Dancing in clubs. Degrading or not

[lola2006]

I go to clubs every now and then and still can't fully appreciate the art of "club dancing" even though I'm capable. Do people use it as an excuse if they don't know how to dance because that's what it seems like. To a point I find it a little degrading, especially grinding. Although we know there's lots of sexual moves in ballroom. Is anyone else on the same page? :raisebro:

 

[Peaches]

Eh, I'm not much of a club-goer...definitely not now, but went occasionally when younger.

I think club dancing can be a form of dancing in and of itself that I can respect. Some people can look damn good doing it. Is it my thing? No. Do I think it can hold a candle to ballroom or AT. No...but then I'm biased. But, I can sit there and admire the body isolations, the expression of the music, and envy the lack of inhibition which allows them to do it.

Grinding...I'm mixed on it. Never done it myself. My knee-jerk reaction is to say I think it's degrading. It concerns me when done by younger (aka, high-school and younger) kids, because I worry that they haven't developed a strong sense of self and self-respect--both they guys and the girls. But, hey, consenting adults...whatever...so long as it's not hurting anyone I don't give a fig. It's just dancing.

Besides, as you pointed out, there are plenty of sexual (or sexualized) moves in ballroom. Plenty of things that "we" do will raise eyebrows of non-dancer. Not to mention AT--when people see that a lot of people think it's sexual and degrading. (Or maybe just a lot of people that I know.) And nothing could be further from the truth.

 

[lola2006]

Latin dancing seems really degrading to old people..especially the grandmas. I mean what would they say if they saw me all over my partner in my blue ...well cloth (pic <----) like dress???
I think club dancing is a form of hip hop but i'm not sure???

 

[ssjss]

Salsa and AT among other dances started from the street. At one time they where looked upon as degrading. But as far as club styles, there are some styles that take skill and a little muscle indurance. I'm not talking about the drunken grind grind style that comes to mind , but Dance Hall fore instance or Merengue (dominican style not ballroom). You know what? I have no idea where I was going with this. What was the question again?

 

[Laura]

Club dancing in part follows whatever is in the mainstream pop music culture of the time. Right now I also think a lot of it is based on hip hop dancing, because of the rise of hip-hop related music in the pop world. Back in the 80's, people danced differently, and the music was different (anyone remember "gatoring" to "Rock Lobster"???).

I don't know that "old people" find Latin "degrading." The first question is what is "old"? A good number of youths assume that older people are naturally prissier than themselves, but the truth is that the oldsters were young once, and nowadays some of us were young in the 60's (lots of hedonism) and 70's (disco and sex everywhere). So, seeing people dance around in skimpy costumes with lots of fake tan and waxed chests comes across to some older people as more "cheezy" than "degrading." I guess if someone came of age in the very conservative 50's, and never let go of that despite the revolutions in society in the 60's and 70's, then that sort of person might think Latin is degrading.

And of course, there are super conservative people of all ages that would go with the "degrading" reaction. Heck, there are some Christian religious sects that forbid dancing, and of course there was that "Footloose" movie in the 80's about the kids in Kansas or Iowa or some other flat grain-producing state who were not allowed to dance in their county.

The only time I really see a negative reaction from people in the general public about competitive Latin dancing is when the really young kids (like, younger than teenagers), especially the girls, dress up like they are 24 years old. People get weirded out about pre-pubescent kids dressing and acting out adult sexuality. There's a real issue with that surrounding kids in the "pagent" circuit, particularly a few years ago when this one 6-year-old-pagent queen was killed in Colorado. So adults in this country are sensitive to things like that when it comes to little kids.

 

[ssjss]

Salsa and AT among other dances started from the street. At one time they where looked upon as degrading. But as far as club styles, there are some styles that take skill and a little muscle indurance. I'm not talking about the drunken grind grind style that comes to mind , but Dance Hall fore instance or Merengue (dominican style not ballroom). You know what? I have no idea where I was going with this. What was the question again?

Sorry about that back on track now. You got to think about where you're are at. A club is a place where some people go to relax, unwined, and just hang out with friends. Most poeple there never tried to define their passsion towards dancing, nor do they want someone grading them. They just want to get lost for awhile and have fun.

 

[Shooshoo]

Back in the 80's, people danced differently, and the music was different (anyone remember "gatoring" to "Rock Lobster"???).

:shock: ...I remember 'Rock Lobster" :cry:


Yes, for me grinding is degrading, but this because I see that it stimulates you sexually and I believe that this should be a private matter.

But dancing (and other things, e.g. fashion) has evolved and developed through time so it's quite difficult to have an opinion on the issue... Sometimes I wonder how far it will go?

 

[delamusica]

I love club dancing, be it grinding or otherwise! It's all of the release and musical self-immersion of ballroom with none of the thinking and worrying about technique and concentrating on being "right." Lots of body isolations, pure rhythmic movements, dim lights and crowded bodies . . . clubs are awesome! Sure ballroom takes talent, but it will never, ever reach the level of primal, natural expression of the human body that you see in people releasing their inhibitions in a club.

As with most things, I only find grinding and such to be degrading when it is unwelcome. If I step away from someone who's grinding up on me and they persist in trying to grind, then that's degrading. But if everyone who's involved is having fun, then not at all.

I consider degredation to be in the eye of the . . . degraded, if that makes sense. For example, most people consider strip clubs to be degrading to women. But if a woman really loves strip dancing, enjoys expressing her sexuality in that way, and legitimately wants to be there, then how is that degrading to her? We may not understand it, but it is a legitimate form of self-espression for the willing. If a woman is stripping because she feels in some way pressured into it and it makes her feel badly about herself, then that's a degrading situation for her.

Same applies to grinding/club dancing/whatever you want to call it.

 

[amrimi]

Grinding...I'm mixed on it. Never done it myself. My knee-jerk reaction is to say I think it's degrading. It concerns me when done by younger (aka, high-school and younger) kids, because I worry that they haven't developed a strong sense of self and self-respect--both they guys and the girls.

But it might also just be a safe way to start experiment with their new found sexuality. I know it was for me because especially in a club atmosphere it is pretty safe to experiment without having to go all the way.

I have a book with some background info about the movie Dirty Dancing. There they somewhere say that the older people at the time frowned upon that kind of dancing because they considered it as a prelude to sex, but that the exact opposite was true that the kids were doing that kind of dancing instead of sex. Don't know if that is true because that was before my time but it is definitly how I was feeling about it as a teenager.

 

[Backstreet]

Latin dancing seems really degrading to old people..especially the grandmas. I mean what would they say if they saw me all over my partner in my blue ...well cloth (pic <----) like dress???
I think club dancing is a form of hip hop but i'm not sure???

Personally, I wouldn't call most club dancing a form of hiphop. Is it dancing to hiphop? Yes. Is it hiphop? For the most part, no.

To me, hiphop revolves around things like Popping, Tutting, Breaking, Waving, Botting, Locking, Gliding, and other funk styles.

 

[Spitfire]

My first experience with dancing was club dancing; to rock and roll in the clubs with very loud live bands. It was fun, but gave way once I got started in ballroom and swing.

If I'm not mistaken I believe the forms we know in ballroom originated in the streets, but I could be wrong.

 

[Peaches]

But it might also just be a safe way to start experiment with their new found sexuality. I know it was for me because especially in a club atmosphere it is pretty safe to experiment without having to go all the way.

Hmmm...never thought about it that way. I can see the point, though.

I'd just hate to think of a situation where they guy or the girl is uncomfortable with it, but doesn't have the self-confidence to do something about it. Or someone who doesn't have the self-respect to be able to draw the line in the first place.

But that's definitely and interesting point...

 

[SPratt74]

I wish I had my old dance partner named Jeff. We would go out to the clubs and we would get the places rocking. Mostly we did what I like to call dirty dancing and not grinding lol, because we didn't know anything else. But it was fun, and sure enough the other couples would get up on the dance floor after Jeff and I showed how much fun that could be. One time we had a circle of people around us, and I could tell that the people absolutely loved what we did. So, I don't think it's degrading if you know how to do it right and how to please everyone else at the same time!!!

 

[monicadances]

Interesting topic. I don't like club dancing at all. There are a lot of clubs here in New York City. I love to avoid them.

 

[lola2006]

Club dancing in part follows whatever is in the mainstream pop music culture of the time. Right now I also think a lot of it is based on hip hop dancing, because of the rise of hip-hop related music in the pop world. Back in the 80's, people danced differently, and the music was different (anyone remember "gatoring" to "Rock Lobster"???).

I don't know that "old people" find Latin "degrading." The first question is what is "old"? A good number of youths assume that older people are naturally prissier than themselves, but the truth is that the oldsters were young once, and nowadays some of us were young in the 60's (lots of hedonism) and 70's (disco and sex everywhere). So, seeing people dance around in skimpy costumes with lots of fake tan and waxed chests comes across to some older people as more "cheezy" than "degrading." I guess if someone came of age in the very conservative 50's, and never let go of that despite the revolutions in society in the 60's and 70's, then that sort of person might think Latin is degrading.

And of course, there are super conservative people of all ages that would go with the "degrading" reaction. Heck, there are some Christian religious sects that forbid dancing, and of course there was that "Footloose" movie in the 80's about the kids in Kansas or Iowa or some other flat grain-producing state who were not allowed to dance in their county.

The only time I really see a negative reaction from people in the general public about competitive Latin dancing is when the really young kids (like, younger than teenagers), especially the girls, dress up like they are 24 years old. People get weirded out about pre-pubescent kids dressing and acting out adult sexuality. There's a real issue with that surrounding kids in the "pagent" circuit, particularly a few years ago when this one 6-year-old-pagent queen was killed in Colorado. So adults in this country are sensitive to things like that when it comes to little kids.

Many old ladies (70+) call girls prostitutes when they dance. The costumes they dance in aren't skimpy either. Don't know what the deal is.