Dancing

[rhowaldt]

posting this in /dev/audio because dancing without music is hard, and therefore the two often go hand-in-hand. if somebody disagrees and wants it in general /dev/null, go ahead :)

this is a thread about dance. not dance music, but dance as a physical activity. share whatever the fuck you want related to dancing. i will start with the reason i began this thread.

https://www.facebook.com/naji.aljerf/vi ... 453609642/
from the comments, "Dabke from Hima in Syria".

i dont know much about the Arab world, and most of what i do know is quite negative information. this makes it easy for the brain to surround this world with a rather grim vibe. i dont think this grimness is fair at all, and videos like this, showing fantastic dancing, give me a feeling of joy about the Arab world, which is good, because it feels much better and more fair as well.

[ivanovnegro]

The Arab world is fantastic or it maybe was, idiots and fundamentalists are destroying it. They have one of the finest music, dancing and food.

Thanks for this thread.

[GekkoP]

^ So true about the wonders of the Arab world.

[gutterslob]

Does that dance I do when my bike goes over a painted line on a wet day count?

[rhowaldt]

yes, yes it does. all you need to do is give it a name!

[gutterslob]

I'll call it Slob's tank-slapper this close to high-side while looking like stupid dolt (to fakie) dance.

.... and I agree with the Arab world having lots of great things in their culture.

[rhowaldt]

some Lindy Hop.

"Probably the greatest Lindy hop sequence ever filmed. Whitey's Lindy Hoppers from the 1941 film Helzapoppin."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahoJReiCaPk
(btw, that film is fantastic too)

some background for the above here in a 10 minute docu on Frankie Manning, "the greatest Lindy Hop dancer ever": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m34eD21QzUw

for those who want to learn it themselves, here's a superbly helpful instructional video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_ENjos_PpE

[rhowaldt]

logical (to me at least, which doesnt say much ;) next thing would be to mention Singing in the Rain. if you haven't seen this film, go see it. not just for the fantastic dancing and music, but also because it is simply a good story well executed as well as a commentary on those times.

as for the dancing, here's probably the most iconic scene from the film, Make 'Em Laugh: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SND3v0i9uhE

the dancers in the film are Donald O'Connor (seen dancing in Make 'Em Laugh), Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds. their routines are amazing, energetic and just so good.

sorry, just went on a bit of a tangent looking for Debbie Reynolds pics. found a glorious one, look at that: http://asset-7.soup.io/asset/2532/9987_7b32.jpeg

anyway, dance. i always loved Donald O'Connor's routine on roller skates: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGlaPXQyfyM
of course, Gene Kelly can do that too: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZYS2rKh01U

and so on. you know how to find more if you care :)

[rhowaldt]

this is pretty cool. street dancers vs lindyhop dancers going vice versa on swingjazz and hiphop: https://vimeo.com/142215364

[wuxmedia]

heh, just remembered, my mate is a lindy hopper:
https://youtu.be/hq_ho7eda1c

This dude NEVER ever danced - all the times we went out on the town, all the parties I Dj'ed at he never hit the floor, apart from drunken jumping around.
Now it's his profession/living... Still can't quite get my head around that.
He actually dresses like that (1940's) all the time now.
nice vids BTW :)

[wuxmedia]

i always loved Donald O'Connor's routine on roller skates:

I call fake on that tap routine, looks like those wheels are blocked solid, the camera jump cuts.
Although if Gene kelly can do it, don't see why Donald can't...

[rhowaldt]

no idea whether it was faked, i mean, there is another definite piece of fakery going on there when he rides round the carousel faster and faster, so it isn't unimaginable. however, i have no doubt that he could do the routine no matter whether the wheels were blocked or not. indeed, he's completely on par with Gene Kelly.

from the same era, and featuring Donald O'Connor as well, here's a nice 42 minute documentary on The Nicholas Brothers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTmJowrBwOY

[wuxmedia]

^ oh yeah totally, think they might have slowed the film speed whilst filming on him spinning, forgot to mention though that in Singin' in the rain; I always thought Donald was better.
Still not a huge fan of musicals though.

[rhowaldt]

Donald has a certain style that is looser than Gene Kelly's. i don't think it really comes down to one being "better" than the other, just to one doing more exciting things sometimes.
Not a huge fan of musicals myself, but Singing In The Rain i loved.