Northern soul is known for its unique and energetic dance moves. Most know of the back drops, spins and splits how many others are there and anyone know who first introduced some of the moves?

My guess is the artists themselves started it.

A lot of the sixties groups choreographed their dancing to coincide with the lyrics or breaks in the song.

I see a lot of those moves on the dancefloor, also certain tunes have the ability to impact at a certain time, and the body cracks into it, in time and sometimes by default.

Such is the grip of this style of music!

H

Check this Classic from as far back as 1959!!!!!!!!!

My link

At 00.27 in the footage, thats the break and the move that a lot of folk tried but only so many could pull it off in time in order to continue the flow to the beat!!!

H

Think you can go back a long way to see many of the moves now incorporated in the Northern Soul Scene.

These two are fantastic......

Being on the 40s & 50s Rockabilly scene, i do see a few moves that are quite close to some of the dance moves at the Soul clubs

Boppin a style from the 50s, has a few moves like Stomping, i have found that i can mix the two at a Soul night

I have a video of Josephine Baker from the 1920's, & in her show she was spinning & jumping into the splits.............another act from the 20s called The Dodge Twins combined Tap Dancing with spins & splits

Even Teddy Boys of the 50s were always including backdrops in there style of dancing

Lindy from the late 30s-40s include Charlston steps from the 20's....................so i think it would be hard to say where a certain style came from or who was the first to do it.................as dancing started way back.

But i do like to watch a good dancer of any era

Debbie x

Edited August 4, 201015 yr by parkash

Nice one Chalky!

And nice, refreshing topic also!

H

David Ruffin had all the moves. Watch Mr Cool at 2.34. Actually the rest of the Temps aren't bad either

Edited August 4, 201015 yr by Matt Male

I love to dance and to be on the dance floor when your right in the zone cant be beaten, i love watching people dance too and the best ones to watch aint always the "best dancers" just people lost in the music

I love to dance and to be on the dance floor when your right in the zone cant be beaten, i love watching people dance too and the best ones to watch aint always the "best dancers" just people lost in the music

I don`t say this very often Bearsy But I have to agree with you on that one if you got the passion to get up and have a go and lose yourself which i do round about 4 am at a niter good on ya Iv`e been boogying for over 30yrs never done a spin or backdrop in my life

Julie

Think you can go back a long way to see many of the moves now incorporated in the Northern Soul Scene.

These two are fantastic......

Just watched this while listening to Bari Track, fitted to a tea

My mate Paul Hamer from Ramsbottom sort of pogo's round the dancefloor, with so much soul you can see it in his face,fantastic

Me i'm still learning

some great moves in this well put together video, totally effortless some of the moves...

and some nice footwork here, knackering watching them

I don`t say this very often Bearsy But I have to agree with you on that one if you got the passion to get up and have a go and lose yourself which i do round about 4 am at a niter good on ya Iv`e been boogying for over 30yrs never done a spin or backdrop in my life

Julie

Julie,

Its when you look at the play list when they post them on here,and you think yes last night I danced to that, and that, bloody hell and that, and so on.

Thats why the time flew by

been there many a time.

Kev.

Edited August 4, 201015 yr by good angel

Check out the synchronised splits here - just after 1:50.

Plus I'm sure some of Jackie Wilson's stage antics found their way through to NS.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9DYylC6WGk

MB

Edited August 4, 201015 yr by MBarrett

When I see old clips of James Brown it reminds me of us sliding around the floor... my moves have changes so much over the years... I think I've found a groove that's all my own now and not that which I thought should be. In the beginning it was a bit of a 'fashion' thing, now it's a definite 'groove' thing

Edited August 4, 201015 yr by TheSoulgirl

Check out the synchronised splits here - just after 1:50.

Plus I'm sure some of Jackie Wilson's stage antics found their way through to NS.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9DYylC6WGk

MB

Fantastic! I love it

Most of the artists' dance moves were highly choreographed and pretty tame in comparison with the moves which evolved on the dance floor. The Nicholas brothers were truly breathtaking dancers with their own sense of style adapted from tap, long before northern soul.

What about leg grinds any one know where these come from?

and some nice footwork here, knackering watching them

That black guy was soooo effortless in comparison to the white guy.

When I see old clips of James Brown it reminds me of us sliding around the floor... my moves have changes so much over the years... I think I've found a groove that's all my own now and not that which I thought should be. In the beginning it was a bit of a 'fashion' thing, now it's a definite 'groove' thing

I thought it was the dancers at the Twisted Wheel copying the American soul artists that visited.Keb Darge reckons that karate moves influenced the dancing in the mid seventies.What was the dancing like at the Torch and when did swallow dives into splits etc arrive.Ive also heard that the dancing at the mecca was a lot different...probably due to the funkier sounds.Whatever happened to the mecca shuffle........usually done to Time by Edwin Starr.I know a couple of kids that are being taught by Mr Sadot on here for the other (credible?) northern soul film.

Edited August 4, 201015 yr by wiggyflat

Julie,

Its when you look at the play list when they post them on here,and you think yes last night I danced to that, and that, bloody hell and that, and so on.

Thats why the time flew by

been there many a time.

Kev.

HAPPY DAYS KEV HAPPY DAYS

Northern soul is known for its unique and energetic dance moves. Most know of the back drops, spins and splits how many others are there and anyone know who first introduced some of the moves?

Check out the Nicholas brothers on you tube. Fantastic dancing brothers from black America in the 30's and 40's. Now they could dance. Would love to have em back to dance to something like ' You just don't know '. There are a lot of northern style moves in there even back in them day's. Imagine having them at Wigan in 1974 ???

You aint seen nothing like this, including a very young Tommy Hunt. From about 1958/9.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6S__6GAOn4

You aint seen nothing like this, including a very young Tommy Hunt. From about 1958/9.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6S__6GAOn4

Brilliant!

Imagine a Flamingos v Contours dance off!!

MB

Here's ML throwing some shuffling in

https://www.youtube.c...h?v=xMRLrf4pNn4

Here's ML throwing some shuffling in

https://www.youtube.c...h?v=xMRLrf4pNn4

he could sing, he could dance and fuck could he perform live

watch these two guys...FANTASTIC

After 35yrs of dancing I thought I'd be better than I am!

Best

Kev

Check out the Nicholas brothers on you tube. Fantastic dancing brothers from black America in the 30's and 40's. Now they could dance. Would love to have em back to dance to something like ' You just don't know '. There are a lot of northern style moves in there even back in them day's. Imagine having them at Wigan in 1974 ???

I posted a clip of them, post 5

Shag anyone

Here's ML throwing some shuffling in

https://www.youtube.c...h?v=xMRLrf4pNn4

Fandaby

My all time favorite dance..................Lindy

Im trying to teach poor Ian my partner at the moment

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTg5V2oA_hY&feature=related

Debbie x

Edited August 5, 201015 yr by parkash

Being an old Rockabilly Girl.........................you can't beat a bit of this

Debbie x

anybody know who was actually responsible for the sych'd clips on youtube of the contours record played over the nicholas brothers film and the same brothers with run for cover - they were absolutely fantastic and i could watch em over and over. wonder why the genius responsible stopped? i know a couple of others exist but surely theres scope for more?

My all time favorite dance..................Lindy

Im trying to teach poor Ian my partner at the moment

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTg5V2oA_hY&feature=related

Debbie x

That looks like lots of fun and the rock a billy! It would be very strange dancing with a partner, not sure I would trust any man enough to throw me about like that...and certainly not my other half.

David Ruffin had all the moves. Watch Mr Cool at 2.34. Actually the rest of the Temps aren't bad either

Brillant watched a movie on Sky recently think it was made with ref to Otis Williams autobiography made David Ruffin out to be a twat no doubt he had his problems but what a legend love the claps on this just quality soul

Edited August 6, 201015 yr by fifesoul

Here's ML throwing some shuffling in

https://www.youtube.c...h?v=xMRLrf4pNn4

Relax,and watch him work......

nice one chalky but this does it for me

what about earl tuckers performance from 1935 ... legend

Im sure our Mr Cato busted a few of them moves in function at the junction

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ey-3Uba62E8