What is Blues Dancing?
There are many definitions of Blues Dancing and blues music. We are primarily interested in the forms of music and dance that are occurring in the social partnered Blues dancing scene of today. This form of Blues has been exploding as a dance in its own right across North America and starting to hit the other continents.improvising their own variations."
Jazz Dance: The Story of American Vernacular Dance
by Marshall Winslow Stearns, Jean Stearns, page 153
What does it look like?
The type of Blues Dancing that we do is centered on very strong partner connection with the basis being pulsing weight changes. The current form of partnered Blues dance as a social scene actually evolved out of the Swing/Jazz partner dancing scene, though original Blues Dancing is actually one of the parents to Swing and Jazz. The sense of a dance based on "walking" with deep connection also shares some similarities to Tango, though all three are distinct dances. Unlike Tango, Blues is driven by a deep pulse found in the music, and this pulse drives the movement as well as the feel or spirit of the dance, which is much "earthier" than the "airy" and light feel of Tango. We have often described Blues Dancing as similar to a slow swing dance where "hyperconnectedness" is the focus rather than "moves" or footwork. This is, of course, an oversimplification. Better than words, it might help to actually view some of our video examplesWhat does it sound like?
With that in mind, here are some samples of some of our favorite songs to hopefully give you an idea of the "Blues" that drives us. Some of it fits in the canonical definition of "Blues Music" and some of it just feels wonderful to Blues Dance to.Absolute Favorites
- Dr. Feelgood, Aretha Franklin
- The Thrill Is Gone, B.B. King
- The Thrill Is Gone shorter, B.B. King
- Ain t No Sunshine, Bill Withers
- I Live The Life I Love, Buddy Guy
- Summertime, Gene Harris with Ray Brown
- St. James Infirmary, Lou Rawls
- Feeling Good, Nina Simone
- Night And Day, Ray Charles
- Blues My Naughty Sweetie Gives, Sidney Bechet
More Choices
- Got My Mojo Workin, Asylum Street Spankers
- Son of a Preacher Man, Bobbie Gentry
- Green Onions, Booker T. & The MGs
- Travelin Shoes, Chambers Brothers
- Dope, Clarence Gatemouth Brown
- I d Rather Go Blind, Etta James
- Down Home Blues, Gene Harris & Jack McDuff
- Midnight Train to Georgia sam, Gladys Knight
- You Got Me Runnin, Joe Turner-Jimmy Witherspoon
- Night Time Is The Right Time, Joe Turner with Count Basie
- Tobacco Road, Lou Rawls
- I Put A Spell On You, Nina Simone
- I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free, Nina Simone
- The Vibrator.samp, Down Home Style
