Sensuous: Adjective. 1) Relating to or affecting the senses rather than the intellect.
Sensuous dancing is a type of dancing that affects the senses of the dancers, as well as those watching. It involves as many of the senses as possible: sight, sound, smell and touch. The sense of sight is really for the spectators, but the feeling of being gazed upon is itself a unique sense, heightened by give and take between the dancers and the spectators watching. Sound is elemental to dancing, as it is the language through which the dancers communicate. The sense of smell can be quite activated when the dancers are in close proximity to each other. And of course, it's the sense of touch that uniquely defines sensuous dancing. While the music is the language, it's touch that is doing the communicating.
Social dancing, ever since its first recorded history and specifically noted in the western civilization cultures, has been partner dancing. It was only in the late 1950s when three major factors brought the rise of solo dancing into the realm of social dances.
The first factor was the change in the type of music to the less-danceable-with-a-partner genre. Specifically, the development of counter-cultural music such as the psychedelic music of the later Beatles, Grateful Dead, and the Byrds; or the introduction of heavy metal. Neither genres are particularly amenable to dancing with a partner. A lot of rock'n'roll of the 1950s and 1960s are not partner-danceable. It's fun to do the twist to Twist And Shout, but try and figure out a decent dance style for it. Hmm...
The second factor was the counter-cultural movement where the younger generation - the late baby-boomers - rebelled against the overly paternalistic rules-conscious parents. At that time, parents dictated everything in the lives of the baby-boomer teenagers. Those who rebelled grew out their hair, wore short skirts and jeans, smoked and took drugs. And in dancing, where parents attempted to instill the rules of partner dancing, the youths rebelled by dancing solo.
The third factor was the advent of television and the vast broadcasting reach of American Bandstand and other afternoon dance shows. Such shows gave validation to dancing solo and not touching one's partner.
Oh, there's a fourth factor: Elvis Presley. Elvis's gyrations on stage captured the lustful desires of every woman and envious ideations of every man. Gone, instantly, were the days of leading or following with a partner. Elvis's act also engendered another cultural aspect that erupted in the mid-50s and early-60s. Elvis crossed the racial divide with music that included much of the negro style of that era. Racial desegregation, or what amounted to it, did not extend to partner dancing in mixed race situations. An adventurous woman might be inclined to dance with black men, but not so much as to be touched by them.
And thus, a whole generation missed out on the joys of partner dancing within the social realm. Fortunately, partner dancing is coming back, helped by Dancing With The Stars, and the movies Ballroom, Shall We Dance, and the Antonio Banderas vehicle, Take The Lead.
But partner dancing, as taught at most dance schools, cannot escape the two main complaints. The first complaint is the difficulty in learning all those steps for a particular genre of music. The second complaint is the lack of spontaneity: the dance steps are so rote-like. Oh, and there's a third: "So I'm learning cha-cha. When the heck do I get to dance cha-cha outside of this ballroom studio?"
What is needed is a new dance style that addresses these three complaints. It should be easy to learn without a lot of different steps for each dance music, ability to make improvised and spontaneous dance moves, and something that can make me (and my dance partner) look great at the next nightclub. Well, here it is, Eric's very own sensuous dance.
What is sensuous dance? It's the culmination of over twenty years of dancing, combined with many years of impromptu dancing at nightclubs and bars with lots of different women and a clear understanding of how to teach these actions in a way that anyone can understand. The first main difference between sensuous dance and whatever dance steps one learns at ballroom studios is that there are no steps to memorize. The dancers, both the leader and the follower, are free to make up any step they want.
How does it work? Well, obviously, it would be very difficult to explain it in written words. The main point is that, through touch, one can get a more enjoyable dancing experience than just shaking one's booty. There are some people, of course, who prefer to individualize his or her movements. And, there are some who are difficult to lead (or follow). The end result of sensuous dancing is mutual enjoyment, a sense of connection, and a meeting of souls.
Sensuous dancing is a type of dancing that affects the senses of the dancers, as well as those watching. It involves as many of the senses as possible: sight, sound, smell and touch. The sense of sight is really for the spectators, but the feeling of being gazed upon is itself a unique sense, heightened by give and take between the dancers and the spectators watching. Sound is elemental to dancing, as it is the language through which the dancers communicate. The sense of smell can be quite activated when the dancers are in close proximity to each other. And of course, it's the sense of touch that uniquely defines sensuous dancing. While the music is the language, it's touch that is doing the communicating.
Social dancing, ever since its first recorded history and specifically noted in the western civilization cultures, has been partner dancing. It was only in the late 1950s when three major factors brought the rise of solo dancing into the realm of social dances.
The first factor was the change in the type of music to the less-danceable-with-a-partner genre. Specifically, the development of counter-cultural music such as the psychedelic music of the later Beatles, Grateful Dead, and the Byrds; or the introduction of heavy metal. Neither genres are particularly amenable to dancing with a partner. A lot of rock'n'roll of the 1950s and 1960s are not partner-danceable. It's fun to do the twist to Twist And Shout, but try and figure out a decent dance style for it. Hmm...
The second factor was the counter-cultural movement where the younger generation - the late baby-boomers - rebelled against the overly paternalistic rules-conscious parents. At that time, parents dictated everything in the lives of the baby-boomer teenagers. Those who rebelled grew out their hair, wore short skirts and jeans, smoked and took drugs. And in dancing, where parents attempted to instill the rules of partner dancing, the youths rebelled by dancing solo.
The third factor was the advent of television and the vast broadcasting reach of American Bandstand and other afternoon dance shows. Such shows gave validation to dancing solo and not touching one's partner.
Oh, there's a fourth factor: Elvis Presley. Elvis's gyrations on stage captured the lustful desires of every woman and envious ideations of every man. Gone, instantly, were the days of leading or following with a partner. Elvis's act also engendered another cultural aspect that erupted in the mid-50s and early-60s. Elvis crossed the racial divide with music that included much of the negro style of that era. Racial desegregation, or what amounted to it, did not extend to partner dancing in mixed race situations. An adventurous woman might be inclined to dance with black men, but not so much as to be touched by them.
And thus, a whole generation missed out on the joys of partner dancing within the social realm. Fortunately, partner dancing is coming back, helped by Dancing With The Stars, and the movies Ballroom, Shall We Dance, and the Antonio Banderas vehicle, Take The Lead.
But partner dancing, as taught at most dance schools, cannot escape the two main complaints. The first complaint is the difficulty in learning all those steps for a particular genre of music. The second complaint is the lack of spontaneity: the dance steps are so rote-like. Oh, and there's a third: "So I'm learning cha-cha. When the heck do I get to dance cha-cha outside of this ballroom studio?"
What is needed is a new dance style that addresses these three complaints. It should be easy to learn without a lot of different steps for each dance music, ability to make improvised and spontaneous dance moves, and something that can make me (and my dance partner) look great at the next nightclub. Well, here it is, Eric's very own sensuous dance.
What is sensuous dance? It's the culmination of over twenty years of dancing, combined with many years of impromptu dancing at nightclubs and bars with lots of different women and a clear understanding of how to teach these actions in a way that anyone can understand. The first main difference between sensuous dance and whatever dance steps one learns at ballroom studios is that there are no steps to memorize. The dancers, both the leader and the follower, are free to make up any step they want.
How does it work? Well, obviously, it would be very difficult to explain it in written words. The main point is that, through touch, one can get a more enjoyable dancing experience than just shaking one's booty. There are some people, of course, who prefer to individualize his or her movements. And, there are some who are difficult to lead (or follow). The end result of sensuous dancing is mutual enjoyment, a sense of connection, and a meeting of souls.