Passion in your dance....

[borikenSalsero]

Just to throw my two cents in, I think that when we use terms like 'fun' and 'passion' we have to realise that these mean, not only different things to different people, but also can have different meanings to the same person in different situations.

Feelings are independant of a person's thoughts about them, your reference speaks about the application of feelings to different situations, and the thoughts about how those situations feel.

Regardless of an event or thoughts about the event, a passionate person will recognize the same feelings when presented by another person even if one considers the event of which is being spoken about, emotion-less. Meaning that love is easily recognizable even if the application of the feeling is disagreed upon.

In all, people don't see nor think differently of a feeling, rather attach emotions to different situations, and when speaking of the feelings they are not really speaking of the emotions, rather conveying their thoughts of how the event makes them feel.

There are feelings
There are thoughts
There are events
There are actions

All independent.

As an example. Let's say "Something" is fun. You fill in the "something", and we'll soon have a million "something" list. Why? because we are speaking about that "something" that makes us feel fun, not what fun feels like. Hence, everyone’s ability to fill in the "something". We all know fun, even if it is outside of dancing.

In a sense, anyone who's ever had fun, or felt passion can join this thread and eloquently speak of passion without a need to know what salsa dancing is... It is an inability to independently speak about feelings that make us assume that our thoughts on feelings and actions are feelings themselves.

All the examples you provided differ in the “something” not the feeling... So, I agree in the sense that passion can be felt in any event or any action. Note that had passion been different on each, that particular event would always be needed to feel passion.

 

[Claire_Brummell]

I think I follow your train of thought here (but do correct me if I've misunderstood!), and I do agree that these are different situations that make you feel empassioned, however I would dispute that the feelings experienced which are defined as "of passion" are the same.

I absolutely accept that someone who is not a dancer, will be able to identify with and relate to the passion experienced by a dancer, but that's not to say that all passion experienced by all people feels the same. The feelings I experience in the above situations can be quite different.

The feeling that I experience through my passion of music for example does differ physically to that felt through a connection to another dancer. The differences may be minor, but they are nevertheless notable. They are both 'of passion' and yet the feelings are distinctively different. It's hard to define or explain as they're feelings, but for example they could come from a different place or feel physically, or even emotionally different, but both are linked to a passion.

It's like the distinction between love for a pet and love for a partner. They are both love, but the feeling experienced is very different...in my experience.

 

[Flujo]

Just to throw my two cents in, I think that when we use terms like 'fun' and 'passion' we have to realise that these mean, not only different things to different people, but also can have different meanings to the same person in different situations.

To me, there has to be passion to enjoy a dance. But to me there are different types of passion:
- Passion for the music - From feeling the drum beat pumping through your veins to feeling the melody caress your heart dependent on the type of song it is.

Wouldn't all the other forms stem from the source - the music. Surely all the others could be experienced elsewhere if that's not the case. What I'm trying to get at is; what makes you want to make that connection in the first place. What is that thing that makes you want to get up and seek out someone else to share that strange compulsion to dance with? I'm wondering if the music can sometimes be the excuse that allows people to feel something through the other things you mentioned. If that's true then I also wonder why Salsa is so popular and why some dance teachers haven't got together to created a partner dance for Pop music. There has to be something in this music that strikes a deeper chord.

Well, reading your discussion with boriken about the passionate and the other dancer, I wonder if one can classify a dancer simply as passionate or other. Is it for a passionate dancer really possible to always bite the lure and really feel the emotion that the music produces in them?

Hope there wasn't any confusion there chrisk. I meant 'other' to mean the type of dancer that has a passion for having fun, not that the two are exclusive. Some songs you might not relate to you (or vise-versa) so in that case you'll have fun (in the sense that's been discussed) and do what you can do for 5 minutes. You asked a good question chrisk, hopefully that's the answer you were looking for. I think sometimes external influences can cause that spark to misfire as well. It could be a lack of connection with your partner, people bumping into you, anything takes your attention away from the moment. By lure you mean that thing that grips you and makes time stand still right?

I agree that it's mainly the chemistry with your partner that allows that 'thing' to happen. Thinking about this I'm wondering how different it would be dancing with someone who is unaware of the feeling of the music and how it can influence them and a highly skilled dancer who is strictly motivated by conquest (to borrow a word from Boriken). Or maybe that is confusing the difference between having a little chemistry and no chemistry. Hmm?

In the eyes of some partners there is this small flame - call it spirit, call it whatever. For me it's the music that gives you the fuel for that flame. The only other way I can think of describing it is to see the music as the light source and you as a prism. When it hits you, you get to reveal all the different colours it contains and your partner will either respond in kind or simply see those colours as one shade of grey.

It's up to you how you express yourself. Nobody can (or should) dictate how you show your appreciation for something but I would at the very least take this into serious consideration...

How did that make you feel? ah, fun. How was the dance? Fun. How is it hitting that pattern? Fun! Did you realize that the song is about the death of a man's brother and how it impacted the family? Oh, I didn't know that!

...it's worth thinking about isn't it?

 

[Claire_Brummell]

Wouldn't all the other forms stem from the source - the music. Surely all the others could be experienced elsewhere if that's not the case. What I'm trying to get at is; what makes you want to make that connection in the first place. What is that thing that makes you want to get up and seek out someone else to share that strange compulsion to dance with? I'm wondering if the music can sometimes be the excuse that allows people to feel something through the other things you mentioned. If that's true then I also wonder why Salsa is so popular and why some dance teachers haven't got together to created a partner dance for Pop music. There has to be something in this music that strikes a deeper chord.

My suggestion would be that the music is the catalyst rather than the pure source of the passion necessarily - I agree that it certainly enhances and gives the passion a certain 'flavour' and therefore it has a unique effect when compared to something more 'middle of the road' music.

 

[chrisk]

Hope there wasn't any confusion there chrisk. I meant 'other' to mean the type of dancer that has a passion for having fun, not that the two are exclusive. Some songs you might not relate to you (or vise-versa) so in that case you'll have fun (in the sense that's been discussed) and do what you can do for 5 minutes. You asked a good question chrisk, hopefully that's the answer you were looking for.

It's not really the answer that I look for. I agree with you that the two aren't exclusive, but is it possible for a dancer to just find into one of those two categories? I tend to think even if you are dedicated to being mostly passionate about the music, you'll also have some passion for fun. So even with a 'song you might not relate to', I think that you can have passion about the music as you get into it while dancing.

I think sometimes external influences can cause that spark to misfire as well. It could be a lack of connection with your partner, people bumping into you, anything takes your attention away from the moment. By lure you mean that thing that grips you and makes time stand still right?

I'm not sure, I'm rather referring to the point that boriken made, where he mentioned that 'a musically passionate dancer' 'can absorb musical lure with ease'. So I'm wondering if such a dancer can always bite the lure or if he's also going to miss sometimes.

I agree that it's mainly the chemistry with your partner that allows that 'thing' to happen.

I'm not sure if isn't rather the music itself that is the reason why the 'thing' is happening. But due to the chemistry with our dance partner we can notice it easier as without. Have you never heared some songs and got the feeling that you want this moment to stay?

 

[Flujo]

Glad we mostly disagree this time around. hehe

It's not really the answer that I look for. I agree with you that the two aren't exclusive, but is it possible for a dancer to just find into one of those two categories?

Maybe. Personally, if the the music doesn't do it then it still won't when dancing with a great partner. It would then be about the connection and floor sports or with the right kind of chemistry flirtation and teasing.

I'm not sure, I'm rather referring to the point that boriken made, where he mentioned that 'a musically passionate dancer' 'can absorb musical lure with ease'. So I'm wondering if such a dancer can always bite the lure or if he's also going to miss sometimes.

Not all the time. You might be tired; there might not be anyone you'd like to dance with or something like that. That's what I meant by other influences. Even so, there is nothing to stop you from sitting/standing and losing yourself in the moment. Did that when first hearing El Cantante in a club. The string section is MMmmm

I'm not sure if isn't rather the music itself that is the reason why the 'thing' is happening. But due to the chemistry with our dance partner we can notice it easier as without. Have you never heared some songs and got the feeling that you want this moment to stay?

Yep!! Maybe that's one of the things that keep us coming back for more. A moment shared...?

 

[chrisk]

Maybe. Personally, if the the music doesn't do it then it still won't when dancing with a great partner. It would then be about the connection and floor sports or with the right kind of chemistry flirtation and teasing.

Hm, so when you are usually mostly passionate about the music, you suddenly switch to be mostly passionate about having fun? I think that if you're mostly passionate about the music, then dancing with a great partner can do it. But then again I'm curious what boriken thinks about this.

Not all the time. You might be tired; there might not be anyone you'd like to dance with or something like that. That's what I meant by other influences. Even so, there is nothing to stop you from sitting/standing and losing yourself in the moment. Did that when first hearing El Cantante in a club. The string section is MMmmm

If I understand it right, then the musical lure is not only about bodymovement and partner dancing, but also about your mental state. So having nobody to dance with, doesn't seem to me like an influence on biting the musical lure.

 

[Flujo]

I wouldn't say "suddenly switch". It's not really a flicker switch you can use to change modes. This is a little hard to explain but would say that when the musical lure isn't there it feels more like practice and and the dance is more like an activity than a dream. With good chemistry you can make it more than just floor sports but without the music it still isn't the same. Does that make sense?

Agreed that not having anyone to dance with wouldn't stop you from experiencing the lure but it takes a special kind of song to grab you like that.

 

[borikenSalsero]

They are both 'of passion' and yet the feelings are distinctively different. It's hard to define or explain as they're feelings, but for example they could come from a different place or feel physically, or even emotionally different, but both are linked to a passion.

My point is that 'of passion' is not synonymous to 'is passion'. To say that the butterflies in my stomach are from anxiety, isn't the same as stating that anxiety is butterfly in the stomach. Which would then lead to more incorrect reads of feelings, such as saying that because my hands are sweaty and the butterflies are absent, I'm feeling a different type of anxiety. Anxiety is anxiety, just as passion is passion, how it manifests in the body speaks not of one changing feeling, but of a diversity of feelings caused by it... It's as if I were to say that the same car in the dark is different during the day because during the day the color is visibly different.

While "symptoms of" might be dependent on source, they do not mean the source; rather side effects attributed to the source.

 

[chrisk]

I wouldn't say "suddenly switch". It's not really a flicker switch you can use to change modes. This is a little hard to explain but would say that when the musical lure isn't there it feels more like practice and and the dance is more like an activity than a dream. With good chemistry you can make it more than just floor sports but without the music it still isn't the same. Does that make sense?

Hm, but why do you think it feels like practice? I tend to think it might feel more like dancing on autopilot. So instead of letting the feelings that the music creates in your body and mind be the guide for your dance, you end up in in way of being a 'pattern monkey'. Also isn't is possible that the chemistry between your partner and you can become a kind of appetizer and leading you to suddenly bit the lure?

 

[Flujo]

My suggestion would be that the music is the catalyst rather than the pure source of the passion necessarily - I agree that it certainly enhances and gives the passion a certain 'flavour' and therefore it has a unique effect when compared to something more 'middle of the road' music.

That's the one!
I think that might also partly answer your question chrisk. "No catalyst no reaction" was going to be my original comment but that isn't quite right as a catalyst - after a little reading (science class was too long ago to remember) - speeds up a reaction rather creates it.

Sure, there could be physical attraction or similar personalities at play that would allow you both to lose yourselves in each other but that would still be about the activity rather than the reaction to something greater than you. You could say that the action/chemistry of partner dancing is accelerated to a point where it causes you to move beyond just the activity. I'd imagine that with the music as the catalyst the reaction becomes self sustaining and requires little conscious effort from either partner. You move beyond your 'self' into a greater field and includes the energy of both your partner, yourself and the music.

Perhaps this is where trying to define that 'thing' get's a bit fuzzy because it's not something we can put our hands on. We'd need to be telepathic/empathic and project the feeling to another person so I'm not sure if it's even possible to describe using words.

"Also isn't is possible that the chemistry between your partner and you can become a kind of appetizer and leading you to suddenly bit the lure?"

I understand what you are saying now. Yes, definitely! I still think that the 'music as the catalyst' idea is essential though. The reaction needs that catalyst in order to accelerate whatever is going on in our minds to that transitional point between action - in the sense that Boriken described, and reaction - our unconscious emotional response to the music in relation to each other.

Are we still talking about Salsa?

 

[chrisk]

Sure, there could be physical attraction or similar personalities at play that would allow you both to lose yourselves in each other but that would still be about the activity rather than the reaction to something greater than you. You could say that the action/chemistry of partner dancing is accelerated to a point where it causes you to move beyond just the activity. I'd imagine that with the music as the catalyst the reaction becomes self sustaining and requires little conscious effort from either partner. You move beyond your 'self' into a greater field and includes the energy of both your partner, yourself and the music.

Perhaps this is where trying to define that 'thing' get's a bit fuzzy because it's not something we can put our hands on. We'd need to be telepathic/empathic and project the feeling to another person so I'm not sure if it's even possible to describe using words.
[...]
Are we still talking about Salsa?

Sure, we've just focussed on the connection between passion, music and the dancer and let's see where we head next.

I find it interesting, how you talk about the music as being the catalyst to some reaction between the dance partners. But what about those moments in the club or at home, where you're hearing some nice tune and decide to go for some solo grooving? Can't there be some passion in your dancing then as well? In those situations there's no partner and therefo no reaction for which the music can be a catalyst.

Maybe it's better to think about the music as some kind of key? But I'm not sure about that analogy either. I think I might agree with you that it's at least difficult (maybe even impossible?) to find some analogy for the music and how it influences us and our dancing.

Isn't dancing for us about more then just hearing the music and throwing some (crazy?) patterns at our partner and later repeat that process with somebody else? Isn't dancing for us about feeling the music in our heart and mind and create varios feelings as boriken mentioned? So, if you want to keep the chemical aspect, the music is becoming rather a partner for the reaction that creates the feelings then just being a catalyst.

So, maybe it's best to just think of the music as being one (big?) influence in being a passionate and emotional dancer?

But let's also try to take it a bit back to salsa: Is the passion (and emotions) in our dancing the source of the often talked about 'flavour' that one can see in some dancer?

P.S.: Hm, maybe this postings sound a bit weird, but I just felt like revisiting this slightly older thread with some (maybe new) thoughts.

 

[Flujo]

I find it interesting, how you talk about the music as being the catalyst to some reaction between the dance partners.

I think Claire was onto something with the catalyst idea but it's never easy trying to define the undefinable anyway. Reading your questions I kept thinking that I don't have a clue, which is true, but there is no harm in trying to break things down I suppose. Being an analytical type it's almost impossible not to give it try.

When you talk about the music acting as a kind of key is that in reference to 'lock and key theory'? That would make more sense than the idea of the music being only the catalyst so it's good you brought that up!

If we switch it around we could say that the music is the key that unlocks our emotions. We could also say that as dance partners we also act as the catalyst for each other. On the flip side poor chemistry could inhibit the flow of the key - the influence of the music or in our chemistry example, the substrate in 'lock and key theory'. Are there any chemistry grads who can see the connection here?

So, maybe it's best to just think of the music as being one (big?) influence in being a passionate and emotional dancer?

It's why we dance. Perhaps some of us start of with this music because we love to dance but soon realise that things have changed and we begin to dance because we love the music. At the moment I LOVE to dance but have started to love (rather than just enjoy) the music too. I wonder if we sometimes confuse the love of dancing with the love of, and passion for the music we're dancing too?

It is one 'big' influence on being a passionate and emotional dancer, I agree. I think it's when you start to love the music, that's when you are potentially a passionate dancer. To be clear, are we talking purely about emotion? Just wanted to clarify that because it's easy to assume that passion automatically comes with the ability to express it. That's not necessarily true. When you're a child you're desire to walk comes long before your ability. I think it's the same with the expression of the emotions music stirs up in us. It takes (a long?) time to learn...

But let's also try to take it a bit back to salsa: Is the passion (and emotions) in our dancing the source of the often talked about 'flavour' that one can see in some dancer?

I think so. Salsa equals sauce/spice/flavour, right? We could go back to what we talked about before. That thing about having control and being considerate when great track is on. Our passion has the potential to make us lose control. Perhaps the flavour in our dance is a result of our ability to find a balance between passion and control?

These posts might be a bit weird but weird can be wonderful when it doesn't scare little children or furry woodland animals. It's all completely harmless.

 

[chrisk]

I think Claire was onto something with the catalyst idea but it's never easy trying to define the undefinable anyway. Reading your questions I kept thinking that I don't have a clue, which is true, but there is no harm in trying to break things down I suppose. Being an analytical type it's almost impossible not to give it try.

I'm not sure if we really talk about the undefinable here or if there's just no real matching analogy for the music and it's influence, etc. Maybe any analogy that we think of will only describe some aspect of the music and there are multiple analogys that are true?

Also I'm not sure if you really lack the clue or if we're just exploring some 'unknown' territory that is seldomly talked about. Looking at borikens post where he talked about fun and passion and how they are different, So I guess we talk here about an issue that is seldomly talked about and where we need to think about various options and interpretations before finding the right one.

When you talk about the music acting as a kind of key is that in reference to 'lock and key theory'? That would make more sense than the idea of the music being only the catalyst so it's good you brought that up!

If we switch it around we could say that the music is the key that unlocks our emotions. We could also say that as dance partners we also act as the catalyst for each other. On the flip side poor chemistry could inhibit the flow of the key - the influence of the music or in our chemistry example, the substrate in 'lock and key theory'. Are there any chemistry grads who can see the connection here?

I wasn't really thinking about that chemical/biological theory, more about the key and lock on the door to your home. But then after thinking more about it, I wonder if maybe the music can be seen as a key and as a catalyst. Not only is the music going to unlock the emotions in us, but isn't it also influencing how we notice and feel those emotions?

But if you think of the idea of the dance partner being the catalyst, is poor chemistry between the dance partners really hindering the flow of the key? Or is the poor chemistry just influencing your communication with the dance partner? And what about those moments where we're solo grooving? There's no dance partner as a catalyst, but the 'reaction' taking place can happen as fast with a dance partner.

It's why we dance. Perhaps some of us start of with this music because we love to dance but soon realise that things have changed and we begin to dance because we love the music. At the moment I LOVE to dance but have started to love (rather than just enjoy) the music too. I wonder if we sometimes confuse the love of dancing with the love of, and passion for the music we're dancing too?

You're asking a very interesting question here. If we consider your assumption to be true, wouldn't we notice this mistake when we try to just listen to the music without taking any steps?

It is one 'big' influence on being a passionate and emotional dancer, I agree. I think it's when you start to love the music, that's when you are potentially a passionate dancer.

I wouldn't say that you are a 'potentially passionate dancer' when you start to love the music. Rather the begin of the love affair with the music is the first step on the road to become a passionate dancer. But if you continue your exposure to the music, your love affair will continue, go deeper and you someday reach the point where you're a 'potentially passionate dancer'.

To be clear, are we talking purely about emotion? Just wanted to clarify that because it's easy to assume that passion automatically comes with the ability to express it. That's not necessarily true. When you're a child you're desire to walk comes long before your ability. I think it's the same with the expression of the emotions music stirs up in us. It takes (a long?) time to learn...

Right, passion is only one very specific of a vast array of emotions. So I'm mostly talking about the emotions that the music creates. And only sometimes stray into the specific emotion named passion, but then I try to make it obvious.

I think so. Salsa equals sauce/spice/flavour, right? We could go back to what we talked about before. That thing about having control and being considerate when great track is on. Our passion has the potential to make us lose control. Perhaps the flavour in our dance is a result of our ability to find a balance between passion and control?

Not completely, salsa means sauce, but spice would be especia and flavour is rather the often talked about sabor.

But I don't want to get back to talk about control and being considerate again. While both is recommended to keep your follow happy, it's not responsible for passion in your dance or showing passion. I was rather thinking if there's any connection between the passion in our dance and the often mentioned 'flavour' that you can see in some dancers. But is that flavour really a result of balance between passion and control? Do we need to control our passion or not just our movement and let our passion run free? Is maybe the flavour that we see in some dancing or in some people related to the passion that they developed for the music?

These posts might be a bit weird but weird can be wonderful when it doesn't scare little children or furry woodland animals. It's all completely harmless.

Right, but I wonder how many members of SF have been afraid of us and are afraid of dancing with us in the future. But then again it's for me just about exploiting and trying to understand the emotional side of the music.

Damn, those posts start to get longer again.

 

[antigone]

fyi, I did follow your pedantic musings for a while, but got a bit uninterested (euphemism, hehe)...no judgement, though, whatever floats your boat. Will still dance

 

[Flujo]

Maybe any analogy that we think of will only describe some aspect of the music and there are multiple analogys that are true?

That's probably true.

I wonder if maybe the music can be seen as a key and as a catalyst.

I kind of responded to your post backwards (last to first) so if you read the response below I've tried to put things a different way by describing in terms of energy rather than chemistry. Hopefully it makes more sense that way. Your example of opening doors works well. Especially if you see the opening of multiple doors as the key to increasing the flow of emotion during a dance. You could have a door for each of the senses, doors for different aspects of the music and so on.

You're asking a very interesting question here. If we consider your assumption to be true, wouldn't we notice this mistake when we try to just listen to the music without taking any steps?

Sure. I'm still not clear on the distinction between between passion for the music and passion for dancing or even if there is one. This one has me stumped. Once again, you think you understand something only to realise you don't have a clue.

Going back to a post by Salseralon:

"I have been thinking about this post, my question is, where should the source of passion come from? Is it the 2 individuals love of the dance, or passion that 2 dancers feel for each other to make the salsa passion seem real."
http://www.salsaforums.com/showpost.php?p=6333&postcount=3
​

Maybe it 'is' all about emotion. Maybe music is simply the expression of raw emotion that when played becomes entangled with our own feelings which is why it is so hard to talk about without going around in circles like ants on a Möbius strip . Maybe they are one in the same. Dance is the visual/physical, music is the aural. So to answer you question, we don't need music to be passionate dancers but music certainly amplifies whatever we feel without it. Just as a partner amplifies and changes what we feel compared to when dancing alone.

Back to the energy aspect. Maybe there is no need for a distinction. It's all energy (light, sound, vibrations). When we are exposed to energies with familiar and pleasing vibrations to our own then those energies are amplified within us. It could be your partner, the music or both. Perhaps on some level being a passionate dancer is about being aware of this effect and letting it influence your actions in a positive way. We could say that a potentially passionate dancer would have an awareness of the effect music & dance have on them. The next step would be to learn how to express it; to translate the emotional into the visual.

Right, passion is only one very specific of a vast array of emotions. So I'm mostly talking about the emotions that the music creates. And only sometimes stray into the specific emotion named passion, but then I try to make it obvious.

I'm not sure what you mean chrisk...could you put it a different way?

Not completely, salsa means sauce, but spice would be especia and flavour is rather the often talked about sabor.

Thanks. Sauce has flavour though doesn't it? Sauce can be spicy as well as sweet. It can be many things depending on your taste. Sensual, hot, racy, mellow, take your pick.

I was rather thinking if there's any connection between the passion in our dance and the often mentioned 'flavour' that you can see in some dancers.

Isn't flavour a product of expression? Trust me, it would be a little scary for some to let their passion run free on a crowded floor, especially if you are excitable or a bit of a nutter.

Right, but I wonder how many members of SF have been afraid of us and are afraid of dancing with us in the future. But then again it's for me just about exploiting and trying to understand the emotional side of the music.

Hahaha. I hear you chrisk. There's nothing wrong with trying to understand something you are curious about even if it does make people think you are weird.
And yes, the posts are getting longer again. This one is huge! We don't have to reply to 'everything' you know even though it's hard to see anything in your posts that can be left without a response. I did try to merge some questions into one so if I've missed any of your points please let me know.

The philosophy of dance through 21st century technology!

 

[Flujo]

fyi, I did follow your pedantic musings for a while, but got a bit uninterested (euphemism, hehe)...no judgement, though, whatever floats your boat. Will still dance

Haha, say what you mean love. I could see how all this would be pretty boring to a lot of people. It's not really something you talk about is it. It's more something you go out and experience. I suppose you could compare it to having a lengthy discussion about eating a huge, rich, creamy chocolate cake with a cherry filling. MMMmmmm. Who wants to talk about that...you'd rather just eat it. Then again, where do the cherries come from, what's the consistency of the cream, dark or milk chocolate, topping or no topping, hand mix or food processor. You catch my drift...

Looking through the old posts the discussions never really lasted more than a month anyway. Ah well. Different strokes...

 

[aliba]

Your example of opening doors works well. Especially if you see the opening of multiple doors as the key to increasing the flow of emotion during a dance. You could have a door for each of the senses, doors for different aspects of the music and so on.

I've been following this thread with some interest for a while now; it hits close to home since I've longed to understand passion--its provenance, its power--for many years now. While I can identify with the excitement of that certain catalytic tremor brought on by a powerful song, for me the music is in no way the only key to a passionate dance.

And believe, I love a passionate dance.

I like Flujo's reference to a series of doors, which isn't too dissimilar from my own mental image of layers progressively being peeled away: if you take an onion, for instance, the outer skin is dry, flaking, and dull. It's not wholly unpleasant, but there is certainly something better to be found just beneath the surface if you put forth the slightest effort to discover it. The deeper you go, with each successive layer pulled back, the juicier, the plumper, the shinier, the sweeter things get until you reach the center core. If you've ever danced in an onion's heart, well, it's enough to make you cry ;-)

The layers aren't locked in static positions, and there may be different layers to each dance, but usually I find that eye contact, physical connection, a visible love for the music and dance, musicality, and non-verbal communication leave my heart throbbing hardest.

I've been told that I'm a very expressive dancer, but it is not a given. On more than one occasion, a guy has asked me why I'm being "so serious" while dancing with him. Truthfully, it requires a lot of effort on my part to inject feeling into the dance if I don't have a good song to work with and if the guy doesn't feed me any form of communication--a sideways glance, a sparkling eye, a warm smile--anything to hint that they feel something deeper than a desire to execute a few moves. The dance stays on that outermost layer, thin and dry, and while being perfectly pleasant, it doesn't open any doors to passion

 

[sweavo]

I've been told that I'm a very expressive dancer, but it is not a given. On more than one occasion, a guy has asked me why I'm being "so serious" while dancing with him. Truthfully, it requires a lot of effort on my part to inject feeling into the dance if I don't have a good song to work with and if the guy doesn't feed me any form of communication--a sideways glance, a sparkling eye, a warm smile--anything to hint that they feel something deeper than a desire to execute a few moves. The dance stays on that outermost layer, thin and dry, and while being perfectly pleasant, it doesn't open any doors to passion

** books self on plane to baltimore **

 

[antigone]

I've been told that I'm a very expressive dancer, but it is not a given. On more than one occasion, a guy has asked me why I'm being "so serious" while dancing with him. Truthfully, it requires a lot of effort on my part to inject feeling into the dance if I don't have a good song to work with and if the guy doesn't feed me any form of communication--a sideways glance, a sparkling eye, a warm smile--anything to hint that they feel something deeper than a desire to execute a few moves. The dance stays on that outermost layer, thin and dry, and while being perfectly pleasant, it doesn't open any doors to passion

I bet I'll get there before sweavo. I'm going to be in Baltimore in October. You've got to let me know what the good places are (The only place I knew, Gardel's, closed down last time I went). And maybe we can meet up.