Let's talk about style.....

[littlewiggle]

Confidence and actually looking at their partner, interacting, i.e. really dancing WITH them.

It is sometimes difficult to make eye contact with certain dancers...... I myself was guilty of not looking at people. I was teased "I'm here!" It does depend on how comfortable you feel with your partner too. I'm much more confident these days though so find it easier now!

[TA Guy]

What attracts you to a dancer style wise?

Style wise, nothing really. I look for an enjoyable dance, that has nothing to do with style for me.

If you were to push me, I'd say smoothness. Is that a style ? I would say that whilst musicality, wriggles etc. can make a good dancer great, they can't make a bad dancer good. You need smoothness as a foundation and all that implies. The rest is icing on the cake. For me anyway, I'm a whole cake person.

[littlewiggle]

I have come to the gloomy conclusion that no amount of workshops or lessons can really teach it - only give you ideas.

I agree - you can't buy style. You have to develop it from your inner self otherwise it looks false and awkward. Put two people in the same dress and they look different...errr yes well that's obvious but you know what I mean

Just thinking of some of the dancers I know who are more ballroom in style - they would look ridiculous if they suddenly tried to be funky and vice versa.

[Yogi_Bear]

Stylewise I have long adopted the policy of finding someone whose style, demeanour, posture, dress, musicality and so forth I really admired and making them a role model for the development of my own dance ability. That has always been the intention, not that have ever fulfilled more than a fraction of the objectives.
yb

[littlewiggle]

YB - Iam sure you are too modest!

[Yogi_Bear]

YB - Iam sure you are too modest!

LW - others would have to judge. But thank you for the thought...

[MartinHarper]

What attracts you to a dancer style wise?

Someone who matches the style of the music and the style of their partner.

[Twirly]

It is sometimes difficult to make eye contact with certain dancers...... *snip* I'm much more confident these days though so find it easier now!

When I first started dancing I'd get really self-concious about too much eye-contact. Because I didn't know the guy it felt almost too intimate as I didn't know the person at all. Now, because the guys at my usual venues are familiar to me and I've got used to it, I actually like it (so long as it's not over the top staring where he never takes his eyes off you or changes his facial expression! ), and it doesn't bother me when someone I've not danced with before does it. In fact, it feels odd if someone doesn't make eye contact at all during the dance.

[Rebecca]

Just thinking of some of the dancers I know who are more ballroom in style - they would look ridiculous if they suddenly tried to be funky and vice versa

I used to think this - I was ballet trained and when I started MJ I couldn't get this styling out of my dancing no matter how I tried. People used to say I was graceful, but I wanted to be funky really, when the music was right. . .

Stylewise I have long adopted the policy of finding someone whose style, demeanour, posture, dress, musicality and so forth I really admired and making them a role model for the development of my own dance ability

Then I discovered this method. Much like an actor I suppose I started looking at some amazing dancers with all sorts of predominant styles and imagined I was them for 3 mins. It was fun. No idea if it works but it feels right

For me, when looking at guys I would like to dance with, most often styling comes from confidence. Any style will do as long as it's done with conviction

[littlewiggle]

Any style will do as long as it's done with conviction

I thought I agreed with this until last night! I can usually follow most people and adapt my own style but then I had a dance with a man of the 'braces brigade' and found it quite difficult to gel with him ....even remotely. I suppose it didn't help that he was a giant and I am only a wee thing too.

I then took some time to observe other dancers and noticed that the 'braces' do seem to have a particular style and it generally clashes with mine. Not that I mind terribly as the styles I most admire are street/funky, latin and graceful. I'm not really fussed about those that jump about all over the place...I actually was a bit embarrassed!

[under par]

What is STYLE?

I don't think I know the answer as I have found it difficult putting it very well into words.

My attempt at defining what our dance "style" is as follows.

As we learn and progress in our life of our dancing, we are influenced by what type/form of dances we learn, from whom, from the variety of music we dance to, from who we dance with, who we watch dancing and who we wish to emulate,( amongst others areas!!)
As such our "style" is the result of the amalgamation of our experiences and ambitions taking into consideration our physical attributes and confidence.

Therefore by my definition our "style" is a snapshot of our dance experience which will probably vary greatly in time (especially in the formative months and years.)

The more experienced the dancer then the less hurried and more relaxed the person is within the music of the dance.

The influence of different dance forms (MJ ,latin, WCS, ballroom, salsa or tango etc.) on a dancer may lead to that person having certain dance skills/attributes.
These skills/attributes can be seen by others and can often be recognised as from this or that source dance form and may well lead to that person's dancing being described as "this style" or "that style" of dancing.

What is amazing for me is the challenge of trying to influence/fuse my "style" of dancing, for what it is, with that of many other persons "style".

Trying to find the balance between letting my partner express themselves within the music whilst maintaining some elements of my moves and control is the "Clash" of our styles.

Sometimes it works like a dream and the effects can be mindblowing, it is this " ????????" that I believe we are all trying to achieve/find within our dancing.

Many more times it does not work thus, this then becomes the challenge to find that balance. It is this that keeps me going, striving to improve and achieve these dances with more dancers more often .

Apoogies for a bit of a ramble...

[LMC]

I then took some time to observe other dancers and noticed that the 'braces' do seem to have a particular style and it generally clashes with mine. Not that I mind terribly as the styles I most admire are street/funky, latin and graceful. I'm not really fussed about those that jump about all over the place...I actually was a bit embarrassed!

[COMPLETELY unreasonable and ignorant generalisation mode] - it often seems to me that guys in braces and black and white shoes are lindyhoppers. Which when used in MJ, seems to be quite a bouncy, fast and footworky style that I don't get along very well with - I'm not built for speed

[robd]

Any leaders who went to this year's Ceroc Champs will probably hesitate before pulling on the braces for a night's dancing

[DavidB]

Any leaders who went to this year's Ceroc Champs will probably hesitate before pulling on the braces for a night's dancing

Everything from costume malfunctions to Attempted Murder on the Dancefloor...

[Andreas]

Everything from costume malfunctions to Attempted Murder on the Dancefloor...

Which obviously is entirely a matter of interpretation ...

[johnthehappyguy]

.... the 'braces brigade' and found it quite difficult to gel with him .... 'braces' do seem to have a particular style and it generally clashes with mine.

I sometimes wear braces,and they are fairly rare up here.

What is their stereotype where you are ?

thanks,

John

[johnthehappyguy]

Since we all have our own style in some shape or form. I am interested to know what does it for you? What attracts you to a dancer style wise?

Rhonde's

[littlewiggle]

I sometimes wear braces,and they are fairly rare up here.

What is their stereotype where you are ?

thanks,

John

Well I was generalising.....that always gets a discussion going!

BUT I don't want to start a riot ........

[Freya]

a bit of a ramble...

Couldn't agree more with your ramble!!!!

You've expressed something very well that isn't easily put into words!!!

[Paul F]

Hmmm, there's that word again - 'STYLE'

It was only when I started MJ that I came across workshops which made you believe they would teach you 'style'. Even my very early street dance and ballroom days didnt attempt to teach you style. What they did teach was 'technique' !

To me there is an intrinsic link between technique and the perception of style.

In general I would say that the way a dancer dances is based on various techniques that they have picked up in whatever flavour of dance they have done and how they fuse these techniques into the music that is playing.

Now for the tricky bit - As MJ does not have any strict technique, so to speak, how could you define where someones style comes from? The only answer I could suggest would be along the same lines as everyone else - IMITATION.
People with no experience in other styles of dance, or people that choose to, can only attempt to imitate those dancers they admire. The problem now is that they are attempting to imitate a 'style' that the target dancer has picked up through other sources over a period of time. Without that same background training the copied style will never mimic exactly what has been seen. That then causes an evolutionary cascade of perceived styles (ooof, thats deep!! ) ultimately triggered by a dancer introducing a technique from an external source ie. external to MJ.

As an example I have to think back to the hayday of Hipsters. As H used to bring together Lindy Hoppers and MJers alike the 'style' of dancers among the regulars was definately different to that observed at other venues. This is because you have a number of people attending the end of night freestyle who are bringing different 'techniques' to the party. This is obviously going to influence, not only those that are dancing, but those aspiring to the people they are watching.
Im not saying it is totally different these days, of course not, but I do notice so many other influencing factors in people's dancing due to things such as the introduction of WCS as well as the next cycle of ballroom/latin influence - the continuing evolution of styles.

So what is style?
Its the introduction into MJ of key techniques from external sources followed by the imitation of these techniques which produce an evolution in how people dance.

What elements of style do I look for in dancers?
None. Its ever changing. What is seen as a great style point now may not seem so in a years time.