SwingDJs

Greg doesn't dance like me cause he doesn't like to dance to the music I like to dance to.

I don't dance like Greg cause I don't like to dance to the music he likes to dance to.

Yet, we're supposedly doing the same dance.

Interesting.

::ducks and runs away::

LindyChef wrote:Just to give you another perspective, it's more than just that kind of stuff. I lost half a lung to a birth defect and throughout my life I have had a difficult time keeping up with fast paced things. I always find myself winded at the end of a fast song and have to sit out the next couple ... I don't want to because I don't want to look around for an oxygen tank every time I do a fast dance. Hell, even dancing normally when I go to Denver is sometimes a challenge.

There are many purely physical reasons why somebody might be limited in what they can do. A friend of mine has really bad asthma. I would suspect her physical situation is very similar to yours. Another friend has had multiple surgeries on both ankles. The level of pain she accepts to dance is mind boggling. But aren't these the exceptions rather than the rule?

The ironies of ironies - I find myself more and more drawn to faster music nowadays ... I think the one I've been playing most in my car lately is Count Basie Big Band - Jumpin at the Woodside from the Montreux '77 album.

Good Album. Lots of energy

Anyone can be trained on how to do pretty much anything competently. To make them a master, a legend, that's something different ... not everybody's a Frankie Manning.

I don't think anybody should have to be striving to that level of skill and ability. I also think its really cool if somebody chooses to strive to be that level of skill and ability.

Nobody has to do anything. People don't have to dance fast. It certainly doesn't make anybody a bad person if they can't, or a good person if they can.

Wait - you're a moderator?

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Kalman

LindyChef wrote: Just to give you another perspective, it's more than just that kind of stuff. I lost half a lung to a birth defect and throughout my life I have had a difficult time keeping up with fast paced things. I always find myself winded at the end of a fast song and have to sit out the next couple ... I don't want to because I don't want to look around for an oxygen tank every time I do a fast dance. Hell, even dancing normally when I go to Denver is sometimes a challenge.

Denver sucks with asthma too. Fast songs in Denver really suck with asthma

Addict wrote:

LindyChef wrote:Just to give you another perspective, it's more than just that kind of stuff. I lost half a lung to a birth defect and throughout my life I have had a difficult time keeping up with fast paced things. I always find myself winded at the end of a fast song and have to sit out the next couple ... I don't want to because I don't want to look around for an oxygen tank every time I do a fast dance. Hell, even dancing normally when I go to Denver is sometimes a challenge.

There are many purely physical reasons why somebody might be limited in what they can do. A friend of mine has really bad asthma. I would suspect her physical situation is very similar to yours. Another friend has had multiple surgeries on both ankles. The level of pain she accepts to dance is mind boggling. But aren't these the exceptions rather than the rule?

I guess what I'm trying to get at is that there shouldn't be a rule saying "People don't dance fast because of [insert reason here]." Everybody's got their own reasons

Addict wrote:I don't think anybody should have to be striving to that level of skill and ability. I also think its really cool if somebody chooses to strive to be that level of skill and ability.

Nobody has to do anything. People don't have to dance fast. It certainly doesn't make anybody a bad person if they can't, or a good person if they can.

Agreed I can't help but think of a toast ... "May all of your dreams be fulfilled but one, so you always have something to strive for."

Its too bad something as unimportant to the quality of music as tempo is, would be enough to make people (what seems like on principle) not dance.

I can understand physical reasons to not dance fast. But then I look at dancers like Tiny Bunch (300 pounds plus) and Jimmy Valentine (only had one leg) and see that you can have physical limitations, if the music moves you it will.

which comes to the point as to why faster music doesnt move a lot of people to dance. is it just because of their internal preference? is it because they dont enjoy doing something they are not good at? Is it because their instructors only enjoy slower music? Is it because the "best djs in the country" play slower tempos?

or maybe its because the majority of lindy hoppers are white? i know that sounds WAY out there and totally racist, but historically, in NYC during the swing era the white lindy hoppers, by and large, preferred the slower tempos. Which is precisely why the Savoy dancers would win the Harvest Moon Year in and Year out. Norma said what the Savoy lindy hoppers did to set themeselves apart was to dance as fast as possible. now THAT is Savoy style.

Savoy style. My style.

Kalman

falty411 wrote:or maybe its because the majority of lindy hoppers are white? i know that sounds WAY out there and totally racist, but historically, in NYC during the swing era the white lindy hoppers, by and large, preferred the slower tempos. Which is precisely why the Savoy dancers would win the Harvest Moon Year in and Year out. Norma said what the Savoy lindy hoppers did to set themeselves apart was to dance as fast as possible. now THAT is Savoy style.

I'm half white, half korean ... what does that make me?

Caurean.

Kalman

falty411 wrote:but historically, in NYC during the swing era the white lindy hoppers, by and large, preferred the slower tempos.

Where did you find this fact?

falty411 wrote:which comes to the point as to why faster music doesnt move a lot of people to dance. is it just because of their internal preference? is it because they dont enjoy doing something they are not good at? Is it because their instructors only enjoy slower music? Is it because the "best djs in the country" play slower tempos?

I'll just say that as a follow, dancing fast with a lead that isn't good at it just sucks. It tends to hurt, etc. So unless I know the lead, know he's good to dance with fast, and haven't just danced another fast one (see asthma comment above) I won't dance fast.

djstarr wrote:

Abdel wrote:One way to find out is to come down and visit.

Yes, I agree --- I am definitely guilty about merging all of North Florida into one big scene --- is there a lot of cross-pollination between Tampa and Orlando? There is a lot of travel between Seattle, Portland and Vancouver BC and I would say we definitely influence each others scenes quite a bit...

Ahem... don't forget about us here in South Florida!

Tina

falty411 wrote: or maybe its because the majority of lindy hoppers are white? i know that sounds WAY out there and totally racist, but historically, in NYC during the swing era the white lindy hoppers, by and large, preferred the slower tempos. Which is precisely why the Savoy dancers would win the Harvest Moon Year in and Year out. Norma said what the Savoy lindy hoppers did to set themeselves apart was to dance as fast as possible. now THAT is Savoy style.

Oh, that's priceless. What is it now... "White Men Can't Swingout"??

Just on pure entertainment value... this has to be one of your better posts in a long time. By all means, keep it up.

Tina

Anyone else remember those studies on "fast twitch muscles?"

gatorgal wrote:

djstarr wrote:

Abdel wrote:One way to find out is to come down and visit.

Yes, I agree --- I am definitely guilty about merging all of North Florida into one big scene --- is there a lot of cross-pollination between Tampa and Orlando? There is a lot of travel between Seattle, Portland and Vancouver BC and I would say we definitely influence each others scenes quite a bit...

Ahem... don't forget about us here in South Florida!

Tina

do you want me to indiscriminately lump South Florida into Tampa and Orlando also? I can - I excel at generalizations.

Although I'd imagine you are *definitely* a separate scene

And while I generalize, do you have more cross-over influence with latin music being in South Florida vs. North? Salsa is much more popular here now, and there are more dancers who know basic latin steps, so it's been fun to put on the occasional cha-cha/swing song lately.

And as I digress, I was very excited to see one of the main tango teachers at our informal dance Monday doing his best to lead lindy-hop - I think it's great the different dance scenes are starting to merge together more here.