The Anchor in MJ: WCS meets MJ

[JiveLad]

Dateline: Feb 25, Sydney:

Towards the end of the beginners class at Willoughby, Sydney, Jive Lad’s ears pricked up as he heard the teacher start taking about the anchor step. He went on to explain that “we used to teach semi-circle, step back....and now we are changing that......and introducing the ‘anchor”. The anchor was described and demonstrated as feet coming more together and a slight ‘lean’ back to create some tension (after the step back) with weight on the back foot – and of course doing the anchor at appropriate points from there - ie at 'end' of moves.

Now the reason I stood up and took attention was that my understanding is that the ‘anchor’ is a fundamental of WCS – and it was being brought in to MJ – and into the Beginners Class.

This theme continued into the Intermediate Class. Lots of talk about Anchor, Tension and Slot. In one sense, I saw this as a key moment: the ‘we’ referred to above, I took to mean Ceroc Australia – not just the whim of one particular teacher (in this case Mark – great guy btw). And it seemed to me a deliberate and important ‘strategic’ change in direction: a melding of MJ and WCS: bringing the best bits of technique from WCS directly into MJ.

The Intermediate class itself comprised 2 moves – the second of which could I sense have been legitimately part of a WCS class (which is probably why Jive Lad flunked it several times and had to have remedial help from the demonstrator who skipped down from the stage to help out).

Interested to consider if/how this could be done in the UK........I wonder if it could work? The more I think about it, the more I see it as the future - and the next stage evolution of MJ/Ceroc.

Any views?

[Caro]

That sounds interesting !

So would Jivelad (sorry - I had to - ) know how the anchor in MJ is done, in terms of timing ? Do you just change the connection at the end of your step back to give an elasticity feel while keeping the same timing, or do you add 2 beats during which you do your anchor at the end of the moves ?

Also I'm curious, would you necessarily know when the end of a move is ? I mean for the basic stuff it is quite obvious, but for the more elaborate moves ? Or is it when you reach the end of the slot (you said it was slotted, is that exclusively ?) and redirection is given like in wcs ?

[JiveLad]

That sounds interesting !

So would Jivelad (sorry - I had to - ) know how the anchor in MJ is done, in terms of timing ? Do you just change the connection at the end of your step back to give an elasticity feel while keeping the same timing, or do you add 2 beats during which you do your anchor at the end of the moves ?

A good point - as what was going thru' my head on the way back was that surely this takes an extra beat (or 2). Now, after the step back, the feet stepped more in line (but not together) and I distincly heard the teacher talking about 'pause' to anchor - and get that tension. So it was more than just changing the connection: it was footwork. For a more detailed technical explanation, I would have to defer to a teacher (and please note that the above is just my interpretation - therefore could be inaccurate).


Also I'm curious, would you necessarily know when the end of a move is ? I mean for the basic stuff it is quite obvious, but for the more elaborate moves ? Or is it when you reach the end of the slot (you said it was slotted, is that exclusively ?) and redirection is given like in wcs ?

Not sure about this - regarding the 'end of move' anchor - that is maybe open to debate in terms of when to do it. The only thing I would add is that the teacher also started to expand the tension/elasticity technique from a follower perspective - eg. when the lead is behind with hand on shoulder of follower, then follower should lean into this slightly to create some tension.....

[NZ Monkey]

This would have been about a week after J&T’s workshops in Sydney. I wasn’t there myself this time ( ) but they apparently taught a WCS meets MJ workshop at some point in the weekend. I would not at all be surprised if this class was based almost entirely on that.

Personally I’ve got no problem with taking technique pointers from other dance styles (especially my beloved WCS) but that is a pretty drastic sounding change to move the two closer. While the change in that would bring to the dynamic of the dance would suit me to a “t”, If MJ started getting too much like WCS I think I’d find I’d just rather dance WCS anyway and forget about MJ altogether.

OK, if I’m honest – I’d rather just dance WCS anyway given a choice between the two, but that’s just my personal preference. I’m sure there a lot of people out there who don’t have my refined sense of taste though :stir:

[NZ Monkey]

Not sure about this - regarding the 'end of move' anchor - that is maybe open to debate in terms of when to do it. The only thing I would add is that the teacher also started to expand the tension/elasticity technique from a follower perspective - eg. when the lead is behind with hand on shoulder of follower, then follower should lean into this slightly to create some tension.....

To be fair this example is a technique point common to many dances. It doesn't necessarily have anything to do with anchors as such.

[TA Guy]

Well MJ has always had a one beat anchor, and it's use is to build tension for the next move amongst others... very similar to WCS, and of course every swing dance out there.

Whether you semi-circle or not doesn't really affect that. In fact, one of the selling points of the semi circle is the step back to anchor and build of tension.

But I'm am all in favour of the MJ anchor and associated technique being taught. If you are a MJ dancer, it's one of those things that often has to be self-learn't. And it's crucial to controlled smooth dancing.



Not on topic, but it is a pet hate of mine when teachers attend a workshop and then blindly apply some technique they have "learn't" from the workshop a week later. Experience show one workshop often isn't enough to really appreciate the detail usually. Not that is what happened in this case, I am three thousand miles away, difficult to tell

[robd]

Yes, I think TA Guy is on point. Dancing with good MJ dancers you will feel a brief settling action which loads the momentum for the next travel forwards. Not sure if calling it an anchor and linking it to WCS helps or hinders the discussion though. The stuff about matching the pressure is also basic connection stuff applicable to many forms of dance. It's good that it's being taught but it doesn't necessarily mean MJ and WCS have decided to jump into bed together (DTS, you might get that snog from Caro yet )

[Lazy Dave]

Some of us have been doing this for a while....
A quiet revolution IS happening, after I put the kettle on.

[robd]

Some of us have been doing this for a while....
A quiet revolution IS happening

Dave, I could think of many words to describe your teaching but quiet definitely is NOT one of them

[ducasi]

Like others have said, anchoring in MJ is nothing new. The step back is a one beat anchor, and plenty of folks will extend it longer, maybe even with a triple-step involved.

I applaud them for teaching this style to beginners though.

Isn't Modern Jive a great dance to have this sort of flexibility?

[Maxine]

introducing the ‘anchor”. The anchor was described and demonstrated as feet coming more together and a slight ‘lean’ back to create some tension (after the step back) with weight on the back foot – and of course doing the anchor at appropriate points from there - ie at 'end' of moves.


Any views?

It has got to be a positive move to ditch the semicircle step back (because it makes the dance so bouncy IMHO) but were you able to put the anchor into practice during freestyle or did it cause you any problems?

[Lazy Dave]

Dave, I could think of many words to describe your teaching but quiet definitely is NOT one of them

Are you still going on about my gentle tones slipping under the Marquee at the last Southport and WAKING YOU UP!!!!
Get over it!

[Trouble]

I think its great that MJ are introducing anchor steps.

Makes for smoother dancing, less bouncing and maybe the happy joining of WCS/MJ for ever more.

NOT.

[Gadget]

Aaaaaaaaaarg!

[Geordieed]

Both MJ and WCS have roots in Swing/Lindy. MJ uses a rock step and the older forms of WCS used/uses a rock step. Putting an anchor and a rock step is a lot going on. Too much maybe (Putting in an anchor step should not to be confused with a tripple step that is a whole other issue especially with WCS and is having a profound affect on its future).

The rock step has now been taken out of the modern form of WCS. As a default MJ does not work to the action/reaction affect on a frame in an open dance position from the use of the semi circle action. Whether or not social dancers see the semi circle as something that they use in their dance Ceroc still teach it as a default and feature it in their beginner DVD. There are a lot of better dancers in MJ who are adding their knowledge of other dances within the social dance scene.

In defence of teachers in MJ attending workshops and bringing back new techniques to the dance I think it is a good thing. How else is MJ to progress. Having proactive teachers should be encouraged.

[Alan Doyle]

Both MJ and WCS have roots in Swing/Lindy. MJ uses a rock step and the older forms of WCS used/uses a rock step.

MJ was derived from ECS/Lindy Hop (which uses a rock step).
West Coast Swing was also derived from Lindy Hop but the rock step was replaced with a 'walk walk' (two steps forward for the lady).

MJ has more in common with ECS/Lindy Hop than WCS.

[kps]

In Carl and Sarah’s Coasting class (basically described as MJ meets WCS without the footwork) at Swish they were pretty much teaching this. It was a very interesting class that I think worked very well, at the end of each move the idea was you were leaning away from each other using that tension to start the next move. I do hope this could possibly be the way ceroc is heading along with saying good bye to the semicircle as I think it looks and feels much better when dancing.

[Alan Doyle]

In Carl and Sarah’s Coasting class (basically described as MJ meets WCS without the footwork) at Swish they were pretty much teaching this. It was a very interesting class that I think worked very well, at the end of each move the idea was you were leaning away from each other using that tension to start the next move. I do hope this could possibly be the way ceroc is heading along with saying good bye to the semicircle as I think it looks and feels much better when dancing.

Was the lady walking forward or stepping back?

[kps]

Was the lady walking forward or stepping back?

At the end of each move we stepped away from each other building the tension. The lady then took at step forward at the start of the move as the man moved out of the slot to allow her to pass to allow her to travel to the other end of the slot.

[Alan Doyle]

At the end of each move we stepped away from each other building the tension. The lady then took at step forward at the start of the move as the man moved out of the slot to allow her to pass to allow her to travel to the other end of the slot.

Sounds to me like they were teaching WCS