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AllanAJ
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Re: WCS - keeping the faith
There are no basic steps, it lacks formal footwork, and is basically step-step-step to a strong beat. People can improvise & add their own triples, half-time stepping etc. It is more concerned with intricate upper body movements, wraps, turns, complex arm positions.
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23/Jul/2007, 2:31 pm
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cerocaddict
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Re: WCS - keeping the faith
Interesting summation!
There is some footwork taught.
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24/Jul/2007, 11:22 am
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albanaich1
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Re: WCS - keeping the faith
In reply to dumaget Modern Jive, or French Jive (marketed under the name C'est Roc and Le Rock) are derivatives of East Coast Swing, and American Swing of the 1940's.
It lacks formal footwork and as the previous poster states is mainly concerned with intricate upper body movements.
In the context of the history of WCS in the UK, Modern Jive has in instrumental in reviving 'partner dance' as a social activity in the UK. It had more or less died out in the 1970's 1980's - no one actually knew how to dance with a partner.. . .
It's simple, easy to learn at the beginner stage and provides the confidence for people to move onto other things.
I suspect its closer to the swing of the 1940's dance hall than people would like to admit, (where it is reported by muscians of the big band era, fewer than 20% of dancers could dance in time to music.)
Most people doing WCS in the UK have 'graduated' from Modern Jive, which has little footwork technique.
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25/Jul/2007, 2:52 pm
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Corporal Whip
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Re: WCS - keeping the faith
it was an intersting digression from the thread but its about the consensus of opinion as to where wcs is heading.
Thanks.
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28/Jul/2007, 6:02 pm
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Corporal Whip
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Re: WCS - keeping the faith
quote:
dumaget wrote:
I'd never even heard of "ceroc" before this forum. I've never seen it danced over here in our city. I've looked at some youtube clips of it and I have to admit that I really don't "get it"! It looks like people are having fun with it.....but I'm not sure that it could be even remotely compared to a dance like WCS.
It looks like some sort of mishmash of a lot of different dances. Which may be what appeals to people...you can throw pretty much whatever you want into the mix.
Mind you, you do see a lot of different dance styles appearing in WCS. When you see top country dancers dancing WCS....you can see the "countryfication" of the dance happening. Some people like to mix tango into it. But you still see some fairly consistent basics.
I don't know, educate me....what are the basic steps of "ceroc"?
Thanks ther are some very good web sites for modern jive including 'Ceroc' (registered trade mark).
It would be helpful for you to look there if you wish to progress this question.
The focus on this discussion site is purely for the enhancement, encouragement, development & technical debate on WCS in the UK.
Can this be re-directed to subject matter related to the thread please?
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28/Jul/2007, 6:13 pm
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dumaget
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Re: WCS - keeping the faith
Thanks for the helpful answers, guys! Well, all but the last two...heh heh....
In keeping with the original point of the thread, here's my opinion about where WCS is headed (anywhere). It's an evolving dance, so it will always be evolving....how's that!
We have the same sort of problems over here. WCS is still viewed by the majority of social dancers as the most difficult dance within the ballroom/country community. Nobody wants to put in the amount of time and practice necessary to get to that level where it really looks and feels good.
Most dance instructors and studios are all about the money. They don't really care two hoots about which dance is popular....just which dance is populating their events and making them money.
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28/Jul/2007, 10:46 pm
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albanaich1
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Re: WCS - keeping the faith
Which is not to say Modern Jive does not have its value - its an easy, unintimidating way to get into dance.
If, like me, you end up asking yourself - there's got to be more to it than this, then you'll end up in the WCS community.
It's true to say though that the WCS community in the UK only exists because Modern Jive re-created partner dance.
Let's not knock Modern Jive - it is what it is - social dancing. Those who have any interest in dance will soon realise it's limitations and move onto something else, hopefully WCS.
And hey, the beginners class at Modern Jive is a real trip, where else do you meet complete 'virgin' dancers. Some are useless, but when you encounter one that has it altogether without ever having danced - that's the best.
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29/Jul/2007, 12:08 am
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angelblue
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Re: WCS - keeping the faith
HHHmmmm,
Im concerned about your comment that wcs would not exist if it wasnt for mj re-creating partner dance.
Do you know that wcs has been danced in the country scene for going on 10 years?
I was dancing wcs in 1998/9 way way before the huge mj scene took off.I stopped dancing for 8 years and then voila wcs is still here.
Yes it is popular in the mj scene now but lets not forget the country scene is what bought the dance over here in the first place.
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29/Jul/2007, 12:45 am
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albanaich1
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Re: WCS - keeping the faith
And so has the Tango, the Quickstep and the Foxtrot.
If you are into dance there are lots of available avenues. . .
The whole thing about Modern Jive was that it introduced, and continues to introduce people who have had no contact with dance with dancing.
I have to say, personally that is the most fun thing about Ceroc for me. It's just such a delight to have a 'virgin' dancer in your arms, especially if they have lots of natural talent.
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29/Jul/2007, 1:04 am
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davidab
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Re: WCS - keeping the faith
quote:
angelblue wrote:
lets not forget the country scene is what bought the dance over here in the first place.
???
The first time I saw WCS in the UK was in 1987 at Imperial College Dance Club in London, courtesy of a visiting US student called Jason Wu. Quite a few people learned WCS, Hustle and NC2S from him. At the time you could also get lessons from Glenn Wright (who incidentally was also teaching Argentine Tango back then.)
Corky Ballas would also teach WCS if you managed to get a lesson from him. (He was one of the top 3 in the world at Latin American, so was very much in demand.) Michael Chapman - at the time the World Exhibition Dance champion - could also teach WCS.
Ryan Francois and Sing Lim were taking part in the US Open in 1992, and several people got copies of the video. (That was an important video for social dancing in the UK - it was the first exposure a lot of us had to musicality.)
I think Robert Cordoba first came over in March 1998 to teach WCS, and Fred & Becky started the first regular WCS night in April of the same year. I can remember both Roger Chin and Nigel Anderson being there on the first night.
So when did WCS start in the C&W world?.
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29/Jul/2007, 8:01 pm
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