Contributing to a styling workshop - any ideas?

[Terpsichorea]

Hi guys

I'm demoing at a styling workshop next weekend, and I've been asked to come up with some suggestions for men's styling tips/ideas. I've got a few basic ones of my own lined up, such as Rondes, some posture tips, foot slides, body rolls etc, but I'd like to get some more ideas to play with and suggest to the teacher for the workshop...anyone got any particular bits of men's styling which they feel are essential to MJ? I seem to remember Lee doing a thread on this some time last year, but I can't find it...

[David Bailey]

anyone got any particular bits of men's styling which they feel are essential to MJ?

What to do with spare arms?

Posture?

[JiveLad]

How about a bit of head and face - and how to style it in different ways.

I notice some guys using their head to good effect, turning this way and that - or just keeping it steady.

And as for the face - well it's about expression and interpreting the music in different ways:

[Terpsichorea]

What to do with spare arms?

Posture?

Nice, I'll add those as well. The issue of the spare arm seems to be easier for ladies, at least in the sense that they seem to be taught that it's OK to use it expressively, whereas most men seem to keep it anchored around their hip.

[Terpsichorea]

How about a bit of head and face - and how to style it in different ways.

I notice some guys using their head to good effect, turning this way and that - or just keeping it steady.

And as for the face - well it's about expression and interpreting the music in different ways:

I wonder what the bloke on the left is listening to? Spanners being chucked down a well?

[Cruella]

What to do with spare arms?

Posture?

I'm sure RobD will show you his 'competition arm styling' DJ. Just beware that you'll take a few eyes out if you use it though!

[robd]

I've got a few basic ones of my own lined up, such as Rondes, some posture tips, foot slides, body rolls etc...anyone got any particular bits of men's styling which they feel are essential to MJ?

I don't think any styling is essential to MJ but clearly there are things that are pretty much universally acknowledged as looking better than others. You also need to bear in mind your audience on this workshop. Without wishing to stereotype too heavily there's little point trying to teach body rolls to a more, ahem, mature audience. I would suggest basic posture tips would be a good bet for all. I have videod myself dancing social WCS a couple times recently and even though I generally get told I have a good posture when dancing I am seeing things I don't like and often not dancing at my tallest as I was encouraged to do in a private lesson I took in the past. Connection with the floor can also help to quieten down the stompy style that some men have - steal Frank's dancing on paper towels idea for this!

[Terpsichorea]

I don't think any styling is essential to MJ but clearly there are things that are pretty much universally acknowledged as looking better than others. You also need to bear in mind your audience on this workshop. Without wishing to stereotype too heavily there's little point trying to teach body rolls to a more, ahem, mature audience. I would suggest basic posture tips would be a good bet for all. I have videod myself dancing social WCS a couple times recently and even though I generally get told I have a good posture when dancing I am seeing things I don't like and often not dancing at my tallest as I was encouraged to do in a private lesson I took in the past. Connection with the floor can also help to quieten down the stompy style that some men have - steal Frank's dancing on paper towels idea for this!

Hi Rob, the posture idea sounds interesting, but I'm not sure how I'd express 'dancing at your tallest' - I think I understand it in theory, but not sure how I'd explain it (like so many things in dance!)

[robd]

Hi Rob, the posture idea sounds interesting, but I'm not sure how I'd express 'dancing at your tallest' - I think I understand it in theory, but not sure how I'd explain it (like so many things in dance!)

Simple I'd have thought. Do a minute's demo with hunched shoulders and bad posture then dance a minute standing up straight (I think this is the essence of dancing at your tallest) - your audience ought see the difference immediately. You do some ballroom, right? So I am guessing that standing up pretty straight is instilled into your dancing and you'll just need to let it go to demonstrate the less aesthetically pleasing hunched look.

[Terpsichorea]

Simple I'd have thought. Do a minute's demo with hunched shoulders and bad posture then dance a minute standing up straight (I think this is the essence of dancing at your tallest) - your audience ought see the difference immediately. You do some ballroom, right? So I am guessing that standing up pretty straight is instilled into your dancing and you'll just need to let it go to demonstrate the less aesthetically pleasing hunched look.

Nice one, I'll add it to the list, thanks for your help!

[David Bailey]

I'm sure RobD will show you his 'competition arm styling' DJ. Just beware that you'll take a few eyes out if you use it though!

I haven't had to worry about that recently, as I dance in close hold most of the time now

[mikeyr]

Simple I'd have thought. Do a minute's demo with hunched shoulders and bad posture then dance a minute standing up straight (I think this is the essence of dancing at your tallest) - your audience ought see the difference immediately. You do some ballroom, right? So I am guessing that standing up pretty straight is instilled into your dancing and you'll just need to let it go to demonstrate the less aesthetically pleasing hunched look.

Its worth noting that posture is purely aesthetic, with regard to leading it does not necessarily have an impact. It is in my opinion like body rolls not something everybody can achieve.

Also whilst it maybe de rigeur for a ballroom style, it's certainly not for WCS or Lindy or even MJ, not even at competitive level.

DJ maybe you'd care to comment on its use in Salsa?

[robd]

Its worth noting that posture is purely aesthetic, with regard to leading it does not necessarily have an impact. It is in my opinion like body rolls not something everybody can achieve.

Also whilst it maybe de rigeur for a ballroom style, it's certainly not for WCS or Lindy or even MJ, not even at competitive level.

I certainly don't mean that everyone needs to adopt a very rigid ballroom or latin type posture Mike (and I agree that such a look is not attainable for everyone) but more that a useful element of a styling workshop for MJ leaders is to try and eliminate the awful hunched over look that so many dancers have. Think of all the people you like to watch in action in MJ and I'll bet all of them have pretty good posture as I envisage it in this thread.

[timbp]

most men seem to keep it anchored around their hip.

But you might point out that "keep it anchored around their hip" is an active use of that arm.
There is a big difference between a hand held at the hip and one that happens to be at the hip because that's where it fell.

[David Bailey]

Its worth noting that posture is purely aesthetic, with regard to leading it does not necessarily have an impact. It is in my opinion like body rolls not something everybody can achieve.

Also whilst it maybe de rigeur for a ballroom style, it's certainly not for WCS or Lindy or even MJ, not even at competitive level.

Yeah - there's a good argument that MJ posture should be more like Jive posture than Ballroom posture. It's very style-dependent - I'm aware of it from AT, of course, but other styles will be different. Someone with a Lindy background, as you say, will have different posture.

DJ maybe you'd care to comment on its use in Salsa?

I can't remember ever being told about posture in salsa classes... But no, I don't think it's an essential component in competitions. And again it's style-dependent; Cuban style would be different from Columbian / LA style, posture-wise.

All that said, it's not irrelevant - look at John Barnes' salsa from SCD last year:


It's a good salsa, but his posture let him down - as Rob says, the "hunched-over" look. Even in salsa, it matters quite a lot.

So there's stuff you can say about posture - if only "consider what your posture is" - in most dances.

[Caro]

Simple I'd have thought. Do a minute's demo with hunched shoulders and bad posture then dance a minute standing up straight (I think this is the essence of dancing at your tallest) - your audience ought see the difference immediately.

'Dancing at your tallest' as used by some WCS pros also refers to bent knees - some people keep them slightly bent all the time and never step on a straight leg.

[mikeyr]

'Dancing at your tallest' as used by some WCS pros also refers to bent knees - some people keep them slightly bent all the time and never step on a straight leg.

Thats a problem I have that I am actively trying remove from my WCS, its harder than it looks, I got rid of the cuban heels too to help bring the weight back behind the hips, it's the kind of thing that illustrates different styles for different dances.

If people are willing to pay for a style workshop by particular teachers, it maybe its because they want to dance like them!! I would say to you if you are teaching, look to your own style, what is it people like about it, bottle it and sell that!

[Gadget]

...anyone got any particular bits of men's styling which they feel are essential to MJ?

Here?

Style

Not sure that "essential" is apt - perhaps techniques and advice to make you more 'stylish', but to me "style" is everything that is not essential to the dance and should not interfear with anything that is (like the lead).

[Terpsichorea]

Here?

Style

Not sure that "essential" is apt - perhaps techniques and advice to make you more 'stylish', but to me "style" is everything that is not essential to the dance and should not interfear with anything that is (like the lead).

Excellent, cheers for the link, I'll download it and take a look. With regard to the issue of style, I suppose a lot of it is adding what is specifically you to your dancing, which can't happen overnight. It's a confidence thing, I guess.

[Gus]

I'm demoing at a styling workshop next weekend, and I've been asked to come up with some suggestions for men's styling tips/ideas. .

You could ask Helen Zambas, ex-Blitz Leeds. She's worked with a number of male intructors to produce a number of Style workshops. Sure she would have some usefull input and is recognised as one of the finest dancers and instructors in the N East.