Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 20 of 28

Thread: W*nky h*ands

  1. #1
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    Crewe, Cheshire
    Posts
    1,681
    Rep Power
    9

    W*nky h*ands

    Why does it happen?

    Is it because people are keeping to time with there hands? Did someone teach them to do it?

    Drives me ups the wall, but how can you stop this without wrestling?

    Ps. I don;t give ad-hoc dancefloor lessons so for me teeling them not to do it, is not an option.

  2. #2
    Commercial Operator
    Join Date
    May 2003
    Location
    Northeastern Parts
    Posts
    5,221
    Rep Power
    14

    Re: W*nky h*ands

    I presume you're talking about hand-bounce, but I have no idea what letters the asterisks in the title are replacing.

    As for dealing with it - you could just try relaxing your arm completely. It's hard for your partner to bounce her hand up and down if she's supporting much of your arm weight (arms can be heavy), but on the flip-side, it doesn't require any real effort or 'wrestling' from your side.

  3. #3
    Commercial Operator
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    Sussex by the Sea
    Posts
    9,276
    Rep Power
    15

    Re: W*nky h*ands

    Quote Originally Posted by straycat View Post
    I presume you're talking about hand-bounce, but I have no idea what letters the asterisks in the title are replacing.
    Where has straycat been? Or is he trying to tell us that he doesn't know the international sign for masterbation?

    I really don't find I have much of a problem with women bouncing my hand. Although I do see them bouncing the hands of some guys. My guess has always been that the women were trying to communicate the beat to guys who weren't on the beat.

    If I had a woman who was bouncing my hand I'd let her do it. I definitely wouldn't fight it. I'm just grateful she has consented to dance with me - in exchange I will fit in with whatever she wants to do to my hand

  4. #4
    Registered User emmylou25's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Location
    Banbury
    Posts
    554
    Rep Power
    8

    Re: W*nky h*ands

    Annoys me immensely too - not flattering for the bingo wings!

    There's one guy I dance with fairly regularly who's quite a jolty up and down with the hands type of leader. He's recognised for himself that he needs to smooth out his dancing and has been doing lots of workshops/classes that try and remove the joltiness, but unfortunately in freestyle he just reverts to type. I've laughed about him stopping making my bingo wings fly around, but I think it's now such a habit it's hard to stop. I do think the 'semi-circle' teaching when he started out didn't help, as even when teachers say 'push to lead the lady away' he still semi-circles.

    If it's people i don't know, I tend to try and hold their arms/hands on a level for a while until they get a bit peeved off. Sometimes it works for a bit, and i just explain it by saying my arms start hurting if they get jolted around too much. Guess i can get away with it more, pretending i'm a wussy girl!

  5. #5
    Commercial Operator
    Join Date
    May 2003
    Location
    Northeastern Parts
    Posts
    5,221
    Rep Power
    14

    Re: W*nky h*ands

    Quote Originally Posted by Andy McGregor View Post
    Where has straycat been? Or is he trying to tell us that he doesn't know the international sign for masterbation?
    1) I don't see the similarity between the same, and a bouncing hand in a dance. Perhaps I'm unusual in that.
    2) That still doesn't explain what 'h*ands' are.

    Quote Originally Posted by Andy McGregor View Post
    I really don't find I have much of a problem with women bouncing my hand. Although I do see them bouncing the hands of some guys. My guess has always been that the women were trying to communicate the beat to guys who weren't on the beat.
    That is likely the reason some of the time, but generally, I think it's done entirely out of habit, and that many people (both leads and follows) simply don't know they're doing it (or, as in the case emmylou describes, do know, but can't break the habit)
    It is, in my book, extremely undesireable because unnecessary hand movement interferes with the lead.

  6. #6
    Commercial Operator
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    Sussex by the Sea
    Posts
    9,276
    Rep Power
    15

    Re: W*nky h*ands

    Quote Originally Posted by straycat View Post
    It is, in my book, extremely undesireable because unnecessary hand movement interferes with the lead.

  7. #7
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    Nottingham
    Posts
    346
    Rep Power
    8

    Re: W*nky h*ands

    One lady I dance with that's only done a handful of lessons bounces so much it leaves me feeling seasick. She bounces on every beat (not every count, where a count is two beats).

    I might have a quiet chat with the taxi dancers and find out if it's just me missing the beat..

  8. #8
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Bracknell, United
    Posts
    194
    Rep Power
    8

    Re: W*nky h*ands

    I remember doing a workshop with Amir a couple of years ago - his advice when asked this question........ "bounce with them"

    Suppose it's on the "if u can't beat 'em, join 'em" philosophy!!

  9. #9
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Location
    South
    Posts
    5,424
    Blog Entries
    22
    Rep Power
    11

    Re: W*nky h*ands

    I read the title and I thought you should just wash your hands properly!

  10. #10
    Registered User frodo's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Posts
    1,156
    Rep Power
    11

    Re: W*nky h*ands

    Quote Originally Posted by alinp View Post
    I remember doing a workshop with Amir a couple of years ago - his advice when asked this question........ "bounce with them"

    Suppose it's on the "if u can't beat 'em, join 'em" philosophy!!
    Lindy dancers appear to get on perfectly well with this approach.

  11. #11
    Registered User Whitebeard's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2004
    Location
    Cheltenham, Glouce
    Posts
    2,307
    Rep Power
    10

    Re: W*nky h*ands

    Quote Originally Posted by cederic View Post
    One lady I dance with that's only done a handful of lessons bounces so much it leaves me feeling seasick. She bounces on every beat (not every count, where a count is two beats).

    I might have a quiet chat with the taxi dancers and find out if it's just me missing the beat..
    Many beginners seem to arrive with that hand bounce (the death-bounce) already built in - or do they pick it up from their teachers by visual example right from the start? For many teachers do seem to be hand bouncers. And even where they seem to realise it's a bad thing they can't seem to eradicate it - it's so ingrained. Is it, or was it, part of the teacher training? As you say the count is on every second beat (downbeat?) but my impression is that, whilst verbally counting in five, (pause) six, (pause) seven, (pause) eight, (pause), they actually hand bounce on each of those pauses. That is, they bounce their hand on each (upbeat?).

    When a teacher starts counting in five, and six, and seven, and eight, it certainly doesn't help the situation; I find myself completely wrong-footed and tempted to just walk away.

    No, the fault is not yours!

    (And the semi-circle is a complelely different issue.)
    Last edited by Whitebeard; 14th-October-2010 at 01:33 AM. Reason: Speeling typo.

  12. #12
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    Sri Lanka
    Posts
    770
    Rep Power
    8

    Re: W*nky h*ands

    Many of the Ceroc "pros" used to hand bounce when I began. I thought it was quite cool, but never seemed to get around to mastering it. As a result I don't do it. Which I think is better.

  13. #13
    Registered User Whitebeard's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2004
    Location
    Cheltenham, Glouce
    Posts
    2,307
    Rep Power
    10

    Re: W*nky h*ands

    Quote Originally Posted by Prian View Post
    Many of the Ceroc "pros" used to hand bounce when I began. I thought it was quite cool, but never seemed to get around to mastering it. As a result I don't do it. Which I think is better.
    Definitely better.

    And neither do I - I hope and think. And if it does seem that I do, I can assure you that it's not me - it's my partner !!!

  14. #14
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Location
    South
    Posts
    5,424
    Blog Entries
    22
    Rep Power
    11

    Re: W*nky h*ands

    Quote Originally Posted by frodo View Post
    Lindy dancers appear to get on perfectly well with this approach.
    ???

  15. #15
    Commercial Operator
    Join Date
    May 2003
    Location
    Northeastern Parts
    Posts
    5,221
    Rep Power
    14

    Re: W*nky h*ands

    Quote Originally Posted by Gav View Post
    ???

  16. #16
    Forum Bombshell - Our Queen! Lory's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Location
    North London
    Posts
    9,918
    Blog Entries
    2
    Rep Power
    17

    Re: W*nky h*ands

    As a follow, I think you have 2 choices..

    -follow what the hand's telling you to do and bounce along with it

    or disengage yourself from the 'hand lead' and try your best to follow, using other following skills, i.e. body alignment and mirroring

    neither of them are ideal, as the first one makes you look and feel naff and with the second one your in danger of not being lead at all

    I think I naturally do the second one and if they think I'm a terrible follow and don't ask me again... I'll live with it
    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

  17. #17
    Commercial Operator
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    Sussex by the Sea
    Posts
    9,276
    Rep Power
    15

    Re: W*nky h*ands

    Quote Originally Posted by frodo View Post
    Lindy dancers appear to get on perfectly well with this approach.
    If you're dancing Dean Collins style Lindy you will have no bounce. Other styles seem to bounce from the knee a bit. I don't think they bounce their hand up and down independently of their frame.

  18. #18
    Commercial Operator
    Join Date
    May 2003
    Location
    Northeastern Parts
    Posts
    5,221
    Rep Power
    14

    Re: W*nky h*ands

    Quote Originally Posted by Andy McGregor View Post
    Other styles seem to bounce from the knee a bit. I don't think they bounce their hand up and down independently of their frame.
    Think of it more as a whole body thing, with the body compressing down into the ground on each beat. Yes - the knees flex (as do the hips and ankles) - but that's not where the movement should start (when people do just focus on bouncing from the knee, it can look very awkward) -

    Hands, as you suggest, are not bounced independently of the body - an exercise I've come across a few times is to have a couple dance a load of (perhaps a touch slower than that ) with a coin sat on top of the leaders' left hand. The idea being not to drop the coin.

  19. #19
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Nov 2004
    Location
    Zurich
    Posts
    1,060
    Rep Power
    11

    Re: W*nky h*ands

    This does seem to be MOSTLY something inflicted on followers by leaders. The worst case I have ever seen was a leader that bounced his hand from shoulder to belt height on every beat when in open hold. My wife had seen him on the dance floor and instantly made note of him as someone to avoid at all costs but was caught by him as she was putting our drinks down at a table.

    She tried to follow him but couldn't find his lead in the middle of this hand "bounce" and fearing for her shoulder and arm tried to disengage her arm and let it go floppy. This only worked in the vertical direction but didn't stop him for yanking her about in the horizontal direction. She then tried following his lead in order that he would see the effect of his lead and started pogo-ing up and down in a faithful response to his lead. Not pretty but it did help her survival a fair bit. When he put into a under arm turn and yanked her arm backwards and down over her shoulder before she had completed her turn she decided that telling that her was hurting her and abandoning the dance was the only action left

    This man had apparently been dancing for 6 years and had been told repeatedly by local dancers about his painful hand bounce yet still he had a regular supply of beginners and new faces coming into the venue to ambush (the regulars apprently avoided him like the plague) Just goes to show that you can remain a beginner for a number of years if you really try.

    I have on only a few occasions encountered a follower that bounces my hand up and down and have responded to it by bouncing up and down in time. It works for me on the basis of if I can beat them I might as well join them for the next few minutes - I don't have the option of making my lead go floppy. At least we are jumping up and down together which looks SLIGHTLY less ridiculous that only one of us.

    The thing I really don't understand is when a woman in the class as we are counted in for the routine starts waggling my hand from SIDE TO SIDE. I have been told it is to help me hear the beat of the music. It just seems a poor start to proceedings to assume I cannot hear the beat of the music and my follower is starting off by competely ignoring the fact that I have led absolutely nothing so far. My first task would ne to lead my follwer in a rockstep but before that I have to try and stop her from stepping and waggling from side to side.

  20. #20
    Registered User emmylou25's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Location
    Banbury
    Posts
    554
    Rep Power
    8

    Re: W*nky h*ands

    Quote Originally Posted by Chef View Post
    The thing I really don't understand is when a woman in the class as we are counted in for the routine starts waggling my hand from SIDE TO SIDE. I have been told it is to help me hear the beat of the music. It just seems a poor start to proceedings to assume I cannot hear the beat of the music and my follower is starting off by competely ignoring the fact that I have led absolutely nothing so far. My first task would ne to lead my follwer in a rockstep but before that I have to try and stop her from stepping and waggling from side to side.
    Agreed (although can apply to leaders doing this as well as followers). this isn't helped by the teachers count in, and stepping from side to side as people think it's all about leading with the hand independently of the body as you step, rather than keeping arm connected to the frame of the body. Maybe the initial start off and lead in ceroc needs to be taught differently as 'how do I start?' is one of the main questions that beginner men ask in taxi/practise sessions, and is really difficult to answer as everyone adapts their own way of starting off as they progress, and there seems to be no stock answer.

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Tags for this Thread

Bookmarks

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •