Style

[Gadget]

Marc Forester ran a worksop at the BFG entitled "Mens Styling". As usual with any of his workshops I've been on, it got me thinking: This time it was "What exactly is style and how can you develop it."

Attached are the ramblings I came up with - it was going to be a sort of "online-workshop", but there are no real excercises that I can think on, so it's more of an "online-lecture"

It's not signed; feel free to use, abuse or ignore as appropriate - but at least credit me as the source if you're going to use any of it. {and appologies in advance for any spelling that the spell-check missed}

[jivecat]

I seem to recall some kind of notes/statement about dance actually written by Marc himself being available on the forum. It may have been a link provided by Rachel. Anyone remember anything about it?

[Gadget]

He did have a couple of pages - they were about dancing in general I think: Unfortunatly I didn't get to read them. {I was going to pick them up when someone posted them here... but }

[David Franklin]

Originally Posted by Gadget

He did have a couple of pages - they were about dancing in general I think: Unfortunatly I didn't get to read them. {I was going to pick them up when someone posted them here... but }

I think jivecat was referring to this thread (entitled "Modern Jive - A perspective" - Marc & Rachel).

P.S. You may want to check your pdf for occurences of "ass style" - I assume it was a typo rather than an ESG reference...

[Lynn]

Originally Posted by jivecat

I seem to recall some kind of notes/statement about dance actually written by Marc himself being available on the forum. It may have been a link provided by Rachel. Anyone remember anything about it?

I think this is it - 'Modern Jive - A Perspective' "Modern Jive - A perspective" - Marc & Rachel

(BTW, how do I make the words come up instead of all the link details, but so that it takes you to the link? It used to give you that option. And I know that is a very clumsy way to describe what I want to do, but you know what I mean!)

EDIT - David got there first, and with the tidier way of adding the link!

[David Franklin]

Originally Posted by Lynn

(BTW, how do I make the words come up instead of all the link details, but so that it takes you to the link? It used to give you that option. And I know that is a very clumsy way to describe what I want to do, but you know what I mean!)

What I do is type

[url=http://my.internet.link], then the words I want to come up, and then [/url].

As a useful tip, what I often do if I want to do something I see someone else do in a post is do a "quote" reply so I can see the actual 'source' they typed in. In fact, I just did that in order to find out how to get something like [url] to appear in a post.

[Lory]

Originally Posted by David Franklin

What I do is

And I just highlight the word in my text that I wish people to click, then click the 'insert link' tab and paste the Http:// address in the box provided

[ChrisA]

Originally Posted by Gadget

Marc Forester

For some unknown reason, I now have Monty Python's "I'm a lumberjack and I'm Ok" running through my head.

But I feel strangely fortunate...

[El Salsero Gringo]

Originally Posted by David Franklin

P.S. You may want to check your pdf for occurences of "ass style" - I assume it was a typo rather than an ESG reference...

Baby, nobody duz ass style like I duz.

[jivecat]

Thanks, Lynn & David B, I'll take a read of both of these documents tomorrow.

[DavidB]

Originally Posted by jivecat

Thanks, Lynn & David B, I'll take a read of both of these documents tomorrow.

I have now sucessfully managed to transfer my philosophy of "Let the lady do all the work whilst I take the credit" to the realm of internet forum responses.

Now if I could just transfer it to the workplace, then I too would become a project manager.

[Lynn]

Originally Posted by jivecat

Thanks, Lynn & David B, I'll take a read of both of these documents tomorrow.

They are both the same one, David (Franklin ) posted while I was composing my post.

[MartinHarper]

PDF is hard to cut and paste.

Originally Posted by Gadget

If you try to insert style elements into the lead (...)

Given points 3-5, I think this is inaccurate. You're really talking about how to insert styling "as a leader".

Originally Posted by Gadget

"Isolation"

I used to think very much the same thing: that isolation was a nasty concept. It's a partner dance, so whatever is happening with my body should be reflected in our connection. One thing I think I've figured out is that pure isolation is something to aim for, and something for exercises, not something that is ever achieved in actual dance. By aiming at perfect isolation, and just missing, the stuff that is happening with my body would be reflected in our connection in a subtle way, layered underneath the lead/follow.

I've never heard anyone reputable say this, so it's probably garbage.

Originally Posted by Gadget

Spare arm

Yeah. Lindy teacher today told us that our spare arm is for making the girl feel warm and protected from all the other numbskulls on the dancefloor (so she only needs worry about the numbskull she's dancing with). So that's a neat way of doing something with that arm that doesn't really feel like adding style, so I don't need to get paranoid about it.

Originally Posted by Gadget

Unless you have really good positioning and movement of your feet, try to avoid shoes that stand out.

First step to looking good is to stop caring about looking bad. I'd recommend buying a pair of black and whites, and dancing in a prisoner's uniform with lots of downwards-pointing arrows.

Originally Posted by Gadget

Attitude

I think a lot of this is etiquette advice, not style advice.

Originally Posted by Gadget

Watch dancers you admire: (...) ignore what you don't like.

No - parody what you don't like.

[El Salsero Gringo]

Originally Posted by David Franklin

to find out how to get something like [url] to appear in a post.

Very cunning... escape the keyword with a colour...

[jivecat]

Oops, sorry, David Franklin. It was Marc's document and Gadget's I was referring to, anyway.

[Lynn]

Originally Posted by jivecat

Oops, sorry, David Franklin. It was Marc's document and Gadget's I was referring to, anyway.

Yes, I realised that afterwards. Having a blonde moment!

[Gadget]

Originally Posted by MartinHarper

Given points 3-5, I think this is inaccurate. You're really talking about how to insert styling "as a leader".

True: bad choice of words.

...One thing I think I've figured out is that pure isolation is something to aim for, and something for exercises, not something that is ever achieved in actual dance. By aiming at perfect isolation, and just missing, the stuff that is happening with my body would be reflected in our connection in a subtle way, layered underneath the lead/follow.

I've never heard anyone reputable say this, so it's probably garbage.

I agree: "perfect isolation" is purley an excercise - it's a skill and technique that should allow you to convey more of what's happening in your style through the connection; pick and choose what bits to put accross rather than having no controll or awareness of it.

I think a lot of this is etiquette advice, not style advice.

Yes... and no... Where does "style" start/stop? Style is not only about the way you move: it's about your attitude. This attitude does not start and stop when the track does. If you are gracious and considerate off the dance floor, then there is more likleyhood that you will be gracious and consederate on it: you look out for your partner, have a connection with them, are bound together in music for three minuites... then you say "tarra lov" and all grace and consideration vanishes?


Thanks for the feedback

[Chicklet]

watching people dancing Wed and last night and I honestly don't believe that the "style" I particularly like to see and feel can be taught or learned. I like ooze (there's that word again ) and there are people out there who have been dancing for years, attending all the workshops, putting in the practice and the effort and the thought, who are technically brilliant, but they're just never going to have it. Likewise I saw a young man both nights who has been dancing for only about a year I believe and he's got it already and it's going to get bigger . There, that's a helpful post.

Seriously, do other people see and/or feel the ooze style in their favourite dancers?

[Trish]

Originally Posted by Chicklet

watching people dancing Wed and last night and I honestly don't believe that the "style" I particularly like to see and feel can be taught or learned. I like ooze (there's that word again ) and there are people out there who have been dancing for years, attending all the workshops, putting in the practice and the effort and the thought, who are technically brilliant, but they're just never going to have it. Likewise I saw a young man both nights who has been dancing for only about a year I believe and he's got it already and it's going to get bigger . There, that's a helpful post.

Seriously, do other people see and/or feel the ooze style in their favourite dancers?

Yes, I think I know what you mean, and if it's what I think of as ooze then it's - but as you say, it does seem to be something you either have or you don't. I guess to me it's charisma/sexiness/confidence mixed with really smooth dancing - although that may not have been what you meant!