After changing out of your classic pumpkin and ghost outfits from Halloween, switch into your best “Dancing with the Stars” costumes and head over to Galaxy Dance Studios for the two blues dance workshops that will take place Sunday afternoon.
What exactly is blues dancing, you ask?
A dictionary definition describes it as one of the earliest combinations of European ballroom traditions with African rhythms. Modern blues dancing is very open to musical interpretation, and styles of dancing range just as much as the styles of music.
“Although most people think blues music is always slow and sad, there’s actually quite a lot of up-tempo and/or optimistic songs,” said event instructor Campbell Miller. “Dancers often push the limit of what is considered ‘blues’ and dance to everything from techno to tango.“
In other words, blues is what you make it.
“The main difference from other ballroom dances is the flexibility in the moves,” Miller said. “Once you know how to connect with your partner and the general blues aesthetic, almost anything goes.”
Because of its flexible nature, blues’ popularity is growing rapidly in the United States, especially among younger generations.
Sunday’s “Solo Blues” class will cover individual movement, body control and everything that makes dancing by yourself fun. Following “Solo Blues,” a second class called “Blaerials” (blues + aerials) will cover basing and flying, or the skills to lift one’s partner into or fly through the air.
For those who can’t make this weekend, Holiday Blues Weekend will be Dec. 11-13 and includes two days of classes and three nights of dancing.
But if you’re not quite ready to put on your dancing shoes, you can watch blues dancing around Austin. The Blues Association of Austin runs a weekly dance venue called Kick Butt Blues every Friday night at Kick Butt Coffee, Campbell said.
Register online at CampbellAndChris.com.
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