Due to my illness, which I have thankfulyl recovered from - 3 weeks is a long time away from dancing, I have been watching dance videos on Youtube. Modern Jive is not really very interesting to watch - at least any decent stuff online and I have the DVD's from the weekenders I've been on, so I've been watching a fair bit of WCS. I seem to have different tastes from the judges however.
I can appreciate the technical skill that goes into the dancing of Benji Schwimmer and Kellese Keys but it leaves me mainly cold. Whereas watching Kyle Redd and Sarah Vann Drake is involving. The same with Jordna and Tatiana, I find Tatiana involving but Jordan not so much. I quite like Melissa Rutz as well.
Which got me thinking what was it I didn't like about these great dancers. I think after a while its just the sheer technical bits don't interest me, thats not entirely true of course, becasue they do, but its more fo a technical thign for a technical reason leaves me cold. i.e. it should fit with the music and the partners should look at each other.
Look at the Easter swing 2009 Kyle and Sarah video (should be green outfits) - would post a link but the company website stops me from gettign to youtube.
Here, I love the fact that Sarah speeds up and down in time to the musci, Kyles leg lift over, Sarah's movement on the Burn baby burn line. It just feels involved.
Contrast to this Benji and Kellese's winnning routine in 2009
I can appreciate the footwork, lifts and the speed of the dance, but it just doesn't engage me the same way.
So what makes me different from the judges. What are they looking for? What do you look for?
Phil
It was the excitement of posting something you might reply to
This is one of the 'countless' reasons I hate competitions, the fact I rarely agree with the results.
When I say I don't agree, I mean, its rarely the couple I enjoy watching the most, that wins
and that's probably due to the fact that, what 'I' enjoy, doesn't really have much to do with the level of skill involved, its to do with the personalities the contestants portray and whether they make me 'like them' or not
MODERATOR AT YOUR SERVICE
"If you're going to do something tonight, that you know you'll be sorry for in the morning, plan a lie in." Lorraine
You took the words right out of my fingers. That's all it's about for me too.
Slight off topic to the competition side of things; I can recall a couple of moments watching someone dancing socially, & initially thinking "they look pretty good" - but then, they go & spoilt it... - with constant glances around to see who's watching them! Looks as though they're not dancing with their partner, but just dancing to show off & looking around to see who they're impressing.
Instant turn off.
Suddenly I find this same person awful to watch!
Urgh!
When you're there at the time the difference between what you describe & what I described is obvious, - (especially when you're sitting there & you're one of people who keeps getting the glances ) I'm talking about people dancing at the sidelines & glancing at people who are sitting there watching
I think people's movement has personality also, - some people are just lovely to watch & display personality in their movement, - for some reason I can't articulate - others just don't do it for me, - personal thing I guess
Due to my recent incapacitation I have had to watch rather than participate a lot over the last 10 months and have grown to really quite enjoy watching others dancing MJ.
I have to admit that class night MJ can be repetative to watch but still interesting none the less - I had never noticed the concentration on the faces of new leads, the terror of the new follow and the general enjoyment that ALL dancers experience when a dance goes the way they wanted.
Now my fitness is returning I am alot more relaxed about 'sitting out' - before my illness I felt that I was missing out but now I can generally find someone interesting (or amusing) on the dancefloor to observe and can hopefully learn from them if only what not to do - affectations and style points that don't suit me.
I particulaly enjoy watching the slower style - call it blues if you want - when a partnership on the dancefloor get a real connection it is magical to watch - and quite often there is not a recognisable MJ/WCS step to be seen - mind you there is a point when it is only polite to look away
I much prefer watching regular dancers to competition dancers - as Lory said I rarely agree with the decisions - and regular freestyle is just that - free - any emotion or drama portrayed is genuine and spontanoeus.
Just my ramblings
Rachel xx
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