Dancing for some people is an easy thing to do spontaneously. And for others they need to be a little drunk or only can dance when no one is around. Then there is every combination possible, but those are the two main categories. I would fall into the second category, claiming I don't dance "cause I'm too white" and really have no real coordination.
Dancing to me is something I can only do when my heart is in it. I have a lot of respect for people who dance without care...but I am not one of those people. I get super self conscious when it comes to dancing. The only time I find myself dancing is at a great live show where it is as if I'm possessed by the music. I just can't dance to any music and I especially can't dance to music I hate.
My idea of dancing is what I call "moshing." Sometimes folks make a point of mentioning it's instead called "slam dancing" but ultimately I think it's a generational thing. Moshing and slam dancing are the same thing. Moshing is what I do. From the first concert I ever went to I worked my way up to the front to get as close as I could to the rock star. I was often in the heart or front of the pit, and I took great joy in the rush and the bruises. For a period of time I thought dying in a mosh pit was a glorious way to die: until I almost got trampled to death at a Nine Inch Nails concert. My opinion on that quickly changed.
 |
| Where You Stand at a Show and What It Says About You |
From Wikipedia: Moshing, also known early on as “slamdancing”, is a style of dance whose participants push or slam into each other. It is most associated with “aggressive” music genres, such as hardcore punk and numerous styles of metal. It is primarily done to live music, although it can be done to recorded music.
Variations of moshing exist, and can be done alone as well as in groups. Moshing usually happens in a “pit” (sometimes called a mosh pit or “circle pit”) and is intended to be energetic and full of body contact. Variations include “pogoing” (mostly jumping up and down) and the more extreme wall of death, and are typically done in an area in the center of the crowd, generally closer to the stage.
There is also something epic and bonding about going to rock shows and being in the pit. You are literally in the middle of everything, in the heart of the storm, with best view you can find. Every so often you'll deal with creepers if you're a female. Some dudes will take this as an opportunity to grab you and hump you like a Chihuahua humping your leg. Then there's people who get too violent, and become dicks and start fights. For the most part it's an endorphin rushing experience in a positive way. Similar to when a friend goes dancing all night at a club, you're getting a serious exercise moshing in the pit. If you are petite like me, mosh pits can be more dangerous. I always wear steel toe boots to protect my feet and keep myself grounded.
The other "dance move" I do out of the whole 2 is "pogoing" which is pretty much just jumping up and down. It's a basic gut instinct punk move default. Punk makes you excited and for some reason it makes you wanna jump. Dancing in recent culture has been all about Gangnam Style and Twerking. Both dances look ridiculous to me and the songs hurt my brain. Obviously someone like me wants to hear fist pumping rock. You will never see me twerk. Dancing is something I can't control, and I like it that way. I just find myself awkwardly, genuinely doing it. If you play Ramones while I'm crossing the dance floor, you bet I'm gonna have to boogie.
Comments