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Monday, September 2, 2019

Basic Basics

Every dance step that we dance today involves one or more of Rudolph Laban's five basic movements that every one knows. The combination of steps making a pattern or figure that conveys the interpretation of a brief musical and physical adventure. This may amount to no more than 20 or 30 very basic patterns in each dance, that can be led and followed easily to enjoy the full benefits of the music. Anything more is gingerbread and may be needed for exhibition and competition dancing or even if you just want to show off.

"Lady social dancers are very good at not back leading. That is when the Follow over-powers a Lead’s lead for any duration, and basically, she is dancing by herself."
 

And then there are over six hundred documented steps in most dances on our dance floors. So exhibition and competition people have plenty to choose from but then they have a different agenda from us. Perhaps they are right, they have said that they are the real dancers. We may be only movers and enjoyers of music but we may be getting closer to our correct terminologies. They keep insisting they are different from us, and it is becoming more evident every day that they are right. We are social dancers.

"My Molokai" by Willie K

 
They are artistes and theirs is an art. We are just having fun, a different ballgame. And our different jargon continues. Many of our movements are danced to different music in sheer joy over and over again. For sure, every "new" step or pattern has been done by somebody, somewhere during the long history of dancing. It is far better to learn the natural and standard steps and then dance them to our own patterns. We will enjoy moving to music, without being fancy, to the end of our days.

"Some dancers often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing 
 –  that’s why it is recommended daily."

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