dance videos , inspirational dancing , leading and following , performance dance , social dancing
Well, if it’s a good dancer we’re talking about, almost everyone. For many people the obvious answer is well, duh, what does weight have to do with dance skill? But for a lot of people there is a huge prejudice against even a few extra pounds on a dancer. Even today where fat people are hardly […]
Continue readingDance History , dance videos , dancing in the golden years , inspirational dancing , tap dance
I got to thinking about how I write about inspirational aging dancers as I was reading Roberta Teller’s blog post Growing Older is Quite Different from Being Old. It occurred ot me that I never write about the challenges of what most dancers have to give up as they age. I love reading about dancers who […]
Continue readingdance videos , dancing in the golden years , gymnastics , inspirational dancing
This is the second post about gymnasts as promised in last week’s post Are Gymnasts Dancers? This is also part of my series on inspirational dancers still wowing us in their senior years. The subject of today’s post is Johanna Quaas, an 87 year old gymnast. In last week’s post I established my belief […]
Continue readingleading and following , social dancing
I know a dance teacher who feels strongly that the whole concept of leading and following is sexist. She is trying to teach Lindy Hop as an equal partnership where no one is in charge of the dance. It’s an interesting subject, and I have very strong feelings on the subject as well. It is […]
Continue readingThis is the first of 2 posts about dancing gymnasts. In my opinion, dance skill has a lot to do with the success of a gymnastic routine. As you know, I’m also very opinionated about dance and part of my criteria is that the dance is an expression of the music. In this wonderful routine […]
Continue readingDance History , dance videos , dancing in the golden years , inspirational dancing
Maya Plisetskaya is one of the most gifted dancers of all time, so if you had to pick one to beat the odds on longevity, you’d be hard pressed to find a better candidate. She has had a huge influence on ballet with her unique style, charisma, and dramatic as well as technical […]
Continue readingDance History , dance videos , social dancing
British dancers not doubt get a kick out of the fact that what is slang for a four letter activity to them is the name of a dance to us. Three dances to be specific: Collegiate Shag, St Louis Shag, and Carolina Shag. The first two are more closely related to each other but […]
Continue readingcompetitive dance , dance videos , dancing in the golden years , inspirational dancing , social dancing
When I write about older dancers I usually try to find dancers still wowing us in their 80s and 90s. Today I’m going to feature Charlie Womble and Jackie McGee, even though they’re only in their 60s. The reason is that I want to talk about the ease that comes with experience. You’ve heard the […]
Continue readingConnecting Socially , cutting in , leading and following
Stealing is the art of slipping gracefully into someone else’s dance and stealing their partner. Ideally, you do this so artfully that the stollen partner hardly knows how it happened and the former partner can’t figure out why they are suddenly alone. It’s a version of cutting in, but more playful and requires considerable […]
Continue readingcompetitive dance , Connecting Socially , social dancing
It’s always a pleasure to read a post that agrees with one’s pet peeve, isn’t it? I’ve never liked the concept of competitive dancing, but I do agree that there is a place for it for those who do. Click on the pink link to see a blog about a new kind of (anti) competition […]
Continue readingdance videos , inspirational dancing
What is it about real masters that makes their dancing so irresistible to watch? It’s not that they make it look easy. It’s that they make it look effortless. Some dancers have it and some don’t, but the difference is striking. Ruby Keeler was a prolific movie star who made a ton of musicals in […]
Continue readingDance History , dance videos , political dance
Emma Goldman is credited with the title quote, and it’s one of my favorites. I think she was simply saying that she’s not going to fight for a joyless society, a point that is so easily forgotten when the focus is on struggle. But music and dance have also been used throughout history to make […]
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