Friday, February 7, 2014

Dancin", Dancin', Dancin'

When my mind gets occupied with some deep thoughts I often start pondering superficial things as well. I think it may be a mechanism to keep me from becoming obsessed with a single thought. Becoming obsessive is not a good thing. I am currently chewing on something rather complicated but this other thought came to mind. Dancing. That's right dancing. Now it has been a number of years since I went to a school dance or any dance for that matter. The days of  " cuttin' the rug " have long since past. There was a short period in time when I would go to the nightclubs,I never called them nightclubs personally, but they had alcohol and music. It was in these establishments that I would move, in a semi-organized fashion, and simulate dancing.
When I was in grade school and high school it seemed like new dances came out every week. The twist,the mashed potato,the froog, the swim and a myriad of others. I admit to never really learning these dances but did an approximation of them. Truth is, I do not know any dance in it's strictly formal way, not even the fox trot ! Back in the day, few men did or should know, unless you were rich or a James Bond type. At the high school dance we just stood along the walls and watched the girls dance with each other for the most part. Ah, but that is another issue altogether.
All those dances were called Fad dances. Some have survived the years as a joke, something of nostalgia, not to be taken seriously. They were serious at the time though. As I was thinking about this I wondered if tit still happened today ? I know I am not " with it " anymore, that is to say " I don't make the scene man " but how come I never hear about any new dances ? Oh, I've heard of a few that they do at weddings and such, the Macarena, Chicken Dance and Gangnam style but not like the dances I remember. I have heard of Miley Cyrus " twerking " but does that count as a dance ? I don't think so.
The last great dance craze I can recall was the disco era. The hustle and all that stuff. No, I never liked disco and so never did any of those dances. That whole era is now viewed more or less as a joke, in my opinion. I'm guessing a sociologist would have some explanation for this. I don't know but it sure doesn't seem the same. Is they any show like American band stand anymore ? Has Soul Train been derailed ?
Like I said, all this is just superficial thought. I really don't care about the dance scene and never really have. I think I am like most guys, I much prefer the slow dances. I just want to hold the lady close and kinda sway back and forth. As long as I didn't step on her toes it was all good.
I do work with some younger folks and they tell me not much has changed at the school dances. The girls still dance more with each other than with the guys. The guys still stand in small groups and leer at the girls. They don't really do any specific dance anymore with the exception of the " funny " ones. As to the night club dance scene I know nothing. I don't know anyone involved in that deal either. I do expect the bars are still pretty much the same. Alcohol still has the same effect on us all and most still go to bars for the same reason.
It seems to me casual dancing is going by the wayside. The show I see now is Dancing with the Stars. You get graded by professionals. Yes, dancing has gone professional grade. Of course, that is ballroom dancing not break dancing. Do they still do that ? What about the robot ? I just may have to Google all this. Nah, if I go out again I can still bust a move, or a hip ! C'mon baby, let's do the twist !

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