Yup, I think so - the dance hasn't changed much - I practice more of what I preach now, so my dancing is now a lot truer to the document than it was when I wrote it.
I don't think that time has made the content any less relevant - I just re-read it and there is very little I would change.
Thanks for all the great advice in here, I will print out all the posts and ponder over them for a long time as there is lots of inspirational suggestions in here which will keep me busy for a long time.
It's funny though as the answer I was searching for was literally under my nose!
I was all motivated when I first started Ceroc and at the 2 month mark I bought both intermediate DVD's. At the time I looked over them and only cherry picked one or two moves to try out as the rest seemed too difficult for me at that stage.
Now though at the 8 month stage I can watch any move from the intermediate DVD's, write a few notes on them, then go to class and try them out and have something workable by the end of the night.
As I've watched both intermediate DVD's again and I now recognise a lot of the moves the better dancers are doing on the dance floor. I think these DVD's will be a useful stepping stone on the way.
From reviewing the DVD's I've actually noticed I've have been putting in an extra part to one of my favourite moves, this extra part was throwing the follows off, so it's great I've sorted that kink out.
It did seem a big investment at the time to me buying these DVD's and I was unsure if I would get much return on them but I now feel there going to be a great help to me.
In future I can see myself learning new moves that I want to put into my Repertoire by the following methods:-
50% through classes & workshops
30% through watching DVD's/uTube etc…
20% by asking fellow dancers to show me moves I've seen them perform on the dance floor.
So I'm feeling a lot more positive about my dancing now as I have some direction to follow.
I'm going to build up a little toolbox of moves, I don't think it will take me long to put that structure in place and then I'll always have a firm base to build on top with styling, musicality etc…
I'll occasionally post back on here to say if my approach has been any good.
Feels like I've made real improvements already in the last 2 weeks, so hopefully I'm on the right path.
Cheers, DD
Has anyone tried John Sweeney's "Modern Jive Toolkit" DVD ? (Findable with Google ...)
It looks like a good guide to smooth technique, which may be more important than the 17 moves also therein.
Personally I didn't get far with 'musicality' until trying West Coast Swing. The discipline of trying to make 6-beat and 8-beat footwork patterns fit 32-beat musical phrases (?) is tough. But, after a few weeks, you can really feel when it goes wrong. I have discontinued WCS after 6 months (too hard to find out how to lead ...), but the musicality carries back to improve MJ. It's too easy just to reduce all music down to a minimal 121212 (or even 111111!!) and ignore the higher-level structure.
I think those that find musicality hard to pick up may be trying too hard - just enjoy the dance, the music and your partner - and it may come naturally if you cease to strive for it. Zen approach ?
Plus be conscious of techniques to 'bend the timing' - repeat part of a move, miss part of a move out, include/exclude returns, freezes, 'filler moves', double-speed, half-speed, 3-beat returns, double-spins - anything to allow you to adapt to what the music and your partner are doing.
Last edited by EricD; 9th-April-2008 at 01:59 AM.
I bought the DVD and like it a lot. I've tried a few of the exercises with my wife and daughters and they made a difference to me.
The focus is not on moves (the DVD includes a couple of basic beginner and core intermediate moves) but on building connection and dancing smoothly. For me it reaffirmed that half a dozen moves danced well, musically, and with connection can lead to far more enjoyment for both lead and follow than cramming four times that many moves in and not being 'together'.
I quite agree. I think the best leads are the ones that maybe know the 'rules' but are quite happy to ignore them, make up their own moves and go with the 'feel' of the music.
There are a couple of guys who've joined my local class recently who haven't done any jive before but they've both got fantastic rhythm and are such fun to dance with. They are concerned that the girls will get bored dancing with them because they don't know many 'moves' and can't dance 'properly' but I would far rather dance with them, 'feeling' the music and making up our own moves and having a laugh than with a leader who's been dancing for years, knows lot of complicated routines but dances like a robot and bounces about at 100mph regardless of the beat, the breaks in the music and the atmosphere of the track.
I love MJ for exactly the reason that is so open to your own interpretation - you can do what you like with it and still look good. Its not like ballroom where the rules are so rigid. There is no such thing as a wrong move - its just your own version!!
You can't make up your own moves unless you have good technique. (well, you can, but how do you get someone to follow them?)
I suspect the best leads are the ones that have the best technique -- and it doesn't matter if they are doing a standard move or making up something.
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