(Short Dance Read) “Wrong-Style”

Info in PS, a class dance clip in PPS

Hello Dancers,

Hope you’re whistling while you work….. .

It’s been brought to my attention that there is a controversial dancer / blogger out there who calls some teachers out as Dancing “Wrong.” Sometimes even confronts them in person!!

Yesterday I danced at the Swing Party at Hall of the Above. Someone asked me to dance and she was completely off beat, and did eclectic movements.

I tried to stay on beat, but it was too difficult, so I just danced on her off-timing and I imitated her eclectic movements.

I thought as I was dancing with her, “If someone saw this, they could say I am dancing wrong.”

Allow me to cite 2 other examples: Once about 20 years ago a group came to Allegro, it was a birthday party.

I danced with the birthday girl. I tried every kind of Salsa step you can imagine, nothing worked. Then I tried something “wrong,” I tried just marching 1,2,1,2 (Left-Right-Left-Right).

When I did that halfway through the song she relaxed, exhaled and smiled, and the rest of the dance went great.

If someone saw that they might say, “that’s not how you dance Salsa.”

Or the time 25 years ago when I was dancing at Roccapulco with a Latina who danced naturally. I was imitating what some would call her “Cumbia Style.”

My friend Ernesto was standing next to a group of Dancers/ Teachers talking Shit about me. When I finished the dance Ernesto said, “Garry! Those guys were talking shit about you, they were saying, ‘look at Garry, he can’t even stay in the slot.”

Hello!! why would I try and stay in the Slot with someone, when I know the dance will be more mutually enjoyable if I shape it circular, not linear!

I often talk about this Life-changing dance book I read when I was 23 years old. One thing it said for young dancers is, “Be careful of labeling yourself styles, it may be harder to break out of those labels. You may box yourself into one thing.”

I used to call my style Freestyle. Calling it Freestyle was my way of saying, “I will do whatever I want. I am not trying to pass purity tests. I make up my own paradigms.”

I was having wine with my mom telling her about the guy who confronts people who dance wrong and I said, “You know what would be funny Mom? If I called my style “Wrong-Style.”

And then if that guy ever confronts me and says I am dancing wrong and I can actually pull out a business card and say, “Yes, Hello, I know, that’s the name of my style.”

Image courtesy of ChatGPT

Cheers,

Happy Dancing,

Garry

PS In August I continue my weekly Petaluma Class on Monday nights.

I have 2 Workshops,

Saturday August 16th at Footloose in Rohnert Park

And Saturday August 30th Rhythm Challenge at Allegro.

Mark your calendar 📅

PPS Look, here I am demonstrating one of my 7 Shaping Situational Drills. This one is dancing in tight spaces. Should I still try to dance in a slot and risk spilling the tough guys beer?!?!