Filed under: dance, music | Tags: Dance, Dixie Rose, klosetkase, LaLaLa Human Steps, music, Tom Waits, Watch Her Disappear
This ironic piece darkly suits my most bittersweet, late night mood. A clip from Edouard Locke’s film Amelia, dance troupe LaLaLa Human Steps (Quebec Canada). The dancers are Naomi Stikeman and Jason Shipley-Holmes. And the original music of the clip was replaced by Tom Waits’s song. Dixie Rose
Filed under: culture, dance | Tags: Dixie Fernandez on Glowshop NYC, glowsticking workshop, Glowsticking.com, liquid dance, rave dance culture
Be in the know of http://www.glowsticking.com and when you could experience such self explorational stimulus. A journey into the physical and subconscious mind of the splendor in things that glow in the dark. Of course I appreciate the folks who created the event. I am a student of different forms of dance such as popping, voguing, wacking, bellydancing, breaking and if you never get to experience the element of play which takes over when you hold a pair of glowsticks in your hands, you’re just simply missing out on yet another dope-ass style of dance you need to add onto your list of things to try once in your life. Also google http://www.floasis.net it’s a progressive dance community which nurtures and enlightens the masses on glowsticking, robotting, digits, tutting, liquid dance and waving (amongst the few). This workshop was the perfect scenario for me to play and throw all caution to wind, messing with glowing goodness for hours with total abandonment. Shout out to http://www.glowsticking.com organizers Azzie and Aden-masters Rai(DJ), Alfred, Aaron, Strings, Tiny Love and many more. Click on more to see more glowing ecstasy. Dixie
Filed under: culture, dance | Tags: Daft Punk, Daft Punk Bodies, dance culture
This clip got them a gig in a Weezer video. We all need to think harder, better, faster, stronger yo. My cup runeth over.
Dixie Rose Fernandez
Filed under: culture, dance | Tags: Dixie Fernandez on Voguing, Paris is Burning, voguing dance culture
Above is Part 1 of 11 of Paris is Burning (1990)
(click on more at bottom to view the rest)
Paris is Burning (1990) is a riveting documentary on how “Voguing” came to be. Then, upper middle classes of a more privileged upbringing were convinced “Voguing” caught flight when in was first featured in Madonna’s 1990 music video Vogue, aired on MTV. But let me correct this thinking by sprinkling some understanding upside some heads-of the importance of Opulence for these then endangered NYC urbanites. This film is a terribly sincere behind the scenes look of the underground stories of poor gay minorities (mostly African Americans and Latinos) who perfected the art of mimicking “the great white way of the rich and decadent,” as seen in Dynasty, an American prime time television series based on a wealthy oil family, aired throughout the 80’s on ABC.
Ground breaking “Voguing” is a dance style integrating poses made up of Egyptian tuts, gymnastics and awkward moves. This phenomena unravelled in what were called “drag balls.” In these, New York youths infatuated with fashion from broken homes, tuned out daily prejudice, struggles and acted out their fantasies in partaking in raucous celebrations of grandiose self expression, boasting with dignity and personal pride. The name “Voguing” was inspired by Vogue magazine, because the poses used in the dance were borrowed from endless alluring spreads of many an issue. For these dancers playing up the escapist role of images of high couture fashion-status and wealth became an affirmation of love, acceptance and joy within the drag ball culture. Before”Voguing” there was “Shade,” that’s when one person casts shade at someone they don’t like, and before “Shade” there was “Reading,” which is what many of us do when we size down a person we’re not feeling the least bit. In an instance where all the aforementioned issues became a problem, there was nothing else to be done, but to take the realness of the beef to the dance floor and watch those two tear each other apart (figure of speech of course). That’s how “Voguing” first flourished amongst many transsexuals, trans-genders, homosexuals and women within this particular community from the 80’s to the 90’s, and up to the present. After watching this documentary you may not be able to censor yourself, from letting loose in your own fantasy next time your romper is on a dance floor. Revolutionize the person that is you and let yourself go. Now shut up and strike a pose. Dixie Rose Fernandez
In this clip below we see Willie Ninja, Mother of The Ninja House (RIP).
Courtesy of Youtube, above is a clip of Rob Nasty aka Roberto Sucio (left) of “Forever We Rock” and Rock Bandit (right) battling it out at ‘06 B-Boy Hodown. Pay close attention to Rock Bandit and his superlative finesse. He freestyles in pacing himself quite nicely, and burns only when necessary. Roberto Sucio was chosen as the winner of the 2008-”Rock Raiders of The Lost Art,” 1st official Rocking battle hosted by The 7 Gems. Roberto Sucio’s dance has grown much since this ‘06 footage.
Hey Warriors!!!! Come out and plaaayyy! Well I sure did a few weekends ago when I treated myself to the first official “Rock Dance” battle event in good old Willieburg, on the corner of Roebling and Hope street at formerly known Brooklyn Sole, now Dante’s Lounge. If you’re a junkie for cyphers, no holds-barred, all out dance battles, you would’ve bugged out over this show of wit, endurance and imagination, a pressure cooker of trial and error. For all you virgins, the “Rock Dance,” in its execution, is about having style and flow, knowing how to freestyle, and dancing on the beat. It is said that endurance for the duration of the song is a test of strength, for your average “Rock Dance” tune is about five minutes in length (bust out the Yoga fire breathing); listen to Apache from Incredible Bongo Band. Part of the ritual of the dance is having insane stamina, the last person dancing strong after a five or eight minute song gives way to some serious hunger for the longevity of the beat. A highly respected public display of guts and “having heart”. Any beginning “Rocker’s” most mind-wrecking undertaking is finding nuances in a rocking song and accentuating them via improvised pantomiming. You have to learn to integrate the dance with mime, jerks and burns (as if ballroom salsa wasn’t hard enough). You should also know where the song breaks, so you know when to jerk (a rocking motion), and in doing so throw in some burns (miming meant to humiliate your opponent). In this you establish your self-glorified take on your improvisational battling skills. (Click on more to see Mr. Loose and Roberto Roena in action).
So learning the song and what it’s saying is pivotal to your delivery, timing and contempt towards your rival. Ideally you always want to aim to perform the “compelling story” (anecdote) of the song through the dance, as if you were a messenger bestowing upon us the history of mankind and our salvation, like butter. You should see some of these cats letting it rip, especially the OG’s (old school rockers). Smooth mofo’s.
The three music genres of great influence in this dance are 70’s disco, 70’s salsa (boogaloo style) and hustle. What also defines a “Rocker’s” understanding of this particular dance is the person’s feeling, ability to groove in incorporating all three dance styles. Oh yeah, in addition to learning the technical foundation of the dance, you must also verse yourself on the dance styles to pull from, in letting loose and “getting on da good foot,” James Brown couldn’t have put it any better.
It is said the “Rock Dance” movement began in the late 60’s in Bushwick, Brooklyn, having migrated from street gang violence, where rival gangs battled for territory back in the day. And if you were raised within the vicinity of Williamsburg, Bushwick, Flatbush and Bedstay you would know they were hotbeds for this sort of endeavor. But that violence soon lost its momentum and the boundaries of “no violence” or “no touching” were firmly put in place. So jerks and burns would replace physical hostility, which would only apply a form of defense in counter-attacking your opponent safely. The movement then shifted in search of a new beginning within the Hip-Hop community, seeking a positive voice for generations to follow. And since then the “Rock Dance” has evolved to what it emotes today, a message of flourishing creativity, advocating peace, love, respect and unity for all “Rock Dance” families. Dance is a true vehicle of Hip-Hop. But it is especially about the learning experience, the discipline and the work you put into it. In this case, the “Rock Dance” is very much alive after all these years and getting stronger by the beat. So break this lesson down however you want to, like a “sex machine.”
Below is my good friend Mr. Loose showing us how it’s done to the sound of a breakin’ tune, not necessarily a rocking song, but evenstill, his level of experience allows him to bust out to any genre of music really. Notice his jerks, they’re sick. He has taken the convential jerk and turned it into art. This true OG (old School) Rocker has the most impressive artistic interpretation of the “Rock Dance,” because he has evolved with it.
And here I leave you off with Roberto Roena, an original master of salsa-boogaloo style.
Dixie
