Floorcraft aka Defensive Floor Etiquette

[swing4life]

I'm sure you've all experienced this. You're dancing with your partner and then there is collision with someone else. Or you're watching other people dance and you notice that no one is payig attention to their surrounding and is constantly bumping or kicking or stepping on someone else. Makes you wonder about Floor Etiquette or Floorcraft. I want to know if its being taught in the classes you've been taking? And if they are, how and what is being taught?

[Chris Stratton]

Most group classes are figures and actually routine based, which sends the message that you must stick to your plan above consideration for anything else.

In travelling dances it actually goes further - pack enough couples into the room and the only way to avoid being hit is to move with the formation.

[swing4life]

Most group classes are figures and actually routine based, which sends the message that you must stick to your plan above consideration for anything else.

That's not dancing. That just going through the motions of what's taught in class. :x That's what frustrates me, that a person dancing should have the common sense to know when to deviate from set routine especailly when they're sharing the dance floor with other people. It's okay once and awhile and that person apologizes immediately after it happens but to repeat it again and again just to do the same pattern/routine to a tee, that's just doesn't make sense.

[Chris Stratton]

Just pointing out that convenient class formats not only don't teach floorcraft, but actually contribute to the problem.

[tsb]

depending on the type of swing you're referring to, the only floorcraft i can think for WCS is about lining up your slots so that they're all parallel. in ECS/lindy, the only thing i hear emphasized is about not doing aerials, or other potentially dangerous moves w/o sufficient space. in general swing dancers never learn anything about LOD so when a mix of dancers do certain songs the swing dancers usually block the outer ring of the floor where people who might be doing foxtrot or quickstep are trying to dance.

[Dancelf]

the only floorcraft i can think for WCS is about lining up your slots so that they're all parallel.

That's true of most westies - that they only thing they think of is lining up the slot. LOOK OUT! [wham] ow.

Even if you, and everybody else in your scene, never move the slot, it still changes length and width during most dances, as the floor becomes more or less congested.

At a minimum, you should have awareness of how large the slot is now, anticipation of how large it will be two beats from now, and the technique to deal with those occassions when those aren't the same.

'course, I learned country and western hockey before I learned westie - maybe my priorities are fouled.

[Vince A]

Yeeh, we've done some WCS (West Coast Slam) dancing too . . . actually had my R big toe broken by a Lindy dancer who landed on top of the top after being thrown into an aerial by her leader . . . if I could have stood up an dwalked, I would have broken his freakin' nose!

That's not a 'ding' against Lindy dancers, just against the a**hole who did an aerial on a floor that had, probably, over a thousand dancers on it!

So, yes, now I dance in the slot, and am very protective of my dance partner and myself. I never hesitate to reach for her if she is in danger of being bumped, hit, etc., and stop her in her tracks!

[Flat Shoes]

As Lindy dancer, I have not have many lesson about this. But it is mentioned now and then. And there has been the odd lesson were we all cramp together on a small part of the floor and dance.

All Lindy dancers should know that aerials are BAD, and have no place on a crowded dance floor. As a person who love aerials, I can absolutely understand the urge to do them when high on dancing, and sometimes I can't help myself either. :oops: But then you MUST know that you've got plenty of space.

(Sometimes I just to the lead/prep, but skips the actual jump.)

[tsb]

Yeeh, we've done some WCS (West Coast Slam) dancing too . . . actually had my R big toe broken by a Lindy dancer who landed on top of the top after being thrown into an aerial by her leader . . . if I could have stood up an dwalked, I would have broken his freakin' nose!

That's not a 'ding' against Lindy dancers, just against the a**hole who did an aerial on a floor that had, probably, over a thousand dancers on it!

So, yes, now I dance in the slot, and am very protective of my dance partner and myself. I never hesitate to reach for her if she is in danger of being bumped, hit, etc., and stop her in her tracks!

i do that a lot too. my WCS partners tell me that if my eyes usually get big when i suddenly shortarm them when the end of the slot that used to be there has been suddenly appropriated by someone else.

the problem is that it's the lead who's being an idiot but it's usually the followers who absorb the collision.

[Flat Shoes]

As a side note, one of the classes this weekend thought the follows have to stop and hijack the partner for a move. And some of the girls tried doing this on the social floor the same night... I think you all can guess how much they watched for space before they tried this move. :shock: :lol: :roll:

[jon]

So, yes, now I dance in the slot, and am very protective of my dance partner and myself. I never hesitate to reach for her if she is in danger of being bumped, hit, etc., and stop her in her tracks!

Leaders seem to be wandering out of their slots more these days, while not paying enough attention to people nearby. I've started to reach out one hand to their shoulder and gently push them away when they get too far into my slot, particularly if they're getting near my follower.

[Vince A]

. . . the problem is that it's the lead who's being an idiot but it's usually the followers who absorb the collision.
Amen to that tsb!!!

[Vince A]

Leaders seem to be wandering out of their slots more these days, while not paying enough attention to people nearby.
Very true, and I'm guilty of this . . . as some of the "newer" WCS moves have the lead dancinge in and out of the slot, sideways at times to the slot - like in a holding position - before leading ct1 and leading the follow forward. But I sure as heck watch out for those around me, and I won't practice this stuff if anyone is near me.

I've started to reach out one hand to their shoulder and gently push them away when they get too far into my slot, particularly if they're getting near my follower.
Exactly, and that is great practice for protecting our followers! It's nice to hear that you do this, and I pray that others "follow" your "lead" and practice this, so that no follower, or no other nearby dancer, will be injured.

Maybe our administrators can add this to "stuff for beginners," so they get it right now into practice.

[chachachacat]

So, yes, now I dance in the slot, and am very protective of my dance partner and myself. I never hesitate to reach for her if she is in danger of being bumped, hit, etc., and stop her in her tracks!
Now I feel safe dancing with a man who says this! Thank you, Vince!

[Vince A]

So, yes, now I dance in the slot, and am very protective of my dance partner and myself. I never hesitate to reach for her if she is in danger of being bumped, hit, etc., and stop her in her tracks!
Now I feel safe dancing with a man who says this! Thank you, Vince!
The "pleasure" is all mine. . .

[chachachacat]

I see, I say, I see that you have become A Big Chicken!!!!
Haaaaa! :lol:

[Sagitta]

So, yes, now I dance in the slot, and am very protective of my dance partner and myself. I never hesitate to reach for her if she is in danger of being bumped, hit, etc., and stop her in her tracks!
Now I feel safe dancing with a man who says this! Thank you, Vince!

I do this too. Any excuse to get close. :wink: :) :P

Seriously it tickles the fancy of many of those whom I dance with...that I put my hands out in a way that others get in contact with my hand before colliding with my partners so she don't feel a thing. :)

[Vince A]

While not trying to be rude, there has been several ocassions where the guy has backed up or nearly into my dance partner, and I've literally had to give a sharp hand/stop - no shove - to halt any further progress. And like any male with a bruised ego in front of a female . . . their chest comes out, their feathers spread, and they get huffy!

I just smile and say . . . hm-m-m-m, I can't say that here on the DF . . . sorry, you'll have to fill in the blanks yourself! Must be the old bar-bouncer days coming back to me???

G-d I love it!

[leftfeetnyc]

I think spiked sholder pads should be worn by all dancers every few months for the entire month. Inconsiderate dancers would learn to stay in their own space quickly.

[Vince A]

I think spiked sholder pads should be worn by all dancers every few months for the entire month. Inconsiderate dancers would learn to stay in their own space quickly.
. . . and carry aluminium baseball bats for those that can't say "sorry."

[leftfeetnyc]

Exactly!

If we're going to have to be defensive in order to not get hurt then we have to.

Of course, we could always stick the fools in a caged dance floor and have Xtreme Dance-Offs...last person standing wins, anything goes including eye gouging. If they all hurt each other enough they won't be able to get back on the normal dance floor.

[swing4life]

Exactly!

If we're going to have to be defensive in order to not get hurt then we have to.

Of course, we could always stick the fools in a caged dance floor and have Xtreme Dance-Offs...last person standing wins, anything goes including eye gouging. If they all hurt each other enough they won't be able to get back on the normal dance floor.

Does this includes the pros as well??

[leftfeetnyc]

Includes anyone with poor floorcraft and etiquette, pros included. Especially pros! They should know better!

[jon]

. . . and carry aluminium baseball bats for those that can't say "sorry."

Tonya Harding, call on line 6.

[swing4life]

Includes anyone with poor floorcraft and etiquette, pros included. Especially pros! They should know better!

You'd think so, right? From what I've observed - pros are probably use to having the whole dance floor to themselves and rarely needs to share much and if there are other pros around, sometimes they tend to try outperform each other. :wink: Of course doesn't apply to all of them.

[swing4life]

. . . and carry aluminium baseball bats for those that can't say "sorry."

Tonya Harding, call on line 6.

Tonya wanted to take out the competition, this time it's self defense! :twisted:

[Vince A]

swing4life,
Yep . . . you got it . . . nearly half of my etiq. battles was with "A Pro."
%#@(*&%^#

[swing4life]

swing4life,
Yep . . . you got it . . . nearly half of my etiq. battles was with "A Pro."
%#@(*&%^#

If it's with just one particular pro, then I would make sure I'm not dancing in the same vicinty of that person. Of course, you can convince a huge group of people to surround this pro and all give glaring looks when floor etiquette isn't being followed. :wink: If that doesn't work to get the idea across of correct Floorcraft. Then everone can get out the bats. :twisted:

Forget the battles, it's winning the war that counts. :rocker:

[Vince A]

Forget the battles, it's winning the war that counts. :rocker:
Whoa . . . someone that "thinks" like me. :twisted: How *******ing!!!!!!!!!

[kansas49er]

As I think of it, my instructor seems to not really go over this. Or perhaps my mind wanders. But I think not. Group lessons are taught in a circle, slots toward the center. If you are on a corner, you earn pretty quickly. I went one venue and people running slots different directions. What a nightmare. I view it as a primary responsibility to keep my partner safe. Sometimes, like in the above situation, it means getting off the floor completely and waiting till the next dance.

[Ms_Sunlight]

You all need to learn the dancefloor ninja moves I learned at punk clubs; the Blocking Elbow, the Surreptitious Yet Painful Nudge and the Deadly Dirty Look :D :D :D

[Sagitta]

I have no problem - trust me. When I see people who should know better, but they don't act it, they get a good does of crowding sagitta style until they give up dancing.

[leftfeetnyc]

Bushido of the dance floor.

Or how about Hammurabi's Code of the dance floor....they take your dance space, you take theirs.....try exadurated leg sweeps while they're doing attitude spins....

[swing4life]

Bushido of the dance floor.

Or how about Hammurabi's Code of the dance floor....they take your dance space, you take theirs.....try exadurated leg sweeps while they're doing attitude spins....

As long as when you sweep they go in a different direction when they go flying. Don't want your self defense backfire on you. :D