Paddy Eger's Blog - Posts Tagged "dance"
Dance, Dance, Dance
I've enjoyed writing about dance because my dance lessons were an important part of my life until I was twenty. I tried tap, ballet, pointe, character and jazz, but never tumbling. When I got half way upside down, I lost all sense of direction and space. I’d fall back onto the mat or the nearby floor in a heap.
Tap was the easiest for me. My black patent shoes had loose taps on the toes and solid taps fastened to the heels. Walking was noisy, like jingle bells. Each year I enjoyed the chance to create increasingly complex sound patterns; I even learned a routine that had me dancing up and down steps.
I started lessons at three, doing ‘toe-heel’ walks, and ‘shuffle-steps’. It was intended that both feet learned to do the same steps. I was sufficiently coordinated so changing back and forth never bothered me. In addition to learning the combinations through repetition, I used the sound of the steps and their placement on the floor to remember them.
My most interesting tap routine was created by Danny Hoctor. He recorded one side of the 78 record with the music as well as the sound of his feet dancing the steps so a dancer could “copy” the sounds and steps. After I learned the routine, I turned over the record and danced using only the music. That routine never left my brain.
Ballet and pointe were a struggle, but I learned and performed both. In junior high I wanted to be a ballerina until I realized I was too gangly and inflexible to succeed. Even with years of lessons and practice, my feet never turned out enough and my legs never extended high enough to fulfill that dream.
One thrill lasted throughout my life; watching professional dancers perform. In my early teens Margie Speck took our dance class to Seattle. We dressed in our best outfits and rode the ferry to see the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo and the Sadler Wells Ballet. Seeing their costumes, watching them spin and move gracefully across the stage inspired us; we went home anxious to create our own magical performances.
During my junior high years, the then-new Joffrey Ballet used our dance studio to warm up before a performance at the local auditorium. Being close to true professionals, watching them perform the same warm-ups I’d done for years, sweating and repeating their routines while wearing black leotards impressed and surprised me. It made me realize it wasn’t what they wore that inspired; it was what how they dances.
About that same time, I began jazz dance classes. The movements were contrary to ballet’s prescribed foot placement and rounded arm positions. I loved the freedom to bend, slide, stick out my elbows and bounce to the beat. My favorite music was “Peter Gun”. I carried that dance to several contests and performances, adding my own style.
Character dances were fun as well. We learned Hawaiian, Hindi, Irish jigs, the Mexican Hat dance, Can-can, Russian folk dances, the Charleston and more I’ve forgotten. We performed comic routines to Tennessee Ernie Ford’s “Shotgun Boogie”, Leroy Anderson’s “The Waltzing Cat, and the then popular “Rock Around the Clock”. We enjoyed the chance to "cut loose".
When I was teaching in the co-op school, PCEP, I conned five teachers to join me in dancing for a school family event. I created simple steps for “Rock Around the Clock”. We practiced a handful to times, but I doubt they forgave me for their perceived embarrassment that night. I had a blast!
Across the years the genre that became preeminent for me was classical. Whenever I wanted to relax or work through a problem, I turned on classical music; most especially ballet music. The combination of musical instruments playing and the rhythms created a sense of well-being throughout my body and mind.
Dancing so many years allowed me to entertain in a variety of locales beyond recitals. From grade school upward I entertained in solos and groups for school programs, the Navy hospital, local granges, Elks and Eagles parties, the Seattle World’s Fair, two talent contests. I loved moving, feeling my body explore the music. Perhaps that's enough reason for any of us to dance.
Tap was the easiest for me. My black patent shoes had loose taps on the toes and solid taps fastened to the heels. Walking was noisy, like jingle bells. Each year I enjoyed the chance to create increasingly complex sound patterns; I even learned a routine that had me dancing up and down steps.
I started lessons at three, doing ‘toe-heel’ walks, and ‘shuffle-steps’. It was intended that both feet learned to do the same steps. I was sufficiently coordinated so changing back and forth never bothered me. In addition to learning the combinations through repetition, I used the sound of the steps and their placement on the floor to remember them.
My most interesting tap routine was created by Danny Hoctor. He recorded one side of the 78 record with the music as well as the sound of his feet dancing the steps so a dancer could “copy” the sounds and steps. After I learned the routine, I turned over the record and danced using only the music. That routine never left my brain.
Ballet and pointe were a struggle, but I learned and performed both. In junior high I wanted to be a ballerina until I realized I was too gangly and inflexible to succeed. Even with years of lessons and practice, my feet never turned out enough and my legs never extended high enough to fulfill that dream.
One thrill lasted throughout my life; watching professional dancers perform. In my early teens Margie Speck took our dance class to Seattle. We dressed in our best outfits and rode the ferry to see the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo and the Sadler Wells Ballet. Seeing their costumes, watching them spin and move gracefully across the stage inspired us; we went home anxious to create our own magical performances.
During my junior high years, the then-new Joffrey Ballet used our dance studio to warm up before a performance at the local auditorium. Being close to true professionals, watching them perform the same warm-ups I’d done for years, sweating and repeating their routines while wearing black leotards impressed and surprised me. It made me realize it wasn’t what they wore that inspired; it was what how they dances.
About that same time, I began jazz dance classes. The movements were contrary to ballet’s prescribed foot placement and rounded arm positions. I loved the freedom to bend, slide, stick out my elbows and bounce to the beat. My favorite music was “Peter Gun”. I carried that dance to several contests and performances, adding my own style.
Character dances were fun as well. We learned Hawaiian, Hindi, Irish jigs, the Mexican Hat dance, Can-can, Russian folk dances, the Charleston and more I’ve forgotten. We performed comic routines to Tennessee Ernie Ford’s “Shotgun Boogie”, Leroy Anderson’s “The Waltzing Cat, and the then popular “Rock Around the Clock”. We enjoyed the chance to "cut loose".
When I was teaching in the co-op school, PCEP, I conned five teachers to join me in dancing for a school family event. I created simple steps for “Rock Around the Clock”. We practiced a handful to times, but I doubt they forgave me for their perceived embarrassment that night. I had a blast!
Across the years the genre that became preeminent for me was classical. Whenever I wanted to relax or work through a problem, I turned on classical music; most especially ballet music. The combination of musical instruments playing and the rhythms created a sense of well-being throughout my body and mind.
Dancing so many years allowed me to entertain in a variety of locales beyond recitals. From grade school upward I entertained in solos and groups for school programs, the Navy hospital, local granges, Elks and Eagles parties, the Seattle World’s Fair, two talent contests. I loved moving, feeling my body explore the music. Perhaps that's enough reason for any of us to dance.
