From a self-admitted traditionalist

Here is a response prompted directly by Justin Riley's thoughts, and indirectly by BFX being just around the corner. I have to admit, to me the dance scene is a fascinating anthropological bubble of a society, and this split between "fusion" and "traditional blues" is an interesting manifestation of a divergence of culture. Here are my two cents (I suggest you read Justin's note first):

You talk of traditional blues dancers doing historical reenactments, that it's virtually a Ren Fair. Though trad dancing does borrow much more heavily from a vintage aesthetic, the culture has indeed changed with the times. So has the dancing. And the type of blues music which is played. When I DJ, I DJ almost entirely blues music, but I make a point of playing a lot of contemporary (and local artists). Yes, it's still blues, and often because of that (or the specific style, such as New Orleans jazz or delta blues) can have an older feel to it - but the context is contemporary, and that makes a difference. Blues music is not a dead art we are reviving - it is a living, breathing art form with a rich history.

Another assumption I am inclined to disagree with: "In the 1920s, no one was looking at how they were dancing in the 1840s, or trying to dance to music created 80 years ago." What about argentine tango? What about ballet? Hell, what about the waltz - one of the oldest partnered social dances. And what do you know - it's still being danced today. Does that make it invalid? We identify a past age by the new things it brought into a culture, not by the ties it chose to keep to the past. When blues and swing first started appearing (in back rooms and jook joints), the majority of people were still doing other, more traditional dances.

You talk about an ongoing cultural, creative and artistic movement within a larger context (I assume you mean of this society, and potentially globally). That's awesome. I'm all for it. I realize I'm a minority who is more stuck in the past than I have any right to be. I can't help it - the music I grew up with, identify with and that moves me to my core happens to be blues. And jazz. It's where my heart is. But I feel like I'm an anomaly, and I'm grateful that there are enough anomalies out there for me to be able to indulge in that. At the same time, I'm glad there is progress, movement, new ideas and new inspirations, because indirectly (or directly) I will be inspired by that energy.

The statement that strikes me as most false is that we lack an all-american dance form. Lindy hop and blues dancing, born out of jazz, are the essence of the all-american dance. Jazz historian Frank Tirro says: "jazz is an American phenomenon. It was born here in the United Sates, and it has not renounced its citizenship. It was first performed by black Americans newly released from bondage who expressed their God-given talents and their beliefs about freedom, identity, and art through their music. Jazz is still a profound manifestation of freedom, talent, achievement and identity." Born out of this uniquely American music was a uniquely American form of movement, inherently tied to a culture that carried influences from many places, but melded them into something recognizable different - something in my opinion truly American.

There are complaints of elitism and exclusionism in the trad blues dance scene ... and I can't fault anyone for complaining. I think a lot of dancers take themselves way too seriously, and get personally offended when someone disagrees with them or their preferences. It's dancing, people. It's supposed to be fun, and create community. But on the flip side, don't get offended if an event decides to go for a certain type of aesthetic, and your music request was denied. Do your research, let your money and attendance speak for you. If you don't like the music played at an event, don't attend it.

We seem to agree that terminology is an issue. What you are talking about is, in my eyes, no longer blues dancing. But fusion is a misnomber too. I'm intrigued to see what people will come up with. I also have a feeling that it will grow organically ... most movements do, shaped by people's preferences. So in some ways, it doesn't make much sense to dictate too strong a path if you're only one person - people will make it into what they need it to be, which is great.

Here's where I'm at right now: neither traditional nor forward-moving dancers rooted in blues are "wrong." It's just a question of where their preferences lie. Arguing that seems silly, and counterproductive. In the end, we all just love to dance. It seems like there is a separation of a culture happening, a diversifying, if you will. That's not a bad thing. What we all need to realize is that one form or style of dance does not invalidate the other - both can exist. It's also possible to enjoy both. Though I am a traditionalist at heart (jazz and blues music is what speaks to me and makes me want to move), the creative forward motion of taking our culture in a new direction is healthy and energizing, and I can still draw inspiration from that. It just so happens that I am happier returning to the roots. Personal preference.



Thoughts? Opinions? Clarifications? Corrections?

At a loss ...

Keith Shapiro passed away last night. I did not know him well, but from those who did and my own impressions, not only was he a central part of the swing and blues community, but a loving father and husband, a wonderful friend, a great DJ, and generally an inspiring person to know. He co-hosted the podcast Confessing the Blues, where he brought his love for the blues to a worldwide community. He has definitely been an influence and inspiration in my own DJing, and my thoughts are with his family and friends. Rest in peace, Keith.

For those of you living under a rock

I realized I never mentioned one of my most consistent blues-related enjoyments currently. With my thesis eating my soul and me gearing up for graduation, I have very little free time, which means I don't necessarily get to research as much music as I would like to. Enter Keith Shapiro and Jonathan Pechon, DJs from Austin and Dallas, respectively, who started a podcast about blues music for dancers (and DJs) roughly 8 or 9 months ago. Each month, they spend 70+ minutes sharing music (most of which has been unfamiliar to me), upcoming events, thoughts on various aspects of the social dance scene, DJing for blues dancers, and the history and tradition of blues music, and feedback from blues and dance enthusiasts from all over the world. It's a great way to keep my finger on the pulse of the dance scene until I have more time and energy to get my DJing back into full swing (or blues ... badum tshh :-P).

Check out Confessing the Blues

Down Home Blues!!

The event was a complete success in my book. I haven't hit my dancing that hard in a long time, and feel like I got one of those pushes to take my dancing to the next level. Mainly I focused on technique, especially being a lot more grounded and letting my follow lag more, as well as musicality and really exploring how much of my own style and interpretation I can bring to the dance. It's making dancing way more fun.

As for DJing - I had a one-hour slot at the Sunday main dance, and I feel really good about it. Met some of the other DJs, got to talk some music, and generally had a lot of fun. Highlight of the set: some lady asking me to play Amy Winehouse. You should have seen Damon's face.

Here's the set:

-Red Mud - Chris Thomas King
-Don't Ever let Nobody Drag Your Spirit Down - Eric Bibb
-Deep in the Delta - Brother Yusef
-She's Gonna Take Sick and Die - Collard Greens & Gravy
-Down Home Blues - Satan and Adam
-I'll Be Your Sweet Black Angel - Saffire - The Uppity Blues Women
-Love Me or Leave Me - The Jimmy Cotton Blues Quartet
-Tombstone Blues - Ronnie Magri & His New Orleans Jazz Band
-Real Gone - Sam Taylor & His All Star Jazz Band
-Sanctuary - Charlie Musselwhite
-Red Rooster - Howling Wolf and Muddy Waters
-Down in the Swamp - Tab Benoit
-Driving Wheel - Etta James
-Sugarman - Kid Jonny Lang & The Big Bang
-Sugar Mama Blues - Snooky Pryor & Mel Brown

Roots

I went to Roots last night after my dad's birthday dinner. It was the smallest turnout I've ever seen. Not including Damon, Liz and myself, there were at most only two people in the room at any point. So I basically spent the night hanging out with Damon and Liz, and I got some awesome feedback on my dancing. Here's what I need to work on:

-Think more athletic, less dancing. I need to be more into the ground, bend my knees more. I'm sure it will help my follow, but it's also an aesthetic thing.
-Don't whip through my turns. I think this is a leftover of my ballet training. I don't spot any more, but I need to make my turns consistent.
-RELAX! This is my constant problem. It's slowly getting better, but I have so much tension, and it's hard not to let that affect my follow.

Yay for feedback!