Merengue, Hustle and WCS

ha! I was at a social dance last Saturday and started dancing to a swing that was put on that just seemed so slow from the professional DJ! My partner looked at me and said "this is slow....really slow.....so do you know west coast?" My response was, "I can remember the basic and follow the rest". Went waaaay better than a slooow east coast swing would have!!

I've had a couple bad experiences with leaders becoming irate if I "left the slot" during a social dance. WCS has never really grabbed my attention, but I'm starting to give stuff like argentine and wcs another chance as time to play around a little more.

Hustle? Amazing. I will never turn down a hustle, unless I just finished doing one and need to catch my breath or die. For the longest time my cell phone ringer was "Vamos a la Playa" (one of our team's classic and BEST hustles!)

Merengue? I could take it or leave it in ballroom context. Don't shoot me, but I like the alternation of dances in an evening, so salsa parties that dance four salsas, two merengues and a bachata (and then repeat!) bore me quite quickly.
 
Yes and yes to all 3 dances. I see west coast swing a lot on my lessons, less so for hustle, and not very much (if at all) for merengue.
 
I also have to confess that I probably feel hostile about these dances b/c selfishly, other than the fact that they give me time to go to the bathroom at comps, I get sick of watching 3 or 4 people generally dancing badly take up extra hours of time when I could be sleeping or eating ...but am instead stuck there with huge spaces btwn my heats...same thing re:peabody which is a fun dance
 
Wow... I'm surprised to see so much merengue loathing. Although I can understand -- merengue as it's usually danced at social is Bor.ING.

But if you've got a dynamic leader, it can be just the funnest most exhilarating nonstop rollercoaster ride! I think Merengue, like Bachata, excels in a club environment, anyway.

For hustle, I know just enough to get by. There are some serious hustle students & socials in my area, but I just don't have time to add something new in, as much as I'd like to with this one.

WCS... don't know it. Looks fun. It's very big where I social dance, more bluesy & sexy than country. But this dance appears nowhere on my priority list for now. Later on, when I can dance International open gold, maybe... :)

But I consider these party dances, anyway... would never think to compete in any of them.

Samina
 
Um, 2 questions.

1. What's this ballroom wcs v. real wcs thing?

2. What's this "patty cake" deal? Are you all talking the 2-hand contact/stopping thing that happens in a sugar push/push break/basic/whatever it's called? If it is, I think that's one of the few things I like about wcs...with the right leader.
 
fascination said:
I also have to confess that I probably feel hostile about these dances b/c selfishly, other than the fact that they give me time to go to the bathroom at comps, I get sick of watching 3 or 4 people generally dancing badly take up extra hours of time when I could be sleeping or eating ...but am instead stuck there with huge spaces btwn my heats...same thing re:peabody which is a fun dance
Click to expand...

I'll keep this in mind if we ever up at a comp. You can go to the bathroom while I keep on dancing. You don't have to suffer watching my dancing. ;)

Adding this dances to the 5 basic dances can create something of an endurance test in american rhythm, in particular if you're doing a lot of entries. Both hustle and merengue are high energy dances. Even west coast swing can be a workout for the lady, if she's moving up and down the slot quite a bit. But, I'd rather be out on the floor dancing rather than sitting down. :)
 
Peaches, you and PasoDancer asked a similar question:

1. What's this ballroom wcs v. real wcs thing?
I really don't know the answer to that question, and I surely wasn't knocking the ballroom style of WCS. I would imagine that their rules are much more strict than what I'm used to dancing/competiting in - the UCWDC and the WSDC.

I personally think the ballroom style has "no soul" . . . "no personality" . . . and "lacks dance interpretation" of the music.

I've seen many ballroom comps, and have many ballroom tapes/DVDs . . . and all the ballroom WCS dancers look the same . . . and, in social dance, the followers can't follow as easily! Oh, they can follow, but if I try to get down and funky and sexy on the floor, the ones that I've danced with . . . couldn't get into it! And yes, I know there are those who can . . . in fact I took WCS lessons from a ballroom instructor!

. . . Sorry, it's only my 2(ents!
 
thousand pardons purr...didn't mean to offend...it just usually seems like most of the folks who dance them at comps either throw them in at the last minute without much preparation, or what have you, lol, am sure you don't fit into that category...forgiven?
 
Vince A said:
Peaches, you and PasoDancer asked a similar question:

1. What's this ballroom wcs v. real wcs thing?
I really don't know the answer to that question, and I surely wasn't knocking the ballroom style of WCS. I would imagine that their rules are much more strict than what I'm used to dancing/competiting in - the UCWDC and the WSDC.

I personally think the ballroom style has "no soul" . . . "no personality" . . . and "lacks dance interpretation" of the music.

I've seen many ballroom comps, and have many ballroom tapes/DVDs . . . and all the ballroom WCS dancers look the same . . . and, in social dance, the followers can't follow as easily! Oh, they can follow, but if I try to get down and funky and sexy on the floor, the ones that I've danced with . . . couldn't get into it! And yes, I know there are those who can . . . in fact I took WCS lessons from a ballroom instructor!

. . . Sorry, it's only my 2(ents!
Click to expand...
:shock: lol, begins hunt for my soul;)
 
fascination said:
I also have to confess that I probably feel hostile about these dances b/c selfishly, other than the fact that they give me time to go to the bathroom at comps, I get sick of watching 3 or 4 people generally dancing badly take up extra hours of time when I could be sleeping or eating ...but am instead stuck there with huge spaces btwn my heats...same thing re:peabody which is a fun dance
Click to expand...
Ever wonder why 3 or 4 individuals get up to go to the bathroom when you start to dance???;)
 
b/c I'm just a newb bronze dancer...but anyhow, can't help it...gotta pee some time and i am dancing most of the other heats...nothing personal...I just don't like those dances and its a good time to go...ftr, I love watching good wcs at clubs and parties, but I don't find it to be well done at ballroom comps very often do you?
 
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