How to dance soul music

How to dance to northern soul | Life and style

Like any good student, I am telling my teacher how I think something should be done differently. “How about,” I say to my northern soul dance instructor, Sharon Sullivan, “I miss out the tricky shuffle part of this dance step you’re trying to show me and just slide my foot along the floor instead – it’s basically the same thing, right?”

“No,” cries Sharon in horror. “That’s dad dancing! And if I catch you dad dancing on a northern soul dancefloor, I’ll track you down and slap you!”

She’s joking (I think). But she’s also got a point: dancing to northern soul music may be a joyful, cathartic experience, but doing it properly is a serious business. Patience, practice and – initially at least – heaps of concentration are behind the effortless spins and elegant footwork you see at northern soul all-nighters across the country. it simply won’t do to just turn up drunk and jump about.

To understand the dancing you have to understand the music. The northern soul scene blossomed in the 1970s, when DJs would hunt down rare black American soul 45s and bring them back to play in venues across the north-west of England. The music – inspired heavily by the Motown sound, with fast tempos and a simple 4-4 beat – was a dancer’s dream.

Because the scene embraced competitiveness, with DJs trying to outdo each other by playing the rarest vinyl, so too the dancefloor became a showcase for audacious moves: spins, backdrops, high kicks.

Mastering even the most simple steps is no mean feat: there are no formal rules, but the general gist involves gliding across the floor – sliding one foot and swiveling the other – while maintaining good posture and looking straight ahead.

Sharon was a regular on the original scene, but it was only eight years ago that she realised this naturally evolved dance could be broken down into component parts and taught, like any other. She spends three hours with me and Helen Jane, my wife, guiding us through a couple of simple steps: first we learn to position our feet; next we slide along the floor instead of stepping; finally we progress to swivelling one foot as the other one slides.

Certain elements, such as shifting your weight from leg to the other, or quickly taking two steps in the space of a single beat – feel unnatural at first, but Sharon explains that only when these foundations are committed to memory can you transfer your mental energy to expressing yourself on the dancefloor. “The most important thing is, it has to be fun,” she says. Having fun, it seems, takes serious practice.

I’m thrilled by how much we pick up in one lesson. Sharon is a fantastic teacher and by the time we leave, we can (with a bit of concentration, admittedly) perform the two basic steps she’s taught us and also have a few tricks – handclaps, a small spin – up our sleeves to mix things up.

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The next night, I don some suitably authentic baggy trousers and we head for the Sheffield City Hall soul night. It should feel daunting – there are enough dancers from the original scene there to remind us where we stand in the pecking order. Yet, being surrounded by fellow northern soul fans on a proper dancefloor is liberating. Towards the end of the night – both of us drenched in sweat – I find myself switching between the two step patterns we learned without realising I’m doing it, leaving me free to lose myself to the music. I even throw in a few 360 spins and – improbably – a high kick.

Whether we eventually master backdrops and splits, or just remain gliding along in ecstasy to the music, I know one thing is certain: I won’t dad dance again.

Tim stayed at Jurys Inn, Sheffield

For information on northern soul dance lessons with Sharon, or to buy her DVDs, visit northernsouldance.co.uk

Three of the best soul nights

King George’s Hall, Blackburn

Celebrating Wigan Casino’s 41st anniversary – 27 September

Rolls Royce, Derby

Probably the UK’s best-attended monthly soul night – 3 October

Kings Hall, Stoke

The country’s main gathering since 1996 – 4 October

For more information on northern soul nights around the country, visit goldsoul. co.uk

Four moves to practise

1. The backdrop

Drop backwards to the floor on to one or both hands – come back up quickly on the beat.

Illustration: Gary Calton

2. The spin

Make this move your own: pull your arms in or raise them high; spin slow or as fast as you can.

Illustration: Gary Calton

3. The kick

Think martial arts style – keep your balance, but if you topple, turn it into a new move.

Illustration: Gary Calton

4. Shuffle

Move your feet quickly back and forth while heading forwards or backwards.

Illustration: Gary Calton

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Dance Your Way Through the Stax Museum of American Soul Music

We’re going to let you in on something: You don’t have to have lived through the Stax Records era to enjoy a visit to the Stax Museum of American Soul Music in Memphis.

My sister is a decade older than I am, a gap that exposed me to better music than my friends. I remember her telling me about a song I had to hear. She played it, we danced, she played it again. It was “Try A Little Tenderness” by Otis Redding, the first soul song I fell for.

Fast-forward 20 years and I move to Memphis, where I keep hearing about the city’s soul music museum – and memorabilia related to Otis. My sister’s visiting. Perfect.

We park at the museum and start dancing the way we used to. Tunes play from speakers in the parking lot and we sway all the way inside. The film at the top of our tour confirms what we know: Soul music gets you moving. And what we don’t: This is Memphis soul, differentiated from Motown by its grit and serendipity.

The Stax Records Story

Stax Records, where the music was made, was similarly unique: a former theater transformed into a shoestring studio where workaday people could be heard and, perhaps, reborn as something extraordinary. The museum tells their stories . . . Of high-schooler Carla Thomas dropping by to audition. Of Otis begging to sing, having come to Stax as a driver for another act. Of Steve Cropper and Booker T. Jones jamming their way to “Green Onions.” Stax was the studio that became their creative home, a place where raw talents of any age, color or gender could collaborate – even at a time when race divided the city around them. As guitar legend Steve Cropper reminisces in the opening film, “Color never came through the door (at Stax).” In fact, Stax came to stand for hope and to anchor the neighborhood. They called it Soulsville.

What You’ll See at the Stax Museum

Following the film, we jaw-drop at artifacts of the soul explosion: footage of the studio’s legendary 1967 European revue, Cropper’s guitar and Jones’ organ, Isaac Hayes’ gold-trimmed Cadillac, a Hall of Records lined with more than 1,000 cuts, listening stations sampling the hits. Not only “Try A Little Tenderness,” but Otis’ “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of The Bay.” Sam & Dave’s “Hold On, I’m Coming” and “Soul Man.” Eddie Floyd’s “Knock on Wood.” Funky instrumentals like “Last Night,” an early example of the “Memphis Sound,” driven by punchy horns. The museum provides a dance floor if you need it. Parents with their kids, visitors from around the world, celebrities passing through town or perhaps recording music in Memphis – they’ve all danced here.

There’s context, too: accoutrements of soul pioneers like Tina Turner, raised in the Delta blues culture that informs soul; a reconstructed rural church that recalls the genre’s other denominator, gospel. But nothing’s as stunning as the museum’s closing spaces, starting with the recreated Studio A. Recreated because Stax was razed after being forced into bankruptcy in the 1970s. It’s a complex, heartbreaking story detailed in the museum’s final room. Thankfully, the Stax story didn’t end there. In 1999, a group formed the Soulsville Foundation and began planning construction of a museum and music academy on the studio’s original site. Since then, the Stax Music Academy has performed internationally, a public charter school has been established on-site and blues great Memphis Slim’s home has been renovated across the street, creating community practice and recording space.

TAKE A VIRTUAL TOUR OF THE STAX MUSEUM

Catch Free Events During Your Visit to Stax

You’re getting the picture that Stax is more than a museum. And with its year-round lineup of free programming – from lectures and films to live music, virtual tours and opportunities to meet Stax legends – it’s a gathering space for locals and visitors of all ages. Look forward to the museum’s new virtual Black History Month Tour and program in February 2022, followed by a new photography exhibit running March 11-Sept. 4: Love in the Club. The exhibit’s black-and-white photos captured in 1970s dance clubs fit the Stax vibe just right. Bookmark the museum’s events calendar for updates on these and other programs, including a summer celebration of the 50th anniversary of Wattstax and the museum’s 20th anniversary in 2023.

Explore Memphis' Musical Roots

How to start dancing right now — choreographers tell

“It's easier to find yourself in dancing”.
How to take the first step towards the fact that you like

Four professional dancer
about where to find freedom and how to stop comparing yourself with the other

Text: Aina Preston

Dasha

Michelle Beatz

Tagir Gindullin

Eve UVAROVA

Music is a universal instrument that moves the world, it is literally inscribed in our DNA. With its help, we can inspire and shape the pop culture of the present and future here and now. Music is inextricably linked with dance. Dancers feel the rhythm and are able to harmoniously complement the musical composition with movements. It is dance that gives them a powerful emotional release and helps them relax. And to feel this, it is worth taking one small risk - allowing yourself to dissolve into the music and turn off your head. How to take the first step and not be afraid to try what you are drawn to? We deal with Tommy Jeans, PRODANCES and our heroes, who found a common language with their fears and learned to express emotions through music and movements.

DASHA ROLIK

Choice between directions

I consider myself a versatile artist, doing several types of dance, but most of all I am known for the Vogue culture. This is not just a dance style, but a whole culture about protecting the rights of sexual minorities. This culture is very daring: here and now you can look whatever you like - fully comply with fantasies, externally and internally, carry yourself proudly, inventing new images. Vogue is a great occasion to dress up, surprise, delight. Exactly 10 years I have been developing in this direction, and it does not bother me, I constantly learn new things.

Synergy of dance and music

Good composition inspires dance. First came the music, then came the dance. But it also happens that a dance is born in silence, without sounds: when you have the right mood and a visualization of movements is born in your head. But this comes with experience. Of course, dance and music are closely related.

An alternative to dancing

Now, in parallel with dancing, I am developing as a director, producer and co-organizer of dance events, doing photography and video. Therefore, it seems that if it were not for the dance, then my activity would be connected with the organization of cultural events. I like to create, develop and bring something new, inspire myself and others, reveal people, come up with new ideas. I also love to cook, so I could be a great cook.

How the image begins

I focus on my mood, how I look: I can be in different weights, with different colors and lengths of hair. Trends play an important role here. Of course, first of all, I start from my expectations and how I want to look. I try not to repeat myself, to be different. I ask myself what kind of makeup I want: bright, aggressive, calm, romantic, defiant. Do I want to be sexy or conservative. This is how I collect the image. I take things from my own wardrobe or turn to stylists, ateliers, sometimes I can rent something from showrooms. Creating an image is always very interesting, it helps to show creativity.

Uniqueness - awareness

Comparison does not give us anything, it takes energy and strength that can be spent on developing and multiplying potential. The uniqueness must really be realized, each person defines himself. Sometimes you need to think about what you want. As soon as you realize your own value, then claims to yourself will disappear. You can’t compare your beginning of the path with someone else’s middle.

Finding yourself

It is not worth holding on to people and things, no matter how selfish it may sound. Then you will understand what you like, and what is imposed by society. When looking for your own business, it is important to start from inner feelings, focus on those very “butterflies in the stomach”.

Philosophy of dance

Dance is body language. I dreamed of being a presenter, but oratory is difficult for me, it’s easier for me not to speak, but to dance. When I hear music, I breathe, the body emits vibrations, vibrations are reflected in the plasticity of forms, in movements, emotions. Dancing helps to develop personality. It's a unique way of expressing yourself. Sometimes words are not needed to understand us.

MICHELLE BEATZ

Sports and creativity

My dancing journey began 10-12 years ago. I quit playing professional football, where I got a serious injury, burned out emotionally and physically, and could not walk normally. A friend called me to support him at a dance performance, where I saw how people can control and feel their body, I missed this in football. I think dance and football are similar: football also has a pace, a rhythm, it's a dance with a ball. But the structure is different, football is a sport, and dance is creativity.

The right music

I'm looking for music on streaming services. Usually I think about which track is more suitable for a performance, I put on performers who meet the requirements, and I look for a suitable track. Everything is pretty simple.

WHEN THERE IS NO INSPIRATION

Usually at such moments I get distracted: I review some large-scale shows, performances of stars, listen to music. There is another way - to abstract. If everything is tired, you need to give yourself time to relax, switch to another activity. You can cook food, watch a movie. Taking a break from what you do all the time can provide inspiration and motivation.

Dance clothes

Clothes are one of the main attributes of dance. It gives character to movements, creates mood. I love to dance in jeans, voluminous t-shirts. It is very important for dancers that we ourselves like how we look, this sets the tone for the performance.

Comparing is okay

When you're at the start, it's okay to compare yourself to others. Helps you understand what you are missing. But then it is better to focus on your own feelings. Everyone has their own style, physiology and musicality, you just need to work on technique. When people follow someone, try to copy, it only leads them astray.

Tune TO

Friendship with Tommy Jeans

The first project with Tommy Jeans was something very unusual for me. I got to know the brand better, learned a lot of new things, despite the fact that I have been wearing their clothes for a long time. The collaboration was a pleasant surprise. The emotions are very cool, I hope that in the future we will be friends and work with Tommy Jeans.

MY JEANS

TAGIR GINDULLIN

The main thing is to continue

I have been dancing for 16 years and I never once thought of quitting. In 2012, I broke my arm, and after the operation there was practically no rehabilitation period - two weeks later I was already in the gym. For some time he danced only on his feet, with his hand bandaged, and two months later he already participated in the championship. With apprehension, of course, but he participated. The main thing here is to continue.

Hobby can become a profession

I have been dancing since I was 10 years old, but in childhood I did not realize what and why I was doing, did not set big goals. Some results began to appear in the first years of training. At the age of 14, I went to live in Moscow, without parents, then the realization came that dancing could become my life's work. This transition of a hobby into a profession happened very smoothly and organically, but it could not be otherwise.

Music is paramount

When it comes to performing, music is very important. If the audience likes the composition, then my solo will definitely be remembered. It is also important for me how my body and soul respond to the track. At competitions, the DJ is responsible for the music, the dancers do not know what they will perform under. This is freestyle, improvisation, connection with the composition. If you fall into a musical "pit" during a battle - this is the most difficult moment, you need the right settings. In general, music is paramount. If the dance has a great soundtrack, then there are more chances to show your maximum.

Clothing as a guide

I wear what I feel comfortable and easy to move in. I perform mainly in sports things. In breakdancing, style is very important. I always separate things: for everyday life, training, competitions, festivals. Each separate occasion requires a corresponding image.

Metamorphoses in a career

At the very beginning of the journey, it was not difficult at all: there were no obligations, deadlines, projects. I remember that in my childhood a bank was built next to my house and tiles were laid - I was happy just because I could spin on this tile. Now it is more difficult - more responsibility. You begin to treat your body differently, study yourself, fill bumps. For example, there is such an element of air twist (power rotational movement in breakdance), all my life I did it intuitively, and only after 10 years I realized that there is a technique that you just need to master.

The excitement hasn't gone away

I've competed in championships in over 30 countries, performed on big stages, acted in TV projects, but the excitement hasn't gone away. At small events, it is a little less, but at the World Cup, where legends look at you, this feeling pervades the body. I use it to my advantage - as soon as I take a step, I release adrenaline and accelerate.

Everyone is unique

We are all special, no two people are the same. Uniqueness is not something to strive for, it is already in everyone. You need to be able to feel yourself and your needs, to do what you really like. Working on oneself and realizing one's potential is what makes a person himself.

Eva Uvarova

restrictions and freedom

since childhood I have been engaged in gymnastics (until the video with my VOG was scattered on the Internet) and today I understand - both sports and dancing require a full return. In addition, they become part of your life, which brings you a storm of emotions. The main difference is that in sports you are limited, you adhere to discipline, and in dancing you are free, open to new things. It is easier to find yourself in dancing.

Dancing is an opportunity

A professional dance career has opened up many opportunities. Thanks to dancing, I met interesting people - sport would hardly have given me such a chance. The people who appeared in my life incredibly support and inspire me, it helps to develop. I was able to visit different countries, see what other dancers are capable of. I also starred in music videos, collaborated with major brands, for example, in October I participated in the Tommy Jeans x PRODANCE project for the first time. Then I was able to show my dance to a large audience and proved to myself that I can achieve a lot. I have long liked the Tommy Jeans brand, and the opportunity to work together made me very happy.

Style is a mix

Honestly, I can't describe my dancing style in one word. I tried many directions, most of all contemporary or modern dance resonates with me. The plasticity and technique of this style are very close to me, I like the sensations during movements. To summarize, my dance style is a mix of different directions, improvisation, taking into account different dance experiences.

Motivation and willpower

Willpower helps to achieve goals. I make decisions and start working and giving my best. If you really do what you love, then no additional motivation is needed. What you love doesn't require much effort.

Clothes are a reflection of yourself

Clothes help complete the dance. If I go to hip-hop, then I choose voluminous things. I associate this style with freedom, so clothes should not hinder movement. If I go vogue, I choose tight-fitting clothes that emphasize the curves of the body and help me feel more confident.

Music guides

Place of music in dance

Normally dancers choose music first. With the help of the body, we try to convey the lyrics of the song, the mood. I first look for a track, and then I select a choreography that describes the melody, words and feelings.

onward

Comparison is a fine line

By comparing, we evaluate ourselves, and this affects our confidence, general condition and desire to move on. Comparison sometimes helps you identify your strengths and weaknesses, but most people tend to look for flaws in themselves, so more often it is quite destructive and interferes with the implementation of plans. There is a fine line here: if a person is able to objectively evaluate his own and other people's abilities, then the comparison is acceptable, but if not, it is better not to even start.

Become part of the community

Tommy Jeans Global Brand Initiative supports talented people who are disrupting the existing order for positive change.

Right now @tommyjeans is becoming a content platform where everyone can get creative and take the first step towards their dreams.

For example, take part in a competition and get the opportunity to win an online course, during which you will be supported by choreographers in a private chat. There will also be prizes from Tommy Jeans and PRODANCES.

WHAT TO DO?

Post your story on Instagram about why you want to dance. It can be a short video with a story, a dance, or a photo with text. The main condition is to mark three accounts: @tommyjeans, @tancy.pro, @theblueprint.ru.

On March 23, we will choose the 50 most inspiring stories, and their authors will receive prizes and the opportunity to completely change their lives.

Learn more about Tommy Jeans X PRODANCE

Tommy Jeans supports those who want to express themselves in a new way, discover new talents and emphasize their own uniqueness. Look for the brand's classics and the new spring collection in branded stores in Moscow:

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3rd floor, atrium Berlin

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