Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with Dance

Advice on traveling to Guinea

BillW — Tue, 14 May 2013 06:53:28 -0800

Our daughter is going to a dance intensive program in Guinea, Africa. While my wife and I have traveled quite a bit in Europe and Asia, Africa is new to us. She will be getting all necessary shots, travel insurance, etc., but we're more interested in the less than obvious. While she will be in and out of Conakry, from our understanding she will also be helping to build a school and traveling around other parts of Guinea. Does anyone have any advice for our daughter about Guinea, travel to Africa, cultural dos and don'ts or logistical information about communications, phones, or anything else? Thanks!

Goodbye songs for a flash mob of dancing elementary-school teachers

shrimpsmalls — Wed, 01 May 2013 18:18:58 -0800

Help me find a goodbye song for a flash mob of dancing elementary-school teachers on the last day of school. I've been tasked with choreographing a short dance for our staff to perform out on the school's blacktop shortly after the students have been dismissed on the last day of school. Help me find an appropriate song for a cheerful/silly goodbye to the students. I did this last year at a neighboring school to "Bye Bye Bye" by the backstreet boys, which was fine, but I don't want to copy it directly so soon after.

Thanks!

Groom-to-be seeking advice for our "first dance" at the reception

Joey Buttafoucault — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 16:20:54 -0800

I am a groom-to-be seeking advice on how two confirmed non-dancers can handle the "first dance" at our wedding reception. Difficulty: something we can figure out in less than 2 weeks. We have put off this particular aspect of the reception because frankly neither of us is particularly eager to think about it. To be clear - this is mutual reticence, and would not be a source of tension or anxiety except, there is going to be that moment where we get introduced at the reception and have to go to the dance floor and do... something.

I (groom) have taken some ballroom dance classes, like about a decade ago, and could probably marshal the basic steps for a couple Latin dances, swing, etc. She (bride) has no dance background and thinks she is an uncoordinated klutz. I disagree with this perception, but anyway, we are not the most graceful dance couple is what I'm trying to say here.

My ultimate question is, what can we do for the "new couple's first dance" at our reception, given our level of non-expertise, and with only a couple weeks to figure it all out? We'd be somewhat embarrassed to go out there and "sway back and forth like we were at a middle school dance," as she puts it, but we also lack any other particular ideas. I understand that everyone has a different take on how to approach weddings and in particular how to manage the couple's feelings vs. the families' expectations, but I am hoping to AVOID advice like "OMG, it's your wedding, F the world, do what you want!!1" Our families have clearly expressed interest in the whole first-dance sequence, then dancing with the parents, and all that; we would really prefer to find a low-stress solution that mostly gives them what they want without making it awkwardly obvious for the first 3 minutes that we have no appreciable dance skills. Please feel free to ask for any clarification as needed.

I can't dance to that!!!

Thorzdad — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 05:39:34 -0800

Please recommend me a good song for the father-daughter dance at the wedding!!! I am desperate, and need suggestions yesterday!

My daughter is getting married in May. This afternoon, she is meeting with the DJ to set a song list for the reception. This includes the music for the now-obligatory father-daughter dance. So, last night, at the 11th hour, my daughter started asking me which songs I'd like to dance to. Thing is, the suggestions she was providing were all of these treacly, syrupy, over-the-top-schmaltzy country ballads...I Loved Her First, My Little Girl, Butterfly Kisses...You get the idea.

Anyone have suggestions for good father-daughter dance songs that can still be slow danced to but not sound so gooey and twangy? One caveat...My daughter isn't too alt, so Yo La Tengo, for instance, probably isn't gonna fly.

Many thanks!

Ethereal yet poppy electronic music?

lunasol — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 09:52:01 -0800

Looking for more ethereal electronic (is that even what the kids call it these days?) music with a certain feeling to it - sort of happy, sort of sad, slightly otherworldly, all blending to create a dreamy, transcendant feeling. Sorry for the clunky description, but I'm not sure if there's a name for the kind of music/song I'm looking for. But I do have some examples!

I'm looking for more songs like this:

The Mother We Share by Chvrches
Anything Can Happen by Ellie Goulding
Oblivion by Grimes
Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains) by Arcade Fire

Things I can identify in these songs that I like are the female vocals (though that's not necessary), beats that don't overwhelm the production, a sort of bittersweet, wistful feel.

Dave Brubeck and Daft Punk walk into a bar

msittig — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 01:00:01 -0800

It seems 4/4 is the universal time signature for electronic music / techno / EDM. Is there a song or artist that uses any other time signature in a consistent way? As in not just a bridge or for special effect.

How does it feel? Eh, a little too obvious is how.

too bad you're not me — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 12:11:56 -0800

Help us build our goth-prom-party playlist! We’re having a mashup party—gothic meets 80s meets prom. We’ve got streamers, balloons, a disco ball, and a spiked punch bowl covered. We’ve also got a running play list, but are worried it’s not long enough. We’d ideally like 4 hours of music (9:00 pm – 1:00 am), but are stuck around 3 hours. Here’s the playlist in question: Black Prom

Tracks that work:

+ Kanye - Monster
+ The Faint – Worked Up So Sexual
+ Massive Attack – Teardrop
+ Beyonce – Sweet Dreams
+ Lady Gaga - Marry the Night

These tracks are dark and danceable. Some of them would be heard at traditional prom and some would not. We’re basically looking for dark and danceable, or dark and poppy. Dirty bass, crunchy guitars, synths, and driving beats are all good.

Tracks that do not work:

+ Overly obvious choices like The Cure – Friday I’m in Love or New Order - Blue Monday
+ Overly aggressive bands like Marilyn Manson or Nine Inch Nails

I’ve already looked through these threads, and some of them are helpful, but also not quite the vibe we’re after:

Too Halloweeny.
Too much goth and not enough dance (but has some good suggestions).

Anyway, this might be the longest post for a music request, but any suggestions would be really appreciated!

Recently diagnosed with WDCDS and not sure how to move forward

Stan Grossman — Sun, 17 Mar 2013 11:23:14 -0800

Through various relationships I've come to realize I do in fact have WDCDS-formally known as White Dude Can't Dance Syndrome. Symptoms include a lack of rhythm, eventually manifesting in a complete lack of dancing.

I'm a mid 20s guy that hangs out at a lot of bars, and on top of that wedding season is coming up. I've known several woman over the past couple years that want someone they can dance with and have fun. This is not my Modus Operandi. I like to have fun, but when it comes to dancing I lock up and refuse- I assume due to fear of embarrassment. Alcohol does not help; no matter how many drinks I've had I will remain as stubborn as a mule.

Does anyone have any tips and/or resources on how I can put some dance ability in my back pocket? I'm under the impression if I can just figure out how to dance to an upbeat song and a slow song, I'll be set. Not looking for anything too fancy. I think my goal is more to go unnoticed (Ie. Not embarrass myself).

Some potentially pertinent background: I literally have trouble just clapping in beat to a song.

Introduction to choreography book

Kurichina — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 19:02:51 -0800

I'm looking for a good, introductory level book on choreography. I've taken several dance classes informally but have never formally studied dance or any performance art at the post secondary level so something aimed at a popular audience or 100-level textbook would be ideal. Any recommendations, hivemind?

Help me extend my electro playlist!

beshtya — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 05:46:12 -0800

Help me extend my electro playlist! Hi all. I am throwing a party soon and I'd like to play some uptempo dance-y sorta music. Here is my playlist so far, most of it is French and Belgian electro, do you have some more recommendations?

The Klaxons - Gravitys Rainbow (Soulwax Remix)

Cheap & Cheerful (SebastiAn Remix) - The Kills

Fool For Love (SebastiAn Remix) - Das Pop

Klaxons - Golden Skans (SebastiAn 1.2.0 remix)

Mix Tape Filter: Seeking bouncy songs that make you want to dance!

heavenstobetsy — Sun, 10 Mar 2013 05:10:40 -0800

I'm looking for mostly pre-2000s stuff. Not dancy necessarily, but very happy, poppy, stuff that you could dance in your seat to. So far I have; Hall & Oates - You Make My Dreams Come True Stevie Wonder - Signed Sealed Delivered George Michael - Freedom Cheesy is fine, if not encouraged. Thanks MeFi!

Help me plan a unique New York City bachelorette party

rachaelfaith — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 10:10:24 -0800

I could use some input on how I can pull off the bachelorette party I have envisioned, in New York City, in late May of this year. Keywords: fun (not raunchy), slumber party, karaoke, good food, overnight. My cousin pulled a fast one on me and moved her wedding up by a full year. I'm scrambling to plan the bridal shower (a whole 'nother beast) and a bachelorette party. Most of the bridesmaids and a few friends are in the North Jersey/NYC area, so holding it in Manhattan is the primary choice. The party will be held either 5/31 or 6/1.

I have envisioned a night that goes something like this: Eat some delicious food, go to a karaoke bar and sing drunken anthems, maybe hit a bar or club after, end the night at a location in which I can turn into the greatest slumber party, complete with blanket forts, snacks and cupcakes and air mattresses or shared beds, fluffy slippers, silly little-kid blankets, et cetera.

I suppose the most important questions are:
1. Where can I construct a slumber party? Are there any hotels you might know of that would work with me on this? I considered AirBnB, but I would have to clear it with the owner beforehand, and possibly come in a day early to decorate... This is my main concern.

2. Where should I bring a group of 5-10 mid to late 20's women for a not-too-expensive, not too 'adventurous' (I think some of them are picky about worldly cuisine) dinner? Maybe a tapas place? I would consider Blue Ribbon Bakery for the general ambience and food type but it's not ideal in terms of loudness and large parties.

3. Which karaoke bar can accommodate large-ish parties? Sing Sing on St. Marks is my go-to, but maybe I'm missing out on other great options. Private rooms are ideal.

4. Any suggestions on other clubs or bars to go to? None of us are into the club scene, nothing super exclusive, nothing snobby, nothing aimed at the college crowd. Just a decent place we can get drinks and dance a bit before ending the night.

5. Any other alternative ideas or activities that might work for this group would be wonderful. Bride-to-be is 26, girly, loves romantic comedies and coming of age movies, comfort food, getting dressed up, baseball. Not into overdone NYC bachelorette things like Lucky Cheng's. Can handle some raunchy fun but nothing overt. Probably not into the 'spa' thing but will go for occasional pedicures.

Help!

What are the technical fundamentals of dance I should practice?

losvedir — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 19:42:17 -0800

What are the "Hanon Piano Exercises" of dance? That is, what are technical drills I should do briefly every day to become better at dancing? Whenever I tackle a new skill I generally like to start with the technical fundamentals and drill and drill and drill. When I took piano lessons I had this book of scales I had to do every day to get my fingers comfortable with the various movements they'd be making when playing real pieces. When I started to take up ping pong, I would stand at the table for an hour and serve, serve, serve to try to get the motion down.

So what would the equivalent be for dance? I'm in my 20s, male, and currently a terrible dancer. I think I could probably improve my rhythm and my flexibility at the very least.

Ideas for things I'm looking for:

* Play songs and tap my foot to them on the on-beats, then the off-beats, alternate tapping my foot and clapping.

* With music playing work on moving my hands independently to my feet, say step on every beat, hands go out once per measure.

* Count along with a song and try to identify the time signature.

* A certain stretch which would help me be more flexible in a way that's helpful for dancing.

* Rubbing my head and patting my stomach.

* A progression of movements to practice repeatedly - twist head, lift shoulders, sway hips, tap foot.

I dunno, those kinds of things. Little drills and techniques I could work on as building blocks before I even get to learning real dance.

As for styles -- I'm open to anything really. Realistically, I'd probably most likely dance hip-hop or techno-dancey styles if I went out to club with friends, but I'm open to more technical drills, say for ballet, because I think mastering movements in any way would be helpful.

Where do all the cool kids in NYC Polka?

Bengston — Sun, 03 Feb 2013 21:37:59 -0800

I have a friend who grew up going to polka festivals and said she would be willing to teach me, so where can two people in their mid 20's go to polka in NYC without standing out like a sore thumb?
Are there dedicated polka bars? Just polka nights? I have no experience with this and don't even know what to look for. Ideally this would happen sometime during the weekend in either Manhattan or Brooklyn but would be willing to go to Queens or do something during the week. I am ok with dive bars and honestly I think it could be kind of funny if we were the only young people there as long as the record didn't scratch as soon as we walked through the door. Maybe there are even some really cool young polka joints, who knows, its NYC.

Modern dance film about about dancers as athletes?

dahliachewswell — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 22:48:34 -0800

Vaguely remembering a short, classic modern dance film I was shown in a college dance history course but can't remember the title or choreographer. In it the dancers (men and women) were performing stylized versions of competitive athletic events; the overall tone was upbeat, competitive, vital, playful. I think the title may have been something like "The Athletes" or "Competitors"... Era: 70s or 80s? (It's not Leni Riefenstahl)

Dance dance dance!

EmilyFlew — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 12:12:39 -0800

I love watching male ballet dancers in the New York City Ballet. What else would I enjoy watching? I am just starting to try to learn about dance, and have gone to some amazing performances, including a few at the NYCB (so, a lot of Balanchine). I love a lot about these shows, but I love watching the male ballet dancers (danseurs?) the most -- there is something about the combination of the extremely demonstrative athleticism and classicism and artistry of movement that amazes me. I would like to find other performances that scratch this itch. Perhaps relevant: I also just saw a Parsons Dance Company performance and though I appreciated the atheleticism, I found the choreography way too kitchy for my taste. But that was probably only the fourth dance performance I've ever been to, so I'm pretty wide open and know very little about the universe.

I welcome recommendations that range from "Look up Baryshnikov videos from the 1970s on YouTube" to "Go to Alvin Ailey shows, their performances set to house music are the best" to "Have you tried watching Mixed Martial Arts?" I'm in New York City, and especially welcome recommendations for groups or theaters to keep an eye on here.

Is SoundCloud a good gift for a new electronic musician?

Shepherd — Mon, 24 Dec 2012 09:27:06 -0800

Is there a better gift in the $40 range for a budding dubstep/electro musician (in his 60s) seeking to get the word out than SoundCloud Premium? This may or may not be relevant: it's a gift for my uncle, who has been working in music for literally 40+ years and has recently developed a passion for dubstep. He's done a bit of dance music in the past, but has never really worked to make a name for himself online.

He's not Internet-ignorant -- he knows YouTube and YouTube channels, and can upload things there, for instance -- but I don't think has a lot of savvy about music self-promotion online beyond that.

I was thinking about SoundCloud Premium Lite as a gift for Christmas, so he can start uploading tracks, tagging them, and see how that goes. But I'm not much hipper than he is in terms of how musicians self-promote online these days, and was wondering if there was something that would deliver even more bang for that buck.

Canadian, so no access to a lot of services like Spotify and Last.fm, if that makes a difference.

You can dance if you want to, you can legsweep from behind

curious nu — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 16:29:30 -0800

I liked capoeira a lot, but my wrists did not. Are there any other martial dances? Or schools that take a martial art like tai chi but do something dance-y with it?

Le Pop Super-Bon!

Capt. Renault — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 10:53:32 -0800

Le Pop Super-Bon! Can anyone suggest French bubble-gum pop that's especially au courant? Like Yelle (particularly her first album), only more recent? Stuff good for dancing or for cleaning the house. I've seen these threads, but they're a bit stale. Merci à tous!

Help find the missing link between my body and my brain

sb3 — Sun, 02 Dec 2012 21:42:02 -0800

How do I train my brain to remember the interesting movements that my body comes up with when the music plays? I want to explore my creativity through choreography. I've danced most of my life but have been part of traditional teams or classes--jazz,tap,ballet, hip hop, etc. At the same time, my body has known how to create unique movements to music and I (like to) think that I have a natural capacity for creative dance. In a class in which the genre is one I'm familiar with, it's fairly easy for me to pick up choreography; it's as if my brain already has an available visualization construct to attach different known pieces together in various orders. It's different when the class is a more unfamiliar style: I notice that if I watch the instructor while I'm learning the dance, my brain learns how to make my body mimic the movements, but I cannot execute the movements without the instructor dancing in front of me. (It's like only my visual mind has learned.) It helps to watch myself in the mirror, but the best outcome (in terms of my muscle memory) happens when I drill movements without watching what I'm doing.

I would like to choreograph on my own and when I play music, my body begins to do interesting things that I'd like to replicate, but when I try to repeat what I've done, I find that my muscle memory hasn't absorbed it very well. And when I, instead, watch myself making movements in a mirror so that I can remember them, the product that occurs through letting my body respond to music is stifled.

I've danced with some people who can see a dance coming together inside their head without actually moving, or can review a dance mentally. That's not how my brain works. (I also don't do math in my head well, but I notice that this is something that's gotten worse as I have let myself off the hook from mental calculations, so I tend to believe that I could get better.)

Does anyone have suggestions for how to strengthen the brain's ability to visualize physical movement in a way that would help my ability to choreograph? Or maybe I'm approaching this the wrong way? I would also be interested in how other people choreograph.

Thanks!

Help me to impress my teen

kbar1 — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 22:29:05 -0800

Last week, I shared the music video That's What's Up, by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, with my 15 year old and she fell in love with it. This week, daughter was assigned a project in her video production class to create an advertisement for the Sadie Hawkins dance at her high school. Inspired by the ES video, she's decided to recruit some youngsters from the on-campus preschool (where she is a volunteer) and film a short music video depicting a little girl asking a little boy to dance. There will be lots of challenges in making this video (obtaining consent from parents, writing a tight script, filming the youngsters) - but the first challenge is choosing a song for the video. It should appeal to current high schoolers but be sweet and danceable. I suggested Call Me Maybe but that earned an eye roll for being too obvious and overdone. Please share your music suggestions and help me to regain my status as a reasonably cool mom.

Searching for beautiful emotional minimal music

PercussivePaul — Sun, 25 Nov 2012 15:50:59 -0800

Searching for beautiful emotional minimal music in the vein of Max Cooper, Marek Hemmann. Two specific things I am in love with are Marek Hemmann's Infinity EP, and Max Cooper's Loop Topologies set, especially the unreleased track at about 40 minutes in the latter, which has brought me to tears many times. Gold Panda has been a recent love as well which is sort of similar.

I'm not even quite sure what to call this. Maybe minimal electronic dance music? I like that it has a beat, and I like the relative simplicity of it (hence 'minimal') but what really pulls me is the emotional power behind it. That's kind of a subjective thing, I guess. This stuff feels really beautiful to me and that's what I'm craving. This is maybe similar to my last question but I'm being a bit more precise. Also, I prefer newer stuff, because I'd like to find artists I can see in person.

What else might I like? How does one find this stuff, anyway?

help me learn a dance routine.

lrobertjones — Wed, 21 Nov 2012 00:27:04 -0800

I need to learn a dance routine for a video clip I am starring in. I can remember all the moves, but am struggling to remember what comes next as I do the dance. How can I make it stick in my brain? The video is shooting on Saturday. I will have approximately 2 hours on each of the next 3 days where I can practice the moves and I will probably have a few hours each day at work where I can watch videos or write or do anything not involving waving my arms around.

The dance routine is kind of 5 different sections (Intro, Chorus and 3 x Verse), made up of 4-6 different moves. I know the order that the sections go in the song, but will usually get lost after 1-2 moves in each section, it will take me a moment to remember but by then I am out of time and it just looks terrible.

The actual moves are from various 90's songs (Wannabe, 5678, Macarena, Vanilla Ice.)

Origin/Name of 1940s dance maneuver, limp leg wave?

Quarter Pincher — Sun, 18 Nov 2012 21:26:24 -0800

WaybackDanceFilter: In a Fats Waller video here (linked to specific time), a dancing man clasps his hands together and moves his leg almost as if it were lame.. I've seen this dance maneuver before somewhere, but can't place it.. does that particular move have a name? I have no background in dancing, and have no idea how I would even search for something visual like dance styles..

how to dance the night away to Pandora music

anadem — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 16:12:57 -0800

Please help me figure out Pandora music for a party we're having at Thanksgiving weekend. We're having a party in seven days, and I'm losing it over music. The plan is to use Pandora but I don't know how to get the music we need to get people dancing. There will be 40 or so people ages 18-68. The last time I did this was with vinyl 45's back in the '70s, but that showed me how much the music influences the party vibe. I think we probably need at least these kinds of music: gentle while people arrive and chat; music to get people dancing; music to keep the party going; slow-down music towards the end. Almost any genre from rock and roll to whatever can work, but only special songs fit each moment.

Sound will be from a laptop connected to a great Bose system, but what to feed it?

I've dipped a toe in Pandora but haven't found how to pin down styles, vibes and tempos. So I need advice please on two problems: what specific music for each period of the party; and how to get it in Pandora.