Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Rockabilly dancing...for the uneducated

As I have mentioned many times in my blogs, I love to dance. I didn't always know how to dance, since I have a husband that doesn't know how. After years of watching the dance floors at rockabilly shows, longingly, I asked my friend Christian to teach me how. I want to use this blog to show some of the different styles of rockabilly dancing.

There are basically 3 styles of dance, Strollin', Jivin' and Boppin'.All three have a different style of music. It's hard to discern the different types of music at first. Boppers are faster and more up tempo than jivers, and strollers are a little more R&B, which is the best way I know how to describe it.

First, there is strolling. Strolling or "strollin'" is mostly a girls dance, although there is usually some drunk guy along the edge of the dance floor trying to stroll with the girls. Strollin' is kind of like a peacock dance. It's the time when the girls get out and strut their stuff so all the guys can admire them, and all the girls who decided to sit it out can talk shit about them.

Don't forget to shut off the music before you watch the videos!

Here's a clip from youtube that was taken at the High Rockabilly in Spain:


 Now we'll go onto jiving. Jiving is partner dancing. It is different from swing dancing, primarily because it's more free form and there is not really organization to it or counting steps involved. Some dancers do incorporate swing dance and jitterbug moves into their jive. Jiving is partner dancing that is all about feeling the music and once I figured out how to follow, I could dance with anyone that could lead.



Now we move on to boppin'! Boppin' is really just free form dancing. Sometimes it looks like retarded 80s dancing, but sometimes, I just can't stop staring when some really good boppers are out on the floor. There are some standard type of skipping steps that a lot of people do, and I don't really have much style when I bop. I just have fun moving to the music.


Hope you all enjoyed this, although I know more than half my readers are good dancers, themselves.

17 comments:

Betty2Tone said...

Cool videos! The last one reminded me of slow skanking so now I want to go listen to some ska :)

Kim said...

I think skanking evolved from bopping.

Betty2Tone said...

I believe it!

Anonymous said...

Funny that you need to explain the essential lol ;)

Dolly Cool Clare said...

I cant dance but want to learn how...same problem - no one to learn with! My OH does not want to dance, and I'm a bit scared to go to a class on my own. I can stroll though (although thats not hard!) I taught myself off You Tube clips!!

Some Like it Vintage.com said...

Wow how much fun is that! I love dancing too, but unfortunately do not get much opportunity...

Kim said...

I know that a lot of people that read my blog know how to dance, but I think I get some visitors that don't, so I thought I'd show the lurkers what I'm talking about :-)

@Dolly...I finally just asked one of my guy friends who loves to dance to teach me, and in 15 minutes he had me jiving. One of these days I'll make my husband learn.

Unknown said...

Fun fun fun! Bopping is really funny, I love doing it, but I can mostly only do it when I am drunk and it is dark, because I think I look so silly. No matter how many people tell me that I dont look silly, I still feel that way!

XOXO
Dollie

Kim said...

Dollie, I'm a total clod when bop, but I don't care...just enjoying the music :-)

Mrs. Jeffries said...

I like the new look of the blog...very classy ms. kim!

Mrs Munster said...

Great post. I've been trying to get my head around strolling but just cannot get it right. Bobbin is more my style :)Especially in the 80's retarted dancing way :)

Incendiary Blonde said...

I LOVE dancing....and I LOVE your new blog layout! :)

Kim said...

Thanks Mel, It's about time I made it more sophisticated :-)

Sarsaparilla said...

I guess I'm one of those lurkers - because I don't know how to dance either! Well, maybe a little. I've seen dancers do the stroll and jiving - but never boppin'. How fun! Very funny that you said that sometimes it looks like "retarded 80's dancing." :-)

Kim said...

You are not a lurker! You comment, hehe. I meant for the non-bloggers who stumble upon my page.

I think it was Rachelle over at La Dolce Vida who I heard the phrase "retarded 80's dancing" from :-) I can't take credit for that!

Carrie at In the Hammock Blog said...

Oh my gosh, I loved Homefront! I have been waiting for it to come out on dvd and it never happens!

I found your blog on Va-Voom Vintage's link up! I'm your newest follower!

http://inthehammockvintage.blogspot.com

Miss Tayva said...

I'm the one who sits back and talks shit about the girls strolling... because they look like zombies most of the time, hahaha!

 

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