" I was refering to.
I take it you stopped reading my post at the point you quoted and didn't bother with the rest of it then?Originally Posted by TA Guy
I'll be nice and help you out so you don't have to page back and find it. It was:
Originally Posted by NZ Monkey
I love that. Although I prefer songs with slow passages, and fast passages, the contrast really makes the dance for me. (think I've said that before on here ) The Bongo song (proper version), although well overplayed now and a long way from 'subtle', and hated by many always slips into my mind
Yes, long ago, I thought; given my posts on here I could no longer include the 'H' and keep a pure heart
*shrug* Can only speak for myself here, but I don't constantly move during fast dances
And, LOL, I really don't agree that balance is not required for fast dancing. I agree the emphasize on certain skills may be slightly different, but a pair of fast dancers without balance, well... you'd certainly notice.
You make it sound like Blues rooms are full of stuttering dancers unable to keep their balance That's certainly generally not what I see even on lesson nights.
Well - that's just it, isn't it? Like most dances, MJ is geared towards a certain set of musical styles and a certain speed range - go outside of that range in either direction, and you need a change of technique at the very least, and quite possibly a change of dance - there is, in fact, an old saying of 'let the music dictate the dance' which makes a lot of sense here.
Personally - if the track is 80BPM, for example, I'll have shed all pretence of doing MJ, and reverted to my nice comfortable blues techniques. For a 180bpm track, with the right partner, if there's a trace of swing in it, I'll most likely be doing Lindy. At 220, depending on the track and my partner, I'll quite likely be doing Lindy, Charleston, Balboa, or some strange blend of the three...
Just a case of using the best tools for the job at hand.
I know - Put the bait on
Thank you
Reel them in
You should ask Straycat to look at some of his clips - You will find them awesome! Especially the ones of him dancing. He really does know what he's talking about!
One of the reasons I made the comment I did.... Kinda proves my point
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