Don't dance and DJ

Tips and techniques of the trade

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J-h:n
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Don't dance and DJ

#1 Post by J-h:n » Tue May 29, 2007 8:08 am

LindyChef wrote (in the Syllabus for Swing DJ Training thread):
* Don't dance and DJ ... a song here and there is fine, but you can't really do both.
I think this could be a thread of its own, since I haven't seen it discussed here before. So, what's your take on dancing and DJing?

Personally, I almost never do it; I find that it screws up the dancing and the DJing both. Perhaps a song or two late at night when there are few people left and the mood is a bit more relaxed. Even then, I prefer to put on a compilation or a CD with a couple of tracks that can be played in a row, so I don't have to run back to press Play at the end of the song.

Of course, I DJ from CDs; if you have a laptop with a playlist made up in advance it's much easier. I still don't think I would like do it a lot, though. I do want to watch the floor.

That's just me, though. Some people do it all the time and it seems to work for them. Is it just a question of your ability to multitask? Or is this a bad habit that should be discouraged?

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Matthew
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#2 Post by Matthew » Tue May 29, 2007 11:01 am

I find that dancing a song here and there throughout the night sometimes helps me understand how the dancers are feeling. It gets me closer to their physical state (increased heart-rate, buckets of sweat, etc.). Then, I'm much more attuned to what could be fun for the next song.

The catch is that I've made sure to have something else cued up. Even though I can't play exactly what I'd like right away, the feeling of dancing puts me in a different mindset. Occasionally, it will make a big difference in how I spin, expanding the range and types of energy from song to song.

If I do dance a song, I don't finish the dance unless it's a VERY relaxed group - it drives me nuts when somebody leaves 25 seconds between songs, just because they were dancing.

One thing I've thought of doing would be to have an assistant in the booth, and the DJ dancing and relaying (via cell phone or walki-talkie) the track selections.

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djstarr
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#3 Post by djstarr » Tue May 29, 2007 2:33 pm

Matthew wrote:One thing I've thought of doing would be to have an assistant in the booth, and the DJ dancing and relaying (via cell phone or walki-talkie) the track selections.
or you can just use a laptop :P I dance maybe one or two songs in a set, sometimes I get asked when I DJ, sometimes there is a song or a specific person I'd like to dance to/with. I agree with Martin that you can't do it for the whole set!

Since I switched to laptop dj'ing it is more tempting since you don't have to rush back to the booth. However, I have found that pre-programming a set list ruins the spontaneity; I think my set suffered at CJ since I had too much pre-planned and I didn't go with the flow enough. I'm now starting to only cue up the next one or two songs, mimicing what I did with CDs.

I think if you setup a long playlist and just danced you would then have catered to yourself but will have missed the audience - it is tough to dance well and also watch how the other dancers are reacting to your music.

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GemZombie
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#4 Post by GemZombie » Tue May 29, 2007 4:15 pm

While I see the point, I actually disagree (*with an exception*)

* If you are being paid to DJ, and it is not a regular venue for you, then you should concentrate on DJing, and leave the dancing for after your set.

However, if you are a regular DJ at a venue you know well... (and are probably not getting paid to do so), Dance away... Many of us DJ primarily because we are dancers and know what dancers want to hear. While it's easy to get sidetracked by what we think is good, most of us actually probably *do* know what is good for dancers.

I think most of us can dance/listen and watch at the same time to see the energy of the crowd.

Have I mentioned lately that we take this stuff too seriously?

hhedberg
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#5 Post by hhedberg » Tue May 29, 2007 4:16 pm

I love to dance and DJ and using a laptop definitely makes this possible. I tend to get a group of 3 or 4 songs setup and then dance, but I always keep my eye on what is going on the floor and keep the list in my head. My scene is pretty lo-key so this seems to work out great.

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kitkat
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#6 Post by kitkat » Tue May 29, 2007 4:19 pm

Jesse and J-h:n--context.

The advice at the heart of this thread was given to new and/or up-and-coming DJs.

Sure, you could add, "...until you've been DJing for X years" to the end of it and technically make the advice more enduring, but I think the context of the thread Lindychef said that in made it clear enough over there.

For conciseness, I presume, he just doesn't add that last little bit. ;-)

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J-h:n
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#7 Post by J-h:n » Tue May 29, 2007 5:13 pm

kitkat wrote:The advice at the heart of this thread was given to new and/or up-and-coming DJs.
You're right - I took the quote out of context, and if anybody misread it as general advice to all djs, my apologies. (Of course it was a very recent posting and I presumed that most here had just read it.) I just thought it would be a good starting point for a discussion.
GemZombie wrote:However, if you are a regular DJ at a venue you know well... (and are probably not getting paid to do so), Dance away...
Sure, under these circumstances you can pretty much do what you like. I don't like mixing dancing and djing, mostly, and I was interested in hearing how others felt about it. Nobody's trying to impose any rules on you.

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Eyeball
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#8 Post by Eyeball » Tue May 29, 2007 6:40 pm

One of the most disappointing DJ 'contests' had both guys on the floor dancing or doing something else while their mix CDs played themselves out. Very thrilling. :roll:

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trev
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#9 Post by trev » Tue May 29, 2007 8:11 pm

GemZombie wrote:If you are being paid to DJ, and it is not a regular venue for you, then you should concentrate on DJing, and leave the dancing for after your set.
I agree completely. The only time I will venture onto the floor if i'm being paid is to check the sound. I've seen too many occasions where the sound at a dance needs attention (shrill highs, volume not loud enough etc) and the paid DJ is off busting it out in the corner. :(
GemZombie wrote:However, if you are a regular DJ at a venue you know well... (and are probably not getting paid to do so), Dance away...


Yes, I say go for it – but at least have the courtesy to make sure the next song is ready to go and to monitor the levels. 8)

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LindyChef
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#10 Post by LindyChef » Wed May 30, 2007 12:53 am

Gem sums up my feelings pretty well ... it's the noobs that need to be chained into the booth :)

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CafeSavoy
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#11 Post by CafeSavoy » Wed May 30, 2007 8:59 am

I think "Don't dance and DJ" should be a guideline and not a rule. I also think that it should be obvious, but often isn't, to anyone with a sense of professionalism. Although part of the vagueness over professionalism is related to the old conversations over dj compensation where some debated whether djs are professionals or avid hobbyists. I agree with the sentiment that as a dj your first duty is to work the room. Whether you have space to dance will depend on how hard it is to work the room, the nature of the gig, the location of the dj booth, the equipment being used, the formalness of the situation, and on who is asking you to dance. I agree that it impossible to dance every song and still perform at your peak. You will not be able to devote enough time to selecting, previewing, and cueing upcoming songs. But if stars align and you have appropriate equipment (laptop or auto cue on your cd player), there will be opportunities where you can select and cue up two songs, dance to the first and be back for the second with enough time to keep the continuity going. I agree with Matthew that is sometimes good to get into the crowd to get their pulse even it just means paying attention while you are walking around to check the sound levels. What also helps with feeling the pulse of the room is to dance some before your shift.

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#12 Post by Roy » Mon Jun 11, 2007 4:45 pm

CafeSavoy wrote:I think "Don't dance and DJ" should be a guideline and not a rule. I also think that it should be obvious, but often isn't, to anyone with a sense of professionalism. Although part of the vagueness over professionalism is related to the old conversations over dj compensation where some debated whether djs are professionals or avid hobbyists. I agree with the sentiment that as a dj your first duty is to work the room. Whether you have space to dance will depend on how hard it is to work the room, the nature of the gig, the location of the dj booth, the equipment being used, the formalness of the situation, and on who is asking you to dance. I agree that it impossible to dance every song and still perform at your peak. You will not be able to devote enough time to selecting, previewing, and cueing upcoming songs. But if stars align and you have appropriate equipment (laptop or auto cue on your cd player), there will be opportunities where you can select and cue up two songs, dance to the first and be back for the second with enough time to keep the continuity going. I agree with Matthew that is sometimes good to get into the crowd to get their pulse even it just means paying attention while you are walking around to check the sound levels. What also helps with feeling the pulse of the room is to dance some before your shift.
I agree with most of this, except i don't think you need a second song auto qued, I just tell the person I'm dancing with I need to dance next to the DJ booth and I need to stop dancing before the song ends. Before I start dancing I already know what the next song will be and I already did a check to insure the current song is working and the volume is good. I usually know what my next 3 or 4 songs are going to be as I move from one place to another while djing, unless somehting bombs I am thinking several songs ahead. I rarely dance and DJ when DJing Lindy Hop, maybe once a night, when DJing blues I will dance and deejay a lot more.

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