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  1. #1
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    Blues - A step too far

    Prompted by a sentence in Lory's Hemsby report with regard to the inability to interpret music.

    Having spent most of the evening in the main room we passed thro the blues room and watched for awhile.
    In particular we watched one guy dancing with two separate girls and I was impressed with the connection and intense sensual chemistry from their dancing.
    But,and here is the problem for me.To me they were dancing as if in freeze frame mode.God knows how one or the other knew what the other was going to do next,however impressive.Not only that but whatever they were doing had absolutely no connection,in my small musical interpretation brain to what was playing at the time.The music might just as well have been God save the Queen played on a Jews harp for all the relevance it had.Given that part of me would dearly love to be able to even contemplate taking part in this form of dance,I fear that I have neither the ability to interpret the music in such a way nor the necessary ability to make it appear or feel anything other than the blues dance that it is.
    It is very easy to see how some people feel inadequate and intimidated in such situations(yes I know this subject has been done to death).
    The shame of it is that there were times when I felt very much in that situation this weekend.

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    Forum Bombshell - Our Queen! Lory's Avatar
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    Re: Blues - A step to far

    Quote Originally Posted by djtrev View Post
    The music might just as well have been God save the Queen played on a Jews harp for all the relevance it had.


    Its rare i've ever had to walk off the dance floor but unfortunately I had one of those occasions this weekend whilst 'trying' to dance to

    It might be a good track, with lots of emotion etc. but really? In the afternoon?

    I'd asked a guy, who'd I'd danced with for the first time the night before and he appear eager, saying how much he'd enjoyed our dance but 30 seconds into the dance, I could tell he'd gone to pieces I said, don't worry, its an incredibly difficult track and we can wait for the next one if you like? And with that, he walked me off and we stood at the side watching (p.s. I know for a fact we weren't the only ones who stopped)

    We stood at the side watching, when suddenly it struck me... I felt like I was watching 'The Muppet Show'

    Some people were just mucking about, laughing and taking the mick, whilst others, were taking it all very seriously, trying to do a good job of keeping time and looking passionate, whilst, in actual fact, they looked like loonatics
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    Re: Blues - A step too far

    Quote Originally Posted by Lory View Post
    'trying' to dance to
    OK totally off-topic but


    so remind me of

    this
    .
    Love dance, will travel

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    Re: Blues - A step too far

    Quote Originally Posted by DavidY View Post
    OK totally off-topic but


    so remind me of

    this
    .
    Don't give him any more ideas David

    CJ, please don't take it personally but as you know, me and Mariachi just don't see eye to eye and just for the record, I DO like 'some' of the music but its just too much like eating a bag of sweets, when you keep getting a bitter or sour one, it tends to turn one off the whole bag!
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    Registered User Lynn's Avatar
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    Re: Blues - A step too far

    Quote Originally Posted by DavidY View Post
    OK totally off-topic but


    so remind me of

    this
    .
    My internet connection is terribly slow, so I moved the slider to the middle of the track on Lory's link to see if I recognised it and happened to get exactly that snippet - and that was immediately what I thought of too!

    I'll admit I loved that show when I was a child and thought Avon was great....

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    Re: Blues - A step too far

    Quote Originally Posted by Lynn View Post

    I'll admit I loved that show when I was a child and thought Avon was great....

    I'm with you there Lynn !

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    Re: Blues - A step too far

    Quote Originally Posted by DavidY View Post
    OK totally off-topic but


    so remind me of

    this
    .
    That's spooky, I was thinking exactly that also

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    Re: Blues - A step too far

    Quote Originally Posted by DavidY View Post
    OK totally off-topic but


    so remind me of

    this
    .
    Ahhhhhh Glynis Barber...............

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    Re: Blues - A step to far

    I spend most of my time in blues rooms and must admit that when dancing I frankly don't care what it looks like as long as I and my partner have felt something doing it. That being said I regularly get tracks (and sometimes even whole sets) where the music doesn't do it for me. I remember one event sitting with Zimbabwean and talking for 6 or 7 tracks that didn't float our boat which was crazy with women over. I'll give anything a go, but like others there are times when with mutual consent it is time to leave the floor.

    Sometimes it is good to experiment, and respond to requests. That might lead to some strange choices (Franck's recent set at Dundee listed the Nolans for instance) but for some people they will hit the spot and the occasional off-the-wall track is palatable in my book.

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    Re: Blues - A step to far

    Quote Originally Posted by Agente Secreto View Post
    the occasional off-the-wall track is palatable in my book.
    I agree

    I suppose what I found unpalatable was, asking a guy, who I hardly knew to dance, then seeing him crumble before my eyes. He tried in vain to find some way to make it work but he was getting more and more flustered and I could see his confidence vanish.

    Anyone who knows me well enough, knows I really couldn't give a stuff what people think of the look of my dancing, I purely love how it makes me and my partner feel at the time too. And believe me, I have no inhibitions when it comes to 'playing'.
    But I found it hard to see my partner not coping and certainly not enjoying it.

    If an independant freestyle is billed as such, then people know what they're in for and have a choice whether to go or not but when its the only choice, in the middle of the day, at a weekender. I think the music should be more accessible to the 'average' punter, rather than a select few, who love it or can handle it.

    The counter argument one might put is that S'funk or Swingers hour might not be to everyones taste but at least people of every standard can have a go.
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    Re: Blues - A step too far

    Quote Originally Posted by DavidY View Post
    OK totally off-topic but


    so remind me of

    this
    .
    Note to Pedants: 'Music' by John Miles predates Blakes Seven by a year or two.

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    Re: Blues - A step to far

    Quote Originally Posted by Lory View Post

    Anyone who knows me well enough, knows I really couldn't give a stuff what people think of the look of my dancing, I purely love how it makes me and my partner feel at the time too. And believe me, I have no inhibitions when it comes to 'playing'.

    Quote Originally Posted by zimbabwean View Post
    the one thing I do know is that I dance for my follow and her pleasure. I am there for them and in turn me, those 3-5 Mins are for us and no one else if what we do makes us enjoy the dance, then it was worth the night out.

    surely this is the only reason any of us dance its for fun, its no fun if either partner in the dance isnt enjoying it
    if i get a little smile from my partner or they add a bit to the dance it lifts the way i feel about the whole thing


    Quote Originally Posted by Lory View Post
    If an independant freestyle is billed as such, then people know what they're in for and have a choice whether to go or not but when its the only choice, in the middle of the day, at a weekender. I think the music should be more accessible to the 'average' punter, rather than a select few, who love it or can handle it.

    The counter argument one might put is that S'funk or Swingers hour might not be to everyones taste but at least people of every standard can have a go.
    and this is where i disagree lory
    sfunk and swingers hour are difficult to dance to if you dont feel the music. for me music has to have passion all to often sfunk is a bass line with no discernible melody and one track just melds into the next ( to my ear) and i end up with no idea what to do. Swingers hour is different and just way to fast for what i like to do and maybe one or two tracks are fun ( for me )
    having said all that dave rokovs set lunchtime sunday at vlv i think was called s style or sommit directly before silverfox's sfunk set was outstanding

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    Re: Blues - A step to far

    Quote Originally Posted by martingold View Post
    ...having said all that dave rokovs set lunchtime sunday at vlv i think was called s style or sommit directly before silverfox's sfunk set was outstanding
    Thanks.. Actually it was just a normal freestyle session that was billed as 'Ceroc classics'.

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    Re: Blues - A step to far

    Quote Originally Posted by martingold View Post
    and this is where i disagree lory
    sfunk and swingers hour are difficult to dance to if you dont feel the music. for me music has to have passion all to often sfunk is a bass line with no discernible melody and one track just melds into the next ( to my ear) and i end up with no idea what to do. Swingers hour is different and just way to fast for what i like to do and maybe one or two tracks are fun ( for me )
    Isn't this lovely because I would have to disagree and agree with Martin.

    Swingers hour, I enjoy the music but there are times when it is to hard to dance to because of the speed but I also find that there is a beat that you need to triple step too but I just can't. it really lends itself to some body that can incorporate some Lindy into his or her dance style

    Now Sfunk, I have to say as a youngster back in the day I would go to clubs that would play this music. I still get the hairs on the back of my neck standing up when I hear a particular singer.

    What I can say is that when Vince or Dave does a Sfunk set at Camber or Southport the room is buzzing with energy and it has a great vibe. For me this means that this kind of music is right for the MJ scene.

    Surely where there is a strong beat it means that you can incorporate what ever moves you want to add within your dance. There are still highs and lows within the music that you can dance to.

    All send and done Music is always going to divide the punters but I still think a good DJ will try and please the majority rather than a small minority

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    Re: Blues - A step to far

    Quote Originally Posted by Lory View Post
    Its rare i've ever had to walk off the dance floor but unfortunately I had one of those occasions this weekend whilst 'trying' to dance to

    It might be a good track, with lots of emotion etc. but really? In the afternoon?
    Pah, that's a doddle. Nuevo until 1:53 then milonga after. Cor, call that a challenge?

    But OK, yes, impossible to MJ to.

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    Re: Blues - A step to far

    Quote Originally Posted by Lory View Post


    Its rare i've ever had to walk off the dance floor but unfortunately I had one of those occasions this weekend whilst 'trying' to dance to

    It might be a good track, with lots of emotion etc. but really? In the afternoon?
    Shock stun horror: a DJ plays a request~ some get it, some don't. Have I missed something?? Did someone die?

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    Re: Blues - A step to far

    Quote Originally Posted by djtrev View Post
    Not only that but whatever they were doing had absolutely no connection,in my small musical interpretation brain to what was playing at the time.The music might just as well have been God save the Queen played on a Jews harp for all the relevance it had.
    Ever heard that story, "The Emperor's new Clothes"?

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    Re: Blues - A step to far

    Quote Originally Posted by djtrev View Post
    Given that part of me would dearly love to be able to even contemplate taking part in this form of dance
    Frankly, there's only one way to get that good and that's to throw yourself into it (not that I claim to be that good ). The musicality and all the rest will come with practice and if I can do it, then it can't be that hard!
    Seriously though, it's not that hard. OK, so moving slowly like that does highlight basic weaknesses, but you also have a lot more time to think, time to plan what to do, time to hear what's coming in the music, time to discover how to lead without blatant big hand movements!

    Quote Originally Posted by djtrev View Post
    In particular we watched one guy dancing with two separate girls and I was impressed with the connection and intense sensual chemistry from their dancing.
    But,and here is the problem for me.To me they were dancing as if in freeze frame mode.God knows how one or the other knew what the other was going to do next,however impressive.Not only that but whatever they were doing had absolutely no connection,in my small musical interpretation brain to what was playing at the time.
    The thing is, he may have been in a very deep musicality state, or the other reason you couldn't work it out is because he was really sh1t, but he had an air of confidence.
    Trust me, there's a lot of that in the blues room, both male and female.

    Quote Originally Posted by djtrev View Post
    The music might just as well have been God save the Queen played on a Jews harp for all the relevance it had.
    Last edited by Gav; 14th-June-2011 at 08:32 AM.

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    Re: Blues - A step to far

    Quote Originally Posted by Gav View Post
    Trust me, there's a lot of that in the blues room, both male and female.
    MJ Blues dancing is cuddling with style.

    Err.

    That's it.

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    Re: Blues - A step to far

    Quote Originally Posted by Gav View Post
    ... he was really sh1t, but he had an air of confidence.
    Trust me, there's a lot of that in the blues room, both male and female.
    There I was, thinking Gav paid little attention to my blues room dancing, just shows how wrong you can be. Look like I've been rumbled

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