When it comes to dancing, blues dancing may not have some of the sizzle that Latin dances are known for but makes up for this lack in a simmering passion that matches the music that is filled with emotion. Heat and humidity combine with the music and the moves to create a dance that is ripe with emotion and beautiful to watch. If you have not yet had the occasion to observe blues dancing please take a moment to do so now. The videos each offer excellent examples of blues dancing.
Blues Dancing began with African rhythms. While it was never widely practiced as a social type of dance outside the black communities in the US it continued to thrive in these speak easies where blues music was often played or house parties, which made it seem even more intimate for those that shared the experience in many ways because it was not as widely popularised as other dancing styles.
Popular blues dances often included very simple and easy to duplicate one or two-step patterns. The Slow Drag, Mooche, Cake Walk, and Black Bottom are excellent examples of Blues dances that have been passed along relatively unchanged from their original forms. Modern blues dancing is much more improvisational than traditional blues dancing and involves a seeming deeper connection with the partner.
Blues dancing has an intrinsic connection to blues music. The first blues song to be recorded was “Laughing Song” by George W. Johnson in 1895 though it would not be widely popular as a music form until the 1920 release of Mamie Smith’s “Crazy Blues”.
Neither blues music nor blues dancing is complete without the attitude and emotion of the music being brought into the movement of the body, the sway of the hips, and the way the head is held. Blue, in other words is a state of mind and the same can be said of blues dancing. You must be able to feel the music and express that in your dance in order to portray the proper emotion that is blues dancing.
There are a few basic steps and moves that are essential to blues dancing but those are not the most important aspects of blues dancing when learning for personal enjoyment or competition. Because blues dancing, very much like blues music cannot be put into a specific or definitive block it is often skipped over by those who casually observed. This is sad because only those that actually study and explore blues dancing for themselves can truly understand the subtle nuances and communications that are made between partners. This communication from one human to another is what blues dancing is really all about.
Watching the videos is a great help to those that are interested in learning more about blues dancing though they are only a small part of the exploration process. At the same time they are an important part of the process because they allow the opportunity to see the dance in action and experience the sultry, slow moves that are essential for dancing to the blues.
You will find that there are numerous variations among blues dances just as there are among the music we know as blues music. You will find various tempos, beats, and all kinds of heat tied to the dance as well as the music. But don’t just watch the videos of others blues dancing. Grab your partner and dance along with the videos.
Even if you have watched blues dancing in the past and found it not to be fascinating you may change your mind if you actually do the dances. This is one dance that is much more effective when danced rather than watched. Only by being involved in the dance are you able to understand the subtleties of blues dancing—so what are you waiting for?
