....'glides from side to side' and 'predict almost every beat and soul clap' (1982, 38). The predominant 'glide' style is achieved through some core characteristics of posture and movement: rigid upper torso, eyes up and looking forward; weight back and pushing down through the hips on to the heels; moving mostly with feet, with fairly straight legs, to propel oneself across the floor (almost always sideways); arms and hands tend to follow the shifting weight of the dancer, or push against it for expressive counter-point. It is this core competency that signals you as an insider, and not a dance tourist. Many - and at an increasing number of Northern nights, most - dancers limit their dance to these core postures and movements. There are some who do not adopt this predominant style, and I will return to them later in this section.

https://wallofsound.wordpress.com/2007/12/20/dancing-northern-soul-style/

Now I understand, why my "Northern Soul" dancing looks like crap. I will work on my core movement :-)

Take care

YouYou

I KNEW I WAS DOING IT WRONG, JUST COULD NEVER FIGURE OUT WHAT IT WAS..... THANKS

....'glides from side to side' and 'predict almost every beat and soul clap' (1982, 38). The predominant 'glide' style is achieved through some core characteristics of posture and movement: rigid upper torso, eyes up and looking forward; weight back and pushing down through the hips on to the heels; moving mostly with feet, with fairly straight legs, to propel oneself across the floor (almost always sideways); arms and hands tend to follow the shifting weight of the dancer, or push against it for expressive counter-point. It is this core competency that signals you as an insider, and not a dance tourist. Many - and at an increasing number of Northern nights, most - dancers limit their dance to these core postures and movements. There are some who do not adopt this predominant style, and I will return to them later in this section.

https://wallofsound.w...ern-soul-style/

Now I understand, why my "Northern Soul" dancing looks like crap. I will work on my core movement :-)

Take care

YouYou

See, I am an artist.

Not a spaced out hedonist full of drink n drugs !

I am an artist !

And if you believe this shit - you are as mad as a 40 ton truck !

See, I am an artist.

Not a spaced out hedonist full of drink n drugs !

I am an artist !

And if you believe this shit - you are as mad as a 40 ton truck !

"There are some who do not adopt this predominant style, and I will return to them later in this section."

I think she is on about me at prestatyn when I went for a spin, fell backwards then crashed on to a table and passed out causing about 150 quids worth of broken drinks and of course the table !!

fook art ............. lets have it ! LOL

Edited February 10, 201015 yr by mossy

If you read the whole article it's actually quite good. He's not taking the piss and has tried to analyse, in a technical sense of dance, the way dancers dance. Certainly I couldn't have written something so good. I enjoyed reading it, and will go back and read some of the other things he has written on Northern.

i really enjoyed reading the full essay too Dave .

a good discription and i think it described just how unique northern soul dancing is compared to other types of dance , and i liked the way he used a song as an example and took us through it step by step . im learning al the time and it made me want to practice and dance better . iv done the crashin into tables too. flippin terrible me but i just so much love dancing to northern soul, its got to be the best dance music ever . a good read ,thanks for the link

Edited February 10, 201015 yr by becchio

Just added a few up dates to the web site Dancing, Northern Soul Style

I Think the writer missed a point at the end (Tim) states that ("however, they cannot explain the distinctiveness of why we dance to these records in this way"). We have differing Genres within One title Northern soul, Soul, Funk, Popcorn, RnB, 60's, Ballads, Crossover, Sal Soul, Jazz, Motown & some dare I say Disco which then form into Stompers, Floaters, Mod RnB steps & the Motown side to side kick that can be intermingled with any of the above, but an accomplished dancer can intermingle all of these dance forms across all of these genres. As the author says dance is about enjoying yourself & what thrills me more than a specific dancer (all though there are some good individual dancers out there) is the full throng of a heaving dance floor, heads bobbing up & down in unison. For me this has to be the defining moment for any DJ when they realise that the room or their audience is now completely as one when dancing to his or her musical show.

Mines a slight variation of the birdie song dance...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeswZaReE0I

...invariably i get laughed off the dancefloor.

.

Edited February 10, 201015 yr by bobby's girl

If you read the whole article it's actually quite good. He's not taking the piss and has tried to analyse, in a technical sense of dance, the way dancers dance. Certainly I couldn't have written something so good. I enjoyed reading it, and will go back and read some of the other things he has written on Northern.

Totally agree with you Dave. Very well written article even if the analysis of the style of dancing is a little on the scientific side.

An instructional video from ol' Twinkletoes himself...

so thats glide kick glide dip slide turn bend...

...and there goes me ankle n there goes me arse

If you read the whole article it's actually quite good. He's not taking the piss and has tried to analyse, in a technical sense of dance, the way dancers dance. Certainly I couldn't have written something so good. I enjoyed reading it, and will go back and read some of the other things he has written on Northern.

Your right Dave - I should of read the whole article - it is very well written.

I have never given much thought myself about dancing, Its just somthing I just get up and do.

I would not been able to express my feelings in an article like that so respect to the writer.

And I see all types of dance can be viewed as an art form by many.

I am not that cultured dancing is somthing I do on a night out to have fun !!!

Like Dave, thought this was really quite good, with perceptive remarks both about the dance moves and the sharing of space on the dance floor. Strip away the "sociologese", and he's got some interesting things to say......

....which makes it such a shame that he has to take us through Out On The Friggin' Floor

The following says it all !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Classic example of how analysis and 2000 words can kill something natural and joyful stone dead !

Days

BY PHILIP LARKIN

What are days for?

Days are where we live.

They come, they wake us

Time and time over.

They are to be happy in:

Where can we live but days?

Ah, solving that question

Brings the priest and the doctor

In their long coats

Running over the fields.

And I'm just as bad !!!

Yes "analysis of words ". Words hmmm and dont forget numbers ! Words and numbers written in catalogues and on multicoloured paper labels that are stuck on strange antique black discs made of . . . . .Ok ok sorry sorry SORRY. il get mi coat . Lol.

Your right Dave - I should of read the whole article - it is very well written.

I have never given much thought myself about dancing, Its just somthing I just get up and do.

I would not been able to express my feelings in an article like that so respect to the writer.

And I see all types of dance can be viewed as an art form by many.

I am not that cultured dancing is somthing I do on a night out to have fun !!!

MY SENTIMENTS EXACTLY.........

I agree webby it is "gliding from side to side" and thats why i like its the essays simple discription of dance and dance only and he describes it well.

I like it because it ISNT about culture/art, its just describing a dance. It dosnt refer to owt else

Edited February 11, 201015 yr by becchio

I agree webby it is "gliding from side to side" and thats why i like its simple discription of dance and dance only and he describes it well. I like it because it isnt about culture/art its just discriptive of a dance. It dosnt refer to owt else

I WISH SOMEONE WOULD SHOW ME HOW TO GLIDE ................... I DO KNOW WHAT YOU MEAN THOUGH..........

I WISH SOMEONE WOULD SHOW ME HOW TO GLIDE ................... I DO KNOW WHAT YOU MEAN THOUGH..........

TELL YA WHAT, THAT KEB DARGE COULD DANCE A BIT EH !!!!!!! THAT WASNT GLIDING FROM SIDE TO SIDE

TELL YA WHAT, THAT KEB DARGE COULD DANCE A BIT EH !!!!!!! THAT WASNT GLIDING FROM SIDE TO SIDE

LEAGUE OF HIS OWN JIM

You put your left leg in your left leg out in out in out you shake it all about

Anything that we dont analyse ?

We dance thats it I have more dancing days behind me now than in front of me dont need a synopsis on it

THINK IT PRETTY MUCH SUMS IT UP REALLY.

THERE IS A 'STANDARD' WAY TO DANCE TO 'NORTHERN SOUL'.

YOU JUST HAVE TO LOOK AND IT'S THERE. A FEW MORE VARIATIONS THESE DAYS, BUT THE BASICS ARE STILL THERE,

WAIT FOR THE BREAK AND LET RIP.

Edited February 11, 201015 yr by The Joker