Likely all Westerners and many Chinese wonder why Mao Ze Dong is worshipped in China. His tomb is the most prominent one. Etc. But he was an oppressive leader, which was reflected in people’s dress and entertainment. Deng Xiaoping was a lot more lovable. And people could wear nicer clothes and have their hair styled … and DANCE.
Couples usually go dancing for fun. And depending on the tempo of the dance and the length of time they dance, it is also good for fitness. But according to recent research, there is an additional benefit from dancing that doesn’t occur from exercise such as walking or running that produces the same amount of sweat. That benefit is improved balance which, especially for older folks (those same ones that actually know how to do touch dancing), can prevent falls and injuries (sometimes so serious they are hospitalized and die). This benefit comes from the unpredictability of a partner’s actions (similar benefits occur in doubles tennis). Skeptics could point out that the less skillful the dancers, the greater the benefit, while advocates could argue that the more skillful dancers have a lot more alternative moves, so they can surprise their partners in a variety of different ways, providing pleasure both to themselves and to onlookers.
Some of the best songs written about cars are among the best ones for dancing, too. Wilddancer often gets asked by dancers (who’ve had some lessons, so they know the difference between an east coast and a west coast swing, for example) to recommend songs for bands or DJs to play for dancing. Here is our personal list, which fortunately includes seven different dance steps:
1. Cuda Janet (Plymouth Barracuda) by Wild Bill Coggshall (2014) – West Coast Swing
2. Pink Cadillac (Cadillac) by Bruce Springsteen (1984) – Hustle
3. Little GTO (Pontiac GTO) by Ronny and the Daytonas (1964) – East Coast Swing
4. One Piece at a Time (Cadillac) by Johnny Cash (1976) – Country 2-Step
5. Hot Rod Lincoln (Lincoln) by Commander Cody et al (1972) – 10-Step (this is a kind of polka that’s simple but fast; you can see it on YouTube
6. Mustang Sally (Ford Mustang) by Wilson Pickett (1966) – West Coast Swing
7. Little Deuce Coupe (1932 Ford) by Beach Boys (1963) – East Coast Swing
8. Little Red Corvette (Chevrolet Corvette) by Prince (1983) – Cha Cha
9. Jaguar and Thunderbird (Jaguar & Ford Thunderbird) by Chuck Berry – Country 2-Step
10. In My Merry Oldsmobile (Oldsmobile) by Bing Crosby – Viennese Waltz
Social dancing is where you find it. In our persona as Wilddancers we have danced in large public squares and parks in China (as the only Caucasians present–and with the background of a bunch of dance lessons–we naturally drew a crowd, all of whom wanted to dance with each of us). And this outdoor dancing happens in the U.S. as well … especially in places like San Francisco where the weather is usually good. (A little chilly sometimes, but when you’re doing the fast-tempo version of swing called Lindy Hop you get warmed up pretty fast.) Not only is it free, but from a small group with a boombox nearly 20 years ago it has expanded to a group as large as 200 on some Sundays, complete with instructors. This all takes place Sundays from 11am to 2pm on the sidewalk behind the de Young museum in Golden Gate Park.
Most high school baseball players are more comfortable being the lead-off batter or leading off from first base than they are leading a dance partner in a social couples dance. It helped a lot that their dance partners from the Terraces of Los Gatos retirement home were so willing. And with a little coaching from a dance teacher (and likely some nudging from their baseball coach) they were able to pick up a learn at least the basic “box step”. (Of course, they already knew about the batter’s box, so it shouldn’t have been totally foreign to them.) But this experience would get them past the embarrassment of dancing with a female of their own age, and even make them more confident and appealing … something all teenage boys are happy with.
Yeah, we know that “partnering” in ballet isn’t the same as couples social dancing, but if you have never seen the all-male productions of Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo (affectionately referred to as the “Trocks”) you are missing some great entertainment. Before we saw them, we wondered if male ballet dancers (ballerinos) ever wore the pointe shoes that ballerinas do; were their greater weight too much? Not at all. But to see men in leotards (often with considerable chest hair sticking out) and tutus is a hoot. (Unfortunately, the performance we saw included a portion of Swan Lake, so we will never be able to see the real thing without laughing.) But, seriously, these guys have to be really fit, and to dance some roles as men and others as women takes a special body (strong but not too muscular-looking or too heavy to be lifted). All of this requires special training, as described in The Wall Street Journal.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Bill Nye’s favorite pastime is swing dancing. And he understands it as well as he understands the science that has made him a celebrity, because he knows that the women he dances with are all better dancers than he is (as noted in the Wilddancer “For Men Only” subpage). And he shares with Wilddancer a degree in mechanical engineering from Cornell University.
There are lots of routes to success in Silicon Valley. Data Visualization Company founder and CEO Arijit Sengupta took one that might be considered highly unusual … unless you knew how extensive the social couples dancing offerings were at his alma mater. (In fact, a key reason that the Clintons’ daughter Chelsea chose Stanford University was because of its extensive dance offerings. And the dedication and major contributions of of Richard Powers have kept Stanford famous for its dancing.) But what is interesting about Arijit Sengupta is that he has woven dance-inspired ideas—e.g., a “floating floor” for his office or favorite songs for his smartphone’s ringtones—into his business life, as chronicled in Fast Company. His only regret: he doesn’t have enough time to dance anymore because his company is so successful that he is in great demand to lead it and to speak on behalf on the Big Data industry.
Dancing is a great way to stay physically and mentally fit, especially when your day job is on the downswing. Bond trading guru and co-founder of the giant PIMCO recently parted company, which—perhaps along with a couple of drinks–gave him the impetus to overcome his inhibitions and lack of recent practice to take to the dance floor. (For those who don’t recall, Stayin’ Alive was the theme song to both the popular Staying Alive movie and its even more popular predecessor about the hustle dance, Saturday Night Fever.)
Fans of ballet know what partnering means in ballet, which normally does not resemble social couples dancing. But now FJK Dance, the brainchild of Fadi J. Khoury, the Baghdad-born son of an Iraqi ballet director, is mixing ballet with ballroom, Middle Eastern, and jazz dance, including presenting “Tango Unframed” as part of a program at New York Live Arts on July 23 and 24, according to The New York Times.