by Rick Moore
If you missed last Sundays Pride 97 benefit at the Renegade, you missed one terrific time. It was great to get out and socialize and meet some friends I havent seen in a while. I happened to run into two of my friends who work at the Iguana Grill. Kelley, a statuesque, beautiful girl who could grace the cover of any model magazine, and Max, a talented artist with good looks and a wild imagination. When the lights went down after the benefit auction, the music started and people began to move to the dance floor. I asked Kelley and Max if they would like to dance. Kelley said yes, but Max hesitated. She informed me that she didnt really know how to dance. Get outta here!
Surprised? Im not. It seems that we take for granted that people know how to dance. Dancing seems instinctive because its been with the human race for ages. As for the history of dance, no one knows when it began, but it is very deeply intertwined with our culture. Animals even perform dance-like movements during courtship and play. Just go to the Renegade if you want to see it live.
Theyve even found prehistoric cave paintings from more than 20,000 years ago that show figures in animal costumes who seem to be dancing, possibly in hunting or fertility rituals. Or perhaps theyre just pictures of those wide-eyed aliens that everyone reads about in Time magazine today (think about it).
Non-western cultures have dances that may look simple to an outsider, but often they are part of complicated rituals that involve highly sophisticated religious or philosophical ideas. Is this how disco got started? Because most of dances are for participation, they must be easy to learn. These societies may also perform presentational dances, for instance, like country line dancing.
Folk dances were the source of the social dances of the nobility in the Middle Ages, Renaissance, and baroque eras. With the growth of the middle class, social dancing continued to expand beyond the aristocracy and became popular in Europe and North America, including Rehoboth.
Immigrant groups were a major force in starting new forms of dance, such as square dancing and tap dancing. New ballroom dances were popularized by the American dancers Irene and Vernon Castle before World War I, and now in the 1990s, ballroom dancing has made a huge comeback. I enjoy watching it on TV when they have the competitions. Oh, the costumes! Later, the fox-trot and Latin dances such as the tango, rumba, and cha-cha also came into prominence.
Afro-American dance movements were integrated into popular dances such as the cakewalk, the Charleston, the black bottom, the big apple, and the jitterbug. In fact, Sunday night, I saw Cliff Diver and his girlfriend doing the jitterbug out on the dance floor. Some dances never go out of style.
Eventually, all this energy worked its way into the rock-and-roll dances of the 1950s and 60s. Boy could Elviss pelvis move. If you remember the 60s, you remember Chubby Checker and the twist (not "twister.") Though I was just a wee lad back then and can hardly remember, I do remember being taught the twist by my big brothers. In the 60s, the trend was to dance without touching your partner. Very hygienic, dont you think? I guess with all those hippies and yippies around, maybe it was better that you didnt touch your partner.
Couples dancing returned in the 1970s and 80s with dances such as the hustle, performed to disco music. In the mid-80s, acrobatic break dancing to hip-hop music became popular throughout the country. Drop to the floor and spin like a top! Why, even Michael Jacksons moonwalk is one great piece of dancing. How in the world does he do that?
Did you know that many top box-office draws in the 1930s, 40s, and 50s were fabulous dancers? For example, we all know who Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire were. You might even remember the fiasco last year when Astaire was digitally remastered in a film clip to dance with a vacuum cleaner for a commercial. Ginger had to be rolling in her grave! Who can forget Gene Kelly who was Singing in the Rain? And yes, that gay icon Judy Garland was one great hoofer.
For those of you over the legal age of 21, you probably remember several great choreographers, including Agnes de Mille (who did Oklahoma) and Bob Fosse, (who did Cabaret.) Why, a musical wouldnt be a musical without a major dance number. Would West Side Story be as interesting without the dancing? (Note to readers: Natalie Wood didnt sing, it was dubbed.)
What Im getting to (finally) folks, is that dancing is fun, and one great form of exercise. Actually, you may not realize that youre exercising. If you weigh 175 lbs, an hours worth of contemporary dancing burns 279 caloriesenough to chow down on an extra Egg McMuffin. Ever been on the dance floor when all the guys take their shirts off? Theyve worked themselves up into a frenzy and are sweating profusely... So the next time youre out in the clubs, let yourself go. My friend Osa uses dancing for her aerobic exercises on the weekend. Shes on the dance floor for hours. Move to the beat and enjoy.
Oh yes, and Max and Kelley, the last time I saw them, they were both dancing their hearts out on the floor boxes. Boy, can Max dance now.
Rick Moore is certified as a personal trainer by the organization of American Fitness Professionals and Associates. He believes in drug-free, common- sense training and a healthy lifestyle. Visit Rick on the internet at http://www.enrapt.com/ricksfitness, or call him at home, (302) 684-0316.
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8/8/97 Issue. Copyright 1997 by CAMP Rehoboth, Inc. All rights reserved.