Packed dance floor

S

SnowDancer

Son Montuno
Went dancing tonight, and the dance floor was packed! So most of those turn-patterns we've been practicing in classes became impossible, since you could barely do basics without getting stepped on. Eventually, I figured out that a compact CBL with an inside turn was okay when I kept my arm around the woman's waist to keep her close and provide a bit of protection. And back-spot turns work really well (and you can even clear some space). By the end of the evening, I was doing a lot of back-spot turns, with the added bonus that some ladies really seem to like them. 8)

Any other ideas? I'm feeling pretty happy that I got through the night without any of my partners getting hurt. :D Some others weren't so lucky.
 
There's a guy who puts his free arm out along the slot before he CBLs the follower over when the floor is busy. It stops other couples coming in to steal the slot (they would hit his hand rather than colliding with the follower). I think it's a very nice touch. Doesn't stop people coming from the open side though :(

My local club has a tiny dancefloor which gets very crowded, and I've noticed that I dance really badly when it's busy. I think trying to dance small and bracing myself for collisions and flying elbows makes me tense up.
 
MacMoto said:
There's a guy who puts his free arm out along the slot before he CBLs the follower over when the floor is busy. It stops other couples coming in to steal the slot (they would hit his hand rather than colliding with the follower). I think it's a very nice touch. Doesn't stop people coming from the open side though :(
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As a lead what, what I do is put my free arm out along the slot but curve it back towards the follower such that my palm stops other couples coming in from the side.
 
MacMoto said:
......

My local club has a tiny dancefloor which gets very crowded, and I've noticed that I dance really badly when it's busy. I think trying to dance small and bracing myself for collisions and flying elbows makes me tense up.
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Same here - I get no real pleasure from dancing in these circumstances. Leads have to devote a lot of attention to traffic and follows worried by the overcrowding can't pay enough attention to the lead. Neither can relax properly...

So I either leave, or sit things out until it clears...
 
or you could do as one guy at one club we go to . its a mixed style club about 80% cbl 20% cuban . he does cuban . no matter how crouded it gets he keeps on with the big arms huge steps walking his partner all over the place with their wild arms flying everywhere. with no consideration for anyone else , many people get hit, stood on crashed into .. but as long as he is happy. :? totaly oblivious there are other people who might want to share the dance floor .
 
Guy in the white hat? He managed to elbow me, get his follower to stand on me with her high heels and when me and my partner had enough of dancing in our tiny slot close by him and moved away, he decided to do a 'walk about' thing and find us again and stamped on my foot :shock: This was all during one dance and non of the above seemed to warrant an appology. On the last one I got so cross with his rudeness that I stopped dancing, turned to him and said 'Look around you, there's no room to do that sort of @#!$ :twisted:
 
Jambo said:
Guy in the white hat? He managed to elbow me, get his follower to stand on me with her high heels and when me and my partner had enough of dancing in our tiny slot close by him and moved away, he decided to do a 'walk about' thing and find us again and stamped on my foot :shock: This was all during one dance and non of the above seemed to warrant an appology. On the last one I got so cross with his rudeness that I stopped dancing, turned to him and said 'Look around you, there's no room to do that sort of @#!$ :twisted:
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With folk like, you just have to try and count yourself lucky that they don't call a twenty-man rueda! :roll:
 
i remember last time i was in scala (london) was packed. there was this muscle mary guy with his tight vest on throwing his dance partner into couples to clear a space. very considerate :shock:
 
nowhiteshoes said:
i remember last time i was in scala (london) was packed. there was this muscle mary guy with his tight vest on throwing his dance partner into couples to clear a space. very considerate :shock:
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All brawn and no brains :roll:
 
Jambo said:
This was all during one dance and non of the above seemed to warrant an appology. On the last one I got so cross with his rudeness that I stopped dancing, turned to him and said 'Look around you, there's no room to do that sort of ****' :twisted:
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There was a man I know from our scene who was well known for taking up a lot of space and moving around the dancefloor. He often complained about others for floor hogging :shock: :roll:
 
have told ppl off before, given them the stare, the "shake my head at your utterly brainless behaviour" when they collide into my partner or me due to their lack of control.

and yes, i do use my hands arms to clear the spot before i move my partner into place.

generally, over crowded dance floor turns me off.


j

*taking a break from facebooking :tongue:
 
Snowdancer - I am assuming you went to Aztec Willies on Saturday (because mambo lounge was dead).

Try sticking to the edges of the dance floor. The middle of the dance floor is generally full of beginners that do not know floor craft. The edges at aztec willies have a little bit more room and you at least have one side that does not have people. However, you do have to deal with people passing by or walking in.

Also - try mambo lounge :D the place generally has a lot more room to dance!
 
Terremoto said:
Snowdancer - I am assuming you went to Aztec Willies on Saturday (because mambo lounge was dead).

Try sticking to the edges of the dance floor. The middle of the dance floor is generally full of beginners that do not know floor craft. The edges at aztec willies have a little bit more room and you at least have one side that does not have people. However, you do have to deal with people passing by or walking in.

Also - try mambo lounge :D the place generally has a lot more room to dance!
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Yes, that was Aztec's. I first went to Mambo Lounge, got there around 9:30, and the door was locked. Nobdy else was waiting outside, so I assumed it was cancelled.

I really prefer Mambo Lounge. Almost no non-dancers, and lots of intermediates around my level.

Were you there? Once again, I saw a guy who looked like your picture, seemed to be friends with a tall blonde woman who I'd just danced with early in the evening before it had gotten really crowded.
 
Packed Floor

Crowded floors can be a huge challenge but they can be a lot of fun too.

By necessity, you must dance a lot closer to your partner than you otherwise would.

As a leader, you cannot use the ten foot cross body leads. You cannot launch your partner off on unassisted travelling turns as she will bounce off couples like a pinball in a machine - racking up evil stares like bonus points.

I dance casino when its really crowded - move my partner around me. She has not choice but to stay close and not take up much room. I also use one hand to literally push encroaching leaders or followers out of what space I do have.

Small steps on each beat are a must along with short leads. Telling your partner to keep it short on leads and small steps helps a bunch.

I will use a cross body lead and cut it short at 45 or 90 degrees or anywhere between. There is no reason why one *must* run a cross body lead a full 180 degrees.

Naturally small steps and vertical arm movements and styling, not horizontal styling keeps things small.

If it gets too crowded, and the place has tables or aisles and my partner knows how to follow, we'll dance between the tables and use the space that is there to its max. The follower will proudly strut around after that adventure, having shown off a whole new dimension to her abilities.

There isn't too much you can do about the buffoons or bullies who use the dance floor as their mosh pit or their partner as a scythe to mow everyone else down.

Having the DJ talk over the music and ask people to consider the people around them may help. Getting a follower to chat with the guy off the floor and ask him not to body check her or stop on her also goes a long way. A quiet chat with the buffoon's instructor if he's still taking lessons can help too.

I wear very heavy shoes social dancing as I cannot afford having some casual dancer break or injure my foot because they cannot control their own dance in the available space. Often the buffoons and their partners step into me or under my foot and they are wearing their slippers, dance sneakers or open toed pumps. When that opportunity comes up, I simply put my full body weight down on my heel. They never run me over or intrude on my space again.

And if it really gets too too crowded to dance, I will sit it out and socialize, or arrive early when the place is empty, or arrive late when the place is emptying out and get my dancing in then.
 
Re: Packed Floor

SalsaTO said:
I wear very heavy shoes social dancing as I cannot afford having some casual dancer break or injure my foot because they cannot control their own dance in the available space. Often the buffoons and their partners step into me or under my foot and they are wearing their slippers, dance sneakers or open toed pumps. When that opportunity comes up, I simply put my full body weight down on my heel. They never run me over or intrude on my space again.
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So... steel-toe work-boots are the answer. :) Sounds a little extreme. Plus, purposely stepping on someone's foot could incite a brawl. Guess that's one way to clear the floor. :twisted:
 
SnowDancer said:
Terremoto said:
Snowdancer - I am assuming you went to Aztec Willies on Saturday (because mambo lounge was dead).

Try sticking to the edges of the dance floor. The middle of the dance floor is generally full of beginners that do not know floor craft. The edges at aztec willies have a little bit more room and you at least have one side that does not have people. However, you do have to deal with people passing by or walking in.

Also - try mambo lounge :D the place generally has a lot more room to dance!
Click to expand...

Yes, that was Aztec's. I first went to Mambo Lounge, got there around 9:30, and the door was locked. Nobdy else was waiting outside, so I assumed it was cancelled.

I really prefer Mambo Lounge. Almost no non-dancers, and lots of intermediates around my level.

Were you there? Once again, I saw a guy who looked like your picture, seemed to be friends with a tall blonde woman who I'd just danced with early in the evening before it had gotten really crowded.
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Probably was me. I first went to mambo lounge and stuck around for about an hour or so - not very many people were there. A lot of people were in Seattle for some big salsa event. So then I went to Aztec Willies - around 11:30 or so. I was dancing with a tall blonde woman - there weren't very many ladies that knew how to dance - so we danced a lot that night - so it probably was me.
 
Re: Packed Floor

SalsaTO said:
Crowded floors can be a huge challenge but they can be a lot of fun too....

I wear very heavy shoes social dancing as I cannot afford having some casual dancer break or injure my foot because they cannot control their own dance in the available space. Often the buffoons and their partners step into me or under my foot and they are wearing their slippers, dance sneakers or open toed pumps. When that opportunity comes up, I simply put my full body weight down on my heel. They never run me over or intrude on my space again.
...
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So let me get this straight...
Some less skilled dance lets his follower get too close to you and and the penalty is Pre-Meditated Grevious Bodily Harm?

I wouldn't want to dance anywhere near you either.

Frankly speaking, I'm disgusted by your attitude.
 
Re: Packed Floor

SalsaTO said:
They never run me over or intrude on my space again.
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People never run me over or intrude on my space because, like the blade of grass in the wind, I bend but do not break. Like smoke I dissipate and like a river I flow to fill all the small spaces. By using Zen, I acknowledge that no part of the floor is truly "mine" even in so far as the floor exists, which it doesn't. Tao tells me that all the dancers on the floor are really only reflections of the universal truth as am I. Confucius tells me that it is not proper to let inferior influences anger me. I know when the future contains possibilities of harm because the Force is strong with me. Available soon: Jedi Ninja Style Salsa Techniques DvD starring me, $23.99 plus shipping and handling. Watch this thread for further details.

/edit: and besides, my jet-black jazz shoes have a very handy "pursuit mode" for dealing with this
 
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