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Thread: Blues Baby Blues

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    Registered User fandangle's Avatar
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    Re: Blues Baby Blues

    I have been following this thread with interest. Although having been Jiving for over 10 years, I was first introduced to "Blues" dancing when I attended the Ceroc "Breeze" weekender last year and witnessed the UK National Blues Championship. I was interested to know what "Blues" dancing was all about. However, I was totally confused. I watched various couples using WCS, MJ, ballet and even gymnastics as well as what looked to be like extended crotch grinding. I came away without really knowing what "Blues" dancing was all about. Since then, I have done a workshop with Sara White which taught a tango flavoured Blues and really got me wanting more, a class in US Blues and a workshop with David and Val. This has given me a much better idea about what is involved in "Blues" dancing (at least here in the UK and probably termed MJ Blues) and I love it. As a novice, I do feel a bit awkward with it but try and practice it when I can. Most of the ladies I have danced with have expressed pleasure at the difference in my dancing from the usual MJ move/next move etc to the more relaxed pace and focus on the breaks evident in Blues dancing. I'm really enjoying the experience and want more.

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    Re: Blues Baby Blues

    Quote Originally Posted by Lory View Post
    !
    This could be the good dancers in any blues room at an MJ event. The ladies footwork is mostly RLRL the guys are mostly doing the opposite. The variations are led because they're in the closed hold or because the ladies are doing their own thing.

    My take on this kind of blues is that it's all about the music and using the music. In the old days we used to call that "musicality".

    Is blues another 7 is definitely greater than 3 phenomenon? Nothing wrong with that, but let's not pretend it's a dance in it's own right.

    If it was a martial art it would probably be a way rather than a whole new system of fighting.

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    Forum Bombshell - Our Queen! Lory's Avatar
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    Re: Blues Baby Blues

    I just want to reiterate my view, as I think some people may believe I don't like Blues

    I love dancing blues

    I 'like' a lot of the music (not all)

    I love the 'feeling' of interpreting the music with a partner

    I love exploring the different rhythms

    I like being playful when I dance and blues is great for this

    What I don't like, is watching 'most' people dance blues

    And IMO, I don't think Blues dancing is a very good 'performance genre'

    In complete contrast, take this Paso doble, its an exciting choreographed performance routine, done by trained dancers. It looks exhausting, even just watching it and I don't think I'd like to try to dance it personally BUT, I really enjoy WATCHING it!

    http://yehha.org/52717/facebook.com/...aso-doble.html

    I hope what I'm saying makes sense now
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    Re: Blues Baby Blues

    Quote Originally Posted by Lory View Post
    In complete contrast, take this Paso doble, its an exciting choreographed performance routine, done by trained dancers. It looks exhausting, even just watching it and I don't think I'd like to try to dance it personally BUT, I really enjoy WATCHING it!
    I completely agree with this. When I was doing ballroom/Latin we asked the teacher if we could give the Paso a miss. All that kneeling seemed silly.

    If I'd known there were cloaks to play with I might have been more keen. If I was teaching Paso I'd start with the cloaks

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    Re: Blues Baby Blues

    Quote Originally Posted by Lory View Post


    What I don't like, is watching 'most' people dance blues


    It happened on Saturday,the moves were good to watch and the interpretation seemed good to me(a non blues dancer) but I didnt feel comfortable watching the ''performance''

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    Re: Blues Baby Blues

    Quote Originally Posted by Andy McGregor View Post
    This could be the good dancers in any blues room at an MJ event. The ladies footwork is mostly RLRL the guys are mostly doing the opposite. The variations are led because they're in the closed hold or because the ladies are doing their own thing.
    I've very rarely (almost never) seen dancing like this in MJ blues rooms. That level of connection, freedom of movement, connection with the floor, all that subtlety and finesse.... nope. Where do you see it? I want to go.

    Out of interest, would you say the same of ? Which is the same kind of thing only ... more so.

    Quote Originally Posted by Andy McGregor View Post
    My take on this kind of blues is that it's all about the music and using the music. In the old days we used to call that "musicality".
    Yes, it's very much about using the music, but equally important is the total connection and constant communication between partners.

    As an aside, if you used to call it musicality, what do you call it now?


    Quote Originally Posted by Andy McGregor View Post
    Nothing wrong with that, but let's not pretend it's a dance in it's own right.
    Based on what I see in MJ blues rooms, I can understand why you'd say that, and I used to say that Blues was more of a philosophy than a dance. Based on what I've learned elsewhere, I've very much changed my mind on that - I would say there's no pretence - it is very much its own dance.

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    Re: Blues Baby Blues

    I'm with Lory - any social dance (dancing with strangers) that emphasises connection, improvisation, and "feeling" as its main characteristics is inherently unsuitable for a competition which is always visual-based, rehearsal-biased, and gives advantages to regular-partner couples.

    To me, this applies largely to AT. It also applies to an extent to MJ, for that matter. But from what I understand it, it definitely applies to Blues.

    My understanding is, Blues dancing is meant to be felt, not watched.

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    Re: Blues Baby Blues

    Quote Originally Posted by Lory View Post
    I hope what I'm saying makes sense now
    Somewhat - but I'm a little surprised you picked on that last clip, which (to my mind) was pretty tame compared to many of the blues clips out there.

    Myself, I don't like that Paso clip at all. My brain will not connect the dance with the music - to me, they seem unconnected, and I cannot stand watching it. It's a shame, because the technical skill of the dancers is amazing.

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    Re: Blues Baby Blues

    Quote Originally Posted by David Bailey View Post
    My understanding is, Blues dancing is meant to be felt, not watched.
    I agree. But I still love watching it. I also love watching non-showy, subtle AT. Perhaps I'm a little strange...

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    Re: Blues Baby Blues

    Quote Originally Posted by straycat View Post
    Perhaps I'm a little strange...


    No seriously, I think its great that we all like different things and I especially enjoy debating the differences with people (like yourself) who see things from a totally different angle
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    Re: Blues Baby Blues

    A provisional schedule for Breeze 2010 has now been published on the website. I see that Nigel and Nina are giving a class titled Juke Joint Blues ......... "Old time Blues from the 20's & 30's" .......... which should prove very interesting. Perhaps it will help a little to bridge the gap between MJ Blues and what some see as the more authentic US, or cousin to Lindy, Blues?

    It's a pity that the two forms exist in their own rather insular worlds with little contact in the wider world.

  12. #72
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    Re: Blues Baby Blues

    Quote Originally Posted by straycat View Post
    I agree. But I still love watching it. I also love watching non-showy, subtle AT. Perhaps I'm a little strange...
    No, salon AT can be a wonderful thing to watch. You can see from the expressions of the people involved, from the atmosphere, and from the general dance flow, that it's a lovely experience.

    But you can't judge it, or compete in it - it's like having a "hugging competition", it's just nonsense.

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    Re: Blues Baby Blues

    Quote Originally Posted by David Bailey View Post
    it's like having a "hugging competition"
    I'm up for this. Where do I sign up?

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    Re: Blues Baby Blues

    Quote Originally Posted by David Bailey View Post
    But you can't judge it, or compete in it
    Whyever not? We're talking about highly skilled, extremely technical dances. Skilled, knowledgeable judges, and well-chosen judging criteria should make this eminently feasible.

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    Re: Blues Baby Blues

    Quote Originally Posted by straycat View Post
    Whyever not?
    Because, mainly, a dance that's focussed on feeling is not as visually impressive as a dance that's focussed on display. Unless the judge is part of the couple, there's no way to judge the "feeling" part of it.

    Salsa, for example, is inherently far more visual - and so suitable for competitions - than even show tango.

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    You've had your turn

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    Re: Blues Baby Blues

    Quote Originally Posted by David Bailey View Post
    Because, mainly, a dance that's focussed on feeling is not as visually impressive as a dance that's focussed on display.
    Hence the need for good judging criteria.

    Quote Originally Posted by David Bailey View Post
    Unless the judge is part of the couple, there's no way to judge the "feeling" part of it.
    That 'feeling' part of it is a result of good technique. Said technique can be judged. You need good judges, but that's always going to be the case.

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    Re: Blues Baby Blues

    Quote Originally Posted by straycat View Post
    Hence the need for good judging criteria.


    That 'feeling' part of it is a result of good technique. Said technique can be judged. You need good judges, but that's always going to be the case.
    I don't know about this. There are some dancers, which visually look crap, but they get ladies to have 5/6 dances in a row with them because they are doing isolations etc. and the ladies love it. As an outsider, it looks rubbish, nothing seems to be happening and if they do move, its not in time with the music that i can see. How do you judge that?

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    Registered User Whitebeard's Avatar
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    Re: Blues Baby Blues

    Here are a couple of Blues clips I like far more than those already posted on this thread:





    I don't know why. I haven't consciously "judged" either of them on or by any criteria whatsoever. They just had an instant appeal and, whilst my liking for the music was an obvious factor in this, I'm sure even the quality of the video itself and other subliminal factors had some influence.

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    Re: Blues Baby Blues

    Quote Originally Posted by rtwwpad View Post
    I don't know about this. There are some dancers, which visually look crap, but they get ladies to have 5/6 dances in a row with them because they are doing isolations etc. and the ladies love it. As an outsider, it looks rubbish, nothing seems to be happening and if they do move, its not in time with the music that i can see. How do you judge that?
    Any You Tube examples you could point to?

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    Re: Blues Baby Blues

    Quote Originally Posted by Andy McGregor View Post
    This could be the good dancers in any blues room at an MJ event. The ladies footwork is mostly RLRL the guys are mostly doing the opposite. The variations are led because they're in the closed hold or because the ladies are doing their own thing.

    My take on this kind of blues is that it's all about the music and using the music. In the old days we used to call that "musicality".
    My take on this clip is that yes, it does at first sight look a little odd at times, but that is perhaps due to the fact that the track they are dancing too is not typical of the sort of thing that predominates in most MJ blues rooms (at least not the ones I know). Most MJ blues dancers don't look much like this but that is partly down to the style of music. For what it is worth I thought there was actually some really good dancing on this clip and the style of dancing suited the music.

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