A reasonably normal band I played in during the late 70s in Honolulu was offered a bunch of gigs if we played some funk and "disco"...we said hell yeah! Learned whatever we could stand to play (Stevie Wonder, Boz, Average White Band, Joe Tex...whatever) and one of the rewards besides gaining some funk guitar chops was hey...look at the actual dancing! After years of watching writhing hippies and jumping punks it was refreshing to see some hot dancers, although that scene didn't last long. I was already a huge ballet fan since the mid 70s (ex girlfriend was a dancer...I got hooked), and still am. I've seen the Paris Opera Ballet (astonishing Paris opera house packed with champagne swilling well dressed people), NYC various companies, frequent Boston stuff, San Francisco Ballet in Honolulu, etc. I get that most people don't appreciate it, but that's too bad...Another mind blowing thing is a Bhangra contest they do in Boston once a year...check THAT out...
Who can dance?
Not exactly a tech topic but dancing is an important aspect of music for a lot of people......including my wife.
Sadly, in our 30+ years of marriage I have never been what you’d call a dancer. Danced some in college for obvious reasons and with the necessary inhibition suppressor.
My wife likes to shag. And for those of you from across the pond it is not what you think......the shag is a type of dance that originated on the U.S. east coast and is associated with beach music bands. It is in the standard dance inventory across most of the south.
Well, as a joke one day I told my wife I’d learn the shag if she gave me the nod to get a drum kit. Well, I got a drum kit and I’m learning.......slowly........to dance to beach music. The shag also works for most R&B and even swing music.
Any of the rest of you music lovers know how to or enjoy dancing?
I’m the living model of two left feet. And last weekend we were dancing and I was pathetic and started laughing because all I could think about was Dr. Frankenstein’s monster in Young Frankenstein........Puttin’ on the Ritz!
Sadly, in our 30+ years of marriage I have never been what you’d call a dancer. Danced some in college for obvious reasons and with the necessary inhibition suppressor.
My wife likes to shag. And for those of you from across the pond it is not what you think......the shag is a type of dance that originated on the U.S. east coast and is associated with beach music bands. It is in the standard dance inventory across most of the south.
Well, as a joke one day I told my wife I’d learn the shag if she gave me the nod to get a drum kit. Well, I got a drum kit and I’m learning.......slowly........to dance to beach music. The shag also works for most R&B and even swing music.
Any of the rest of you music lovers know how to or enjoy dancing?
I’m the living model of two left feet. And last weekend we were dancing and I was pathetic and started laughing because all I could think about was Dr. Frankenstein’s monster in Young Frankenstein........Puttin’ on the Ritz!
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I love to dance even though I haven't been out and danced in a while. I was in high school and college from the early-late 80s and the new wave nightclub scene was incredible. I was out dancing 3-4 nights a week for years! I moved to Philly in '88 and lived there to '94 and got to experience the house music scene. I'd used to come home soaking wet---it was so much fun. It seems like the Millennials aren't into dancing like my generation was into it. It was so much fun!! |
More greatness .... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQFamAFNALE How about a trio? http://time.com/4619477/debbie-reynolds-gene-kelly-singin-in-the-rain/ Dancing at the Appolo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xz-pzg-b7DI |
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Good for you N80 but I guess you had to hold up your end of the bargain! Some great vids shared thx all. 3 left feet here but still used to give it a whirl in my younger days. One just HAD to go to the disco and get out and make moves if you wanted any chance of going home not solo! Yep, sordid motives but what can you expect from 18 year old Brits! Thank Christ YouTube did not exist back then is all I can say or you lot would be howling in laughter! |
That was a great pick-me-up, Frank. Thanks. I could just make out a couple of moves they made like the shuffle-ball-change, the slide and the heel step. When they say a person is light on their feet, that's what they're referring to. I knew he could sing but I didn't know he could drum like that. I'd love to see any modern percussionist do that at a concert (or on America's Got Talent). When you think about it, back in those days it was essential to have a broad repertoire to cull from in order to make a living. Those that had some real talent were the ones who made it to the top. All the best, Nonoise |
^^^ Talking about Fred Astaire, do any of your guys have recordings of his vocals? He was quite the singer as well as a dancer ... not to mention a total fashion plate. Check these out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dIW_Ah0wg-w https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YV5e7mWcQJE Check out this dance scene featuring Fred Astaire and Elenore Powell: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZPndC-F5SE And, he was quite the drummer too. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odxIZpFn-Pg Pure genius ... Frank |
Now that's dancing. When young, I wished I could dance like Fred Astaire and as an early teen, took tap dancing lessons, but didn't have the flow and grace (more like a Clydesdale 🐎). I should have stuck with it as it's a wonderful form of exercise. Astaire called his legs his second heart (kept all the blood from settling). All the best, Nonoise |
@nonoise I am jealous. I have never had a stripper friend. At the same Struts show there is a point in the show where everybody squats or sits down (yuck) in the floor and jump up when the chorus of the song starts back up. Actually a lot of fun. Anyway the guy next to us was....heavy...when he tried to jump up he started going to the side. My wife and another guy grabbed him and kept him from going down head first. |
Ah, the mosh pit. My first experience was at a Nine Inch Nails concert for The Downward Spiral. I was with my favorite stripper friend and she gave me some advice on how to not get hit and it was a blast. It was like being in a giant maelstrom. Seeing Offspring was another matter. It was rough up front so I stayed behind several rows of people as they encircled the pit so I could see the band. When I finally looked down, there was no one in front of me. Big mistake. Slammed from behind, I flew about 10 feet forward and landed on my face. Feeling for my glasses, I felt the crown encircling me for the final touch. I got up slowly and as I readied myself, this giant of a man picked me up and gently passed me over the crowd to the calmer area behind the mosh pit. You can meet the nicest people in the strangest of places. All the best, Nonoise |
Went to see The Struts in Charlotte about a week ago with my wife, my son and his wife. No real slam dancing but the most of the room is crowded tight and jumping up and down and such and we were only a few rows back. Some chick bashed into me a couple of times but she was cute so I didn't mind. A guy in front of us knocked my daughter-in-law's glasses off and they got crushed. About twenty minutes later same guy knocked her belt buckle off. We all still had a good time. |
@bdp24 - Funny you should mention slam dancing at Ramones concert. I have a similar story. Saw the Ramones at the Akron Agoro back in the early '80's. Was down in the pit and everyone was slamming. My eyeglasses got knocked off and fell on the floor. Finally found them, but they had been stepped on and smashed. One of the lenses was missing. I put them in my shirt pocket and watched the rest of the show. Later when I got in my car to drive home, I pulled the glasses out of my pocket to inspect the damage. Funny thing was.... They were someone else's glasses..... |
Heh. Last night I was at the opening party for an exhibition marking the 50th Anniversary of the Stonewall Riots. Rollerena was there, along with many other important activists, and disco was blaring. Naturally, as my wife is the Museum Directors, we were expected to get in and dance. You know, you have a few quick drinks and start moving... |
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@ebm It would be my guess that people who obsess about listening chairs, speaker veneers, and power cables aren’t likely to be dancers, interested in or even capable of dancing.....but I’m often surprised that we don’t all fit in the mold of humorless audio nerds. They’re might even be a Kevin Bacon or John Travolta among us. |
I used to go to a Rockabilly/Rock ’n’ Roll bar in Burbank (Joe’s Great American Bar & Grill) just to watch the Swing/Jitterbug dancers. They look like they're having a ball! Some Country bars offer free dance lessons, and I tried to get my woman to attend classes with me. She was an even worse dancer than I! |
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