One of the toughest aspects of improving one’s dance moves is to access the current execution of one’s moves. Sure, I can dance in front of the mirror, but then I’m dancing with my head staying in one place so I can see myself dance! That’s not any good. If I’m working with a fellow dancer I can ask their opinion, but it doesn’t mean I’ll have a clear picture of what I’m doing. Or NOT doing. And it’s really tough to make adjustments in a movement if you can’t see the movement which needs adjusting.
In November I attended the Shu-Shu-Gah Lodge’s annual Indian Seminar in Alpine, NJ with my friend Ellis Taylor. I was invited to the weekend event to give 3 sessions on Chicken Dance. For three hours on Saturday afternoon I instructed a number of interested youth and adults on Chicken Dancing; from the basic dance steps to more complicated dance maneuvers. “Keep your back straight. Stick out your butt. Pull up your head. Don’t look down. Broaden your shoulders! Get your back straighter – arch it!! MORE!!!” If you were at Indian Summer this past August you heard me give these instructions numerous times.
After supper I dressed in my Chicken Dance clothes to participate in the evening dance. Ellis had recently had back surgery so he wasn’t dancing; he amused himself with his video camera. At the end of the evening Ellis informed me that he now had several songs of my Chicken Dancing endeavors recorded. “This should be interesting” I thought.
And interesting is was. I discovered that I was failing to follow my own instruction! While I did look like a “Chicken Dancer”, I did NOT have my head ‘pulled’ up high enough, nor did I have my back so ‘straight’ it arched and stuck my butt out. I was also looking down way more than I should have. I can tell you that the entire time I was dancing I THOUGHT I was doing what I was supposed to be doing, but the videos proved what I was doing was NOT enough – not enough to look like a really keen Chicken Dancer.
So, if you want to have a better idea of how well you are executing your Chicken Dance maneuvers, put on your bells, bustle and roach, grab a couple of hand articles, crank up some really killer Chicken Dance songs and get someone to record you. Make sure they have your entire body in the frame. And then dance the best you know how.
Once you have some vids of you dancing, pull up some of the videos of champion Chicken Dancers found on our blog (MensChickenDance.blogspot.com) and watch them dance. Then watch yourself dance. Then them. Then back to you. The difference between to two dancers is the amount of improvement desired. You’ll be able to clearly see how you are moving and you’ll be able to see how you want to be moving - like they’re moving!
You will be amazed just how much improvement you’ll be able to make from this process. And don’t do this just once – do it periodically. Not only will your dancing improve, you’ll be able to SEE how much your dancing IS improving!
Until the next time, keep up the good work!
Tim Caster
