070126 Wrestling

"Personally I'm always ready to learn, although I do not always
like being taught"
~ Sir Winston Churchill

"There is a name for that and it is not dancing. It is wrestling."
~ Billy Fajardo, World Champion Dancer

Article: Wrestling

Last night I went to a Hustle dance class taught by Katie Marlow
and Billy Fajardo, two of the world's best dancers (www.billyandkatie.com).
Billy should, and does, teach people competing for the world championship,
but this class is mainly young retirees looking for a good time.
Billy's teaching style is like that of a drill sargeant. This class
is filled with 60ish men and women that are happy just to be on the
dance floor. It is quite funny to see Billy drilling as if they
were aspriring professionals. Every word out of this guy's
mouth is a gem, as is every movement art in motion.

At one point he barks at them, "People there is a name for what is
going on here and it is not dancing. It is called wrestling.
Men, do not help the women turn. The women must learn to get
around on their own. At the end of the turn, the men are flexing
to hold the women up and help them keep their balance. I see people
at the end of their extensions yanking the other person back.
This is not dancing people. This puts a strain on everyone.
Every person must learn to dance on their own and maintain their
own balance."

Last weekend I went to SoFlex a Lindy Exchange in South Florida.
There were 300 dancers from around the country. There is no teaching
at an exchange, just Swing dancing from 8 pm to 5 am, for three nights.

There are few beginners. Everyone knows how to dance.
A lot of people are very good dancers and some national champions.
I am not too good, but I can get around the dance floor without
hurting anybody and see to it that my partner has a fun time.

Every dance you do with someone different and most of the people
you have not danced with before. Every dance is improvised.
People have learned from different teachers and are used to
different styles from their communities. The point being, that
people do not know what is coming from one step to the next.

Yet, without pre-arranged choreography or familiarity with another
person's style, dancing with most people is fun and easy.

by Andrew Weitzen, January 26, 2007