Calypso

[Spitfire]

This is a musical form that I think originates in the Carribean, but isn't this also a dance?

Is this related to limbo?

[pygmalion]

This link doesn't directly answer your questions, spitfire, but it's on the road in the right direction.

http://www.streetswing.com/histmain/z3calypo.htm

Do we have any Trinidadians (or others) here with calypso knowledge?

[pygmalion]

Another link here which references both a calypso street dance and a calyso ballroom dance, which is supposed to be similar to rumba.

http://www.globetrekkertv.co.uk/destination_guide/central_america_and_caribbean/jamaica/calypso.php

[Spitfire]

This link doesn't directly answer your questions, spitfire, but it's on the road in the right direction.

Thanks Jenn,

It does mention a dance; tailored after Rumba and Samba. Now I'm more curious.

[d nice]

My mother does a dance they called Calypso, a definite street dance... it is sort of a swinging cha-cha... hard to describe really... kind of mambo-esque.

I can do it, but I'm not very good.

[Pacion]

I grew up in Trinidad but have not live there for many years. The calypso I know ... sorry, but I don't quite recognize it from your descriptions, that is not to you are not correct. :?

Calypso, from a local's perspective is a music form, which utilizes the steelpan/steelband. The steelpans are circular drums which historically stored crude oil in them. Then someone had the idea of "tempering the steel" with a combination of hot water and oil (I think) and effectively beating out the notes in the pans to create the various notes/pitches. This has grown into what we have today ie. a whole band/orchestra consisting of just these pans.

Calypso as a dance form, to a local, does not exist. There are no set patterns/movements other than "wining" pronounced "wine_ing". It is a very erotic, free movement, primarily involving the hips and knees and "shaking the hips" - kind of like what you see on some of the RnB videos today. There is also a movement called "chip chip" or "chipping" which is as if you are walking very flat footed in time to the music coupled with the hips and knees moving in a very exaggerated "wining" or gyrating way.

There is a more "sedated" way of dancing to calypso music as a couple. I would describe it as being similiar to the merengue, either with the same two beats or there is another version you can do with two steps (half beats?) on each side. A lot of the movement can be done in the closed hold and the emphasis is on "sedate" therefore less hip/knee action, particularly if dancing with someone else's husband/wife :!: Couples without those considerations can get as sensuous as they want.

I found the following article which IMO gives a very good description from a "local" perspective, by someone who visit Trinidad. http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=cache:0ELrrX3BWhEJ:travel.americanexpress .com/travel/personal/resources/planning/features/leisure/98.asp+%22dance+calypso%22&hl=en&ie=UTF-8

[SDsalsaguy]

Wow! Great information Pacion, thanks! :D

[Pacion]

Which part did you like best? The description re the music or the "erotic" aspect :wink: :lol:

[SDsalsaguy]

Oh boy... you're really going to fit right in around here! :lol:

[pygmalion]

Thanks for the info Pacion. I'm starting to see that pattern a lot of places. A native music form and its dance exported to a foreign country, then misinterpreted forever more. :oops: :wink: :)

[Spitfire]

Good article Pacion, thanks. It also answers my question about limbo. :D

And Welcome to the forums. :D

[Pacion]

Thanks Pygmalion and Spitfire.

Although, I wouldn't call it "misintrepeted" :wink: just redefined for the new culture/environment :D

In trying to find a useful article to illustrate what I was saying, I came across a couple of articles (but didn't save the link :oops: ) where people were involved in either a show or a dance company and did dance performances that they called "Calypso dance". One was in NY I think, a few years ago. Someone unfamiliar with it would then assume that there was a set/specific "calypso dance". But, it is just the way of moving the body, with particular emphasis on the hips.

With respect to "wining", it is a natural or instinctive body movement which we just do :!: Not sure if we pick it up in the breast milk :lol: But, other people find it difficult to do it - whether it is the coordination/rhythm/lack of inhibitions?

I can see why it is that someone trying to have a class in "wining", they might want to call it "calypso dancing" but it does sound and look a lot nice than just "wining" :wink:

Incidentally, my parents would say that dancing to calypso in the "wining" sense was not what "good girls did" due to the sheer eroticism of it. :lol: The thing is, when it is part of your everyday life, it is hard to close your eyes to it.

Spitfire, what sparked your interest incidentally?

(PS. It is carnival time just now in Trinidad, with the "official" start being last Sunday and today is the final day. Tomorrow, is an "unofficial" holiday because so many people take part and are completely exhausted as a result of all the dancing (aka "jumping up" which is literally jumping up and down in the air to the music, the wining and chip chipping) and of course, there is the drinking :lol:

[Spitfire]

Spitfire, what sparked your interest incidentally?

I think that I had seen something on calypso in a book on ballroom dancing that I found in the library when I first started out in dancing over 20 years ago and I had just thought of that right before I made this post. However, I've never seen or heard it mentioned or featured in any of the programs at the studios here. This is why I was curious.

So what are your major dance interests?

[Pacion]

So what are your major dance interests?

At this stage in my life, salsa. But I have dabbled in a few things (ballroom, latin, square dancing :banana: :lol: .)

When I was younger, I did a two week dance camp kind of thing where we had classes in different styles of dancing including indian and tai chi was taught and performed to music. It was not until much later that I realised that it was a form of mediation :oops:.

Hopefully do some more "dabbling" over the next few months :lol: