“Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” is playing in my head right now. I just caught myself singing it, oh man.
When I was younger–I might have been seven–I danced in a jazz number to that song in my ice arena’s Christmas show. I remember we had these red silk skirts we were supposed to wear over our black leotards, and mine was HUGE on me. I remember the trauma as I stood there with my mom poking safety pin after safety pin through the fabric. I didn’t get pricked, but man was I scared.
My friend Maddy is in an a cappella group called the Kopitonez, and I went to their concert last night. They invited some special guests to perform as well, all of them dance groups. They all did hip hop (or traditional Taiwanese dance, hah), and even though I’ve only ever done ballet and jazz, it made me really want to take up dance recreationally again. Actually, it made me want to do hip hop.
My brother used to dance hip hop. He was good at it, but he ended up quitting after a few years, probably because he didn’t like it as much as he did when he first started. He taught me a move called a “coffee grinder” once. We used to practice it in our living room. It took me a couple days, but I got it. I don’t know if I could do it now because I am not nearly as strong as I used to be, especially not in my legs (I used to be really strong from figure skating). I would try it now but there isn’t enough space in my room!
At the concert, I thought it was funny that the dance groups kept being announced as doing “modern dance”. I guess no one knew that modern dance is actually a less-strict, usually barefoot adaptation of ballet. I guess that’s the problem with the countless dance groups at my university–there are the ones who do breakdancing, and then there is everyone else who doesn’t know if they’re doing jazz or hip hop OR WHAT. I mean, I can accept them as having fun and doing dance that is fun to watch, and I don’t mean to be an elitist or anything, but the modern dance thing sure amused me.
Although, I guess I can’t help being a little bit of an elitist, having danced ballet for eleven years. 
Final note: I changed both my Skype and Twitter usernames! They are now chromaticism and @rleggos, respectively. Go ahead and add me, if you so choose. 
When I did jazz it was referred to as “modern jazz”. When I did contemporary it was a lot like ballet, just barefoot and required the body to move a bit more freely. But that also meant you still had to have strength in every part of your body.
I think hip hop is cool. The coffee grinder thing made me laugh. I like to believe my brother is a natural at hip hop style dance even though he isn’t really flexible, he is really quite strong. I have seen him make up his own moves based on watching his friends. I think he enjoys dancing more thanhe
* than he cares to admit because he thinks it is a “girly” thing.
PS. Reckon you could install WP touch? It’s a total sack trying to comment on my phone with the text box.
There are so many kinds of dances, that as a non-dancer, I don’t know the difference between break dancing and hip-hop. I also don’t know if Michael Jackson’s dancing is a sort of hip-hop, or if it actually just doesn’t fit in anywhere. And if you danced for a long time, you definitely have the right to be elitist and correct everyone – I certainly appreciate it.
I admire people who dance a lot. It’s a tough art to learn – tougher than the martial arts I study, because the style of karate I study doesn’t make us do aerial tricks and poses that are too unnatural. (I was just staring at one of the pictures on the Modern Dance Wikipedia page, and it looks hard!)
I wish I would’ve taken dance classes when I was younger. I don’t think I would be any good at it, but I think it would’ve been fun to try it and be a part of shows and all that. I feel like it would be relaxing in a way. And seeing some people dance is just inspiring, with all the hard work it would take.
Since I don’t dance, nor do I really know anyone that does, I’m not real familiar with different kinds. Haha, but the “coffee grinder” is a pretty awesome name for a dance move.
And thank you for the well wishes for my mom. I appreciate it. <3
If you have the urge, then I totally think you should take up dance again! It’s a fun and awesome way to stay fit and have a good time. It’s pretty cool too that you and your brother practiced dance together. I could never imagine my brother and I doing that together. It’s a great bonding experience.
I love your new usernames. They are easier to type in. I don’t have to use the username completion thingy that Tweetdeck has just to talk to you. XD There were just a little too many Ls in your last username. XD
I would probably be an elitist if I took ballet for that many years. Wow. I think soccer is the ONLY thing (besides anything website related) that I could stick to for that long. I did dance at one point but that was when I was in my early years of elementary school, like 2-3rd grades.
I like that song. I have the scene from mean girls where they slap their legs stuck in my head…I guess I should watch it soon so that I can forget about it. XD
Hahaha. I hate it when my mom does that….What I hate worse…My mom signature hair drying thing. The way she dries your hair after she washes it is she twirls it together and pulls it together as hard as she can. IT HURTS LIKE A BITCH! Lol. But she said that she had to have that…why? Idk. XD
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Yeah, we would have taken her Saturday if they were open when my mom got home but they weren’t. & They are closed on Sundays. Unfortunately. So, we are taking her tomorrow morning. My mom’s gonna call as soon as they open and ask if we can bring her in there. Most likely they will say yes..I hope they do anyway because I like going to the vet more than they do. XD
Yeah, I don’t understand guys. But yes, he does. He officially has A-cups…yes, moobs. He never did before and those are what really concerns me. I don’t want a bf who has moobs…but then again, you can choose who your heart wants. XD
Sure that is fine.
I like reading answers to them. 
Awh. That’s too bad…I’m glad you have a better one now though.
Vacuuming? What? I like vacuuming…it’s better than anything else. Lol.
hahaha. I should really be better, I’ve asked Dante to teach me but he hasn’t taught me yet. XD I think it’s more of something that comes to you, basically something that you are born with, rather than something you can learn..but that’s just me.
Have you mentioned the moob thing to him?
I hate vacuuming because I hate having to move things out of the way! That’s why I hate dusting, too.
Well, no. I’m going to soon though.
Oh that makes perfect sense.
I took up street dance lessons before (guess it’s similar to hip pop) and it was HARD. The moves are really fast, took me ages and ages just to learn one move. Didn’t have lessons for long as it got really expensive after a while. It was a shame really as it was fun.
I didn’t know what modern dance was a adaptive version of ballet. Am I right to say that it’s similar to “Save your last dance” where she sort of made a morden version of ballet at the end of the film?
Modern dance sounds more like an umbrella turn so not surprise that people will use it to commonly refer to any new dance types.
The expense is one of the main things keeping me from going back to dance. That, and worrying I won’t have enough time. I’m tempted to audition for some random “modern dance” groups on campus and see if I get in.
(You’re right, it’s a very convenient umbrella term.) I would probably totally embarrass myself though, seeing as I’ve never actually done that kind of dance. Maybe I can learn from YouTube videos. 
I’ve never actually seen that film, so I can’t answer that.
Ballet AND figure skating?! Wow, I bet you’re just one graceful person!
I certainly wish I was a lot more coordinated. I don’t really dance much. Just in the privacy of my own room
I don’t want my (no doubt) embarrassing dancing to be unleashed to the public!
A former coworker of mine used to do hip hop dance, too. As well as other kinds of dance: modern, jazz, tap, ballet, etc. But, he stopped when he grew older because he was teased by his classmate. Quite a shame because I’ve seen him dance and boy’s got some moves.