Merengue, Hustle and WCS

[tanya_the_dancer]

OK, I am starting this one after I saw some stuff in the lessons thread.

Where do you stand on these 3 dances? Do you compete in them in American Rhythm, do you take lessons on them? Feel free to add anything.

Me:

I hate merengue. I won't dance it. I feel ambivalent about the other two, did one or two heats of WCS in my 2nd comp when I was still doing smooth/rhythm combo, and now I will dance them socially at the parties, but even if I ever compete in rhythm again, I probably will not bother with either hustle or WCS.

 

[Katarzyna]

merengue is my favourite, hustle is so much fun wcs... if I knew it I would love to dance it, looks great, but can't do it

 

[PasoDancer]

With the right partner, merengue's fun- but I don't know a lot of it at all. J does the sideways basic around the whole floor forty times, so I get disgusted and sit down (and he has that big, cow-eyed stupid expression like "what did I do wrong?"... and I tell him "just stop breathing already..." you know what I mean).

I love Latin Hustle. I don't dance a lot of 3-count hustle with J because I don't trust him. I don't want to be elbowed in the face or jerked off my feet.

I hate WCS. It's country.

 

[Peaches]

Love merengue, especially when there's some great chemistry.

Love the abandon, and my inability to think during hustle.

WCS. *sigh* Want to like it, but really can't. The only time I don't HATE it is when I'm dancing it with one of my teachers.

 

[fascination]

I have an aversion to competing in them all but will do anything once...

meringue, I loathe
hustle...fun and mindless for me and that's all good at parties, which I love
WCS...less evil twin of ECS...agree that I hate the ones that are country, but I dig the sexy blues sorts of ones...I find any step involving together and then in another direction evil...thus I have a very rough time with it esp sailor shuffles and the like...and I really find the whole patty cake thing to be lame

 

[fireinflight]

I hate WCS. It's country.

Hmm... is this the same WCS I know? The places I've been have only played blues/pop music for WCS, and the dancing has been very un-country - smooth and really sexy. I've never done WCS as related to the ballroom scene, though, it was always at WCS clubs or as a social class. Is ballroom style WCS different?

I haven't done hustle much yet, but I hope to soon - the three-count sounds fun, and I'm looking forward to the arm styling!

Merengue... eh. I can take it or leave it. The music seems very monotonous to me, but maybe I haven't heard good merengue songs.

I haven't taken any private lessons in any of these - all my money is taken up in ballroom lessons! But I totally would in WCS if I had the money and the time. (Or if I had an enthusiastic partner! Any volunteers?)

 

[wooh]

Merengue, only if I'm asked, or if I'm leading.
Hustle, I absolutely adore it! Of course, mostly it's because I love the music.
WCS, ugh. Don't like it. Rarely even like watching it. I've tried to like it. Just can't. Nope. Not gonna do it. If asked, I deny knowing it.

 

[jschaab]

I really enjoy WCS and Hustle.

I hate Merengue with a passion. Although it tends to make problems in my cuban motion quite obvious, so occasionally working on it has its uses.

At competitions I tend to enter everything I can. I'd rather be out on the floor than sitting on the sidelines.

 

[tanya_the_dancer]

I have an aversion to competing in them all but will do anything once...

meringue, I loathe
hustle...fun and mindless for me and that's all good at parties, which I love
WCS...less evil twin of ECS...agree that I hate the ones that are country, but I dig the sexy blues sorts of ones...I find any step involving together and then in another direction evil...thus I have a very rough time with it esp sailor shuffles and the like...and I really find the whole patty cake thing to be lame

I don't like WCS or ECS music in general, although sometimes there are nice ones. In one group class on WCS the teacher used Madonna's song I liked, for example. But in general, if you group music by dance type, there will be many more swings I don't like, than for example, waltzes or tangos or rumbas. But I don't mind ECS as a dance (I hope I am making sense here), it actually was my second-best dance when I competed in rhythm.

Merengue - I just hate its music. I mean it. It makes my ears wilt and fall off

 

[waltzgirl]

Merengue -- soft spot for this dance, because when I first started dancing, I refused to move my hips, so pro taught me a little meregue to jump-start the process. Never learned any actual steps beyond that. Only dance it at socials, mostly with guys who invent stuff as they go along. Lots of fun.

Hustle -- had one group class years ago, so it's my one dance I learned "on the floor." Only dance at socials, lots of fun (as long as I don't get an arm yanker). Pro used to be a purist and only teach the "official" dances, but he's loosened up since. We tried hustle once, but after I did my thing and he wanted me to think about what I had just done, my head nearly exploded. Decided to keep hustle as a "don't think, just do it" social dance.

WCS - very intimidated by it at first (you mean I'm supposed to do something completely different than the guy does--no thanks, give me that natural opposite movement). Have tried to start learning it several times, but something always interferes. Was taking a great class last summer and starting to really get the feel of it and enjoy it, then I hurt my foot and couldn't dance for a month. My sister is a long-time WCS dancer and I may take some lessons with her pro next time I visit her.

NC2S - belongs in the same category, IMO. Really enjoy this dance. Took several group classes and did a group showcase routine in it. I'm getting a bit rusty because it's not played that often at my studio's socials.

 

[PasoDancer]

is this the same WCS I know?

Honestly, I dunno! LOL- There's this "cult" of loyal WCS lovers who go all "surfer hippie" when they talk about it.. "It's, like, NOT anything you've seen, man! It's different! It like takes stuff from salsa and tango and then swing... whoa..."

... but it always LOOKS the same to me. But then you see Jordan and Tatiana doing what is labeled WCS and think "Whoa- that DOES look fun.... but it looks more like a partnered freestyle"... so I'm just not sure.

I should say "the WCS I've seen, even by people I really love to watch at our studio"... just ain't my thing. And I wouldn't hurt anyone locally's feelings by saying so. But urgh- no WCS for me, unless it's in a group class or something.

 

[WorksForShoes]

Don't compete in anything at the moment, so that's not an issue here. However~

Meringue, I love. However, I don't really like "ballroom meringue," referenced above as the side basic around the floor dozens of times (while everyone at the tables debates whether meringue is a spot dance or a progressive one). I like doing it in a club, with a mojito on the table and shoulder to shoulder with others and spinning around and around and forgetting all my problems from the week.

Hustle, I also love. Really want to learn more, but then again I am a child of the 70s so that is my music. I also think there is an element to it that SNF came out when I was 9, so functionally hustle is the first partner dance I ever saw. Therefore, hustle has the same romantic associations for me that maybe foxtrot has for those whose first movies were Astaire and Rogers.

WCS--Really an uphill struggle right now, so we've kind of backburnered it. However, we did go to a workshop in October with Beatta Howe that makes me really want to learn this right.

 

[PasoDancer]

Wait- what's NC2S??

 

[waltzgirl]

Nightclub Two Step

 

[mamboqueen]

I have an aversion to competing in them all but will do anything once...

meringue, I loathe
hustle...fun and mindless for me and that's all good at parties, which I love
WCS...less evil twin of ECS...agree that I hate the ones that are country, but I dig the sexy blues sorts of ones...I find any step involving together and then in another direction evil...thus I have a very rough time with it esp sailor shuffles and the like...and I really find the whole patty cake thing to be lame

with you...although probably have a stronger like for hustle. stuck in the 70's, remember?