do Something Blue is a blues dance held in Los Angeles (well technically Pasadena). There is a lesson (included in the cover) and four hours of social dancing. The music is often DJ’d but sometimes there is a live band. do Something Blues also hosts a workshop weekend, L.A. Blues, on occasion.
Like blues music, blues dancing finds its origins in African rhythm and movement.
Using the powerful beat originating from African Chants/Calls, blues dancing is about connecting to the earth and your partner. In fact, the best description of blues dancing is that it is a conversation. Because a large part of what makes blues dancing appealing is the physical interpretation of the music, it is open to intimacy and creativity between the dancers that is arguably unlike any other social dance.
This is not to say that blues dancing must be intimate and sensual. On the contrary, blues music “is a sharing of human conditions that everyone can access on some level, and a blues dance can include the entire spectrum of human emotions”, which does not mean that it has to look or feel sexy or sensual to those dancing.
Based on these emotions, there are several different styles of blues dancing. “Gut-Bucket,” “Fish Tail,” “Strutin'” and “Slow Drag” are all different ways to interpret blues music.
In other words, like the description ‘swing dancing’, blues dancing is an umbrella term for a lot of different styles. Swing dancing has Lindy Hop, Balboa, West Coast Swing, etc, while Blues Dancing has both Ballroomin’ (i.e. Savoy Walk, Slow Drag) and Jukin’ (i.e. Fish Tail, Strutin’) styles. The foundation for all of these blues dancing idioms is a two step.
If you’d like to see videos of blues dancing,
“Dance is the hidden language of the soul of the body.” -Martha Graham
These are some suggestions we compiled. Whether your first blues dance is do Something Blue or another venue or event, we hope it helps!
Make sure to also read about proper dance etiquette and safety under
Bring:
Do:
Don’t:
Asking people to dance
Being asked to dance
*This is in the circumstance(s) you say no because you need to go to the bathroom, get water, fresh air, etc. If you are saying “No” because that person makes you uncomfortable, unsafe, etc this does not apply. Most venues have a code of conduct in place, so, in the best way you feel comfortable, you should share your concerns.
do Something Blue (dSB) is proud to be part of the worldwide blues dancing community. We want our attendees to have a fun, safe, and welcoming experience at our dance. We are dedicated to making sure our guests feel safe and accepted and to providing a harassment-free and safe social dance experience for everyone regardless of dance ability, dance background, gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, age, religion or any other characteristic or trait.We ask all attendees, staff, and volunteers at do Something Blue to comply with the following code of conduct. The dSB Staff will enforce this code throughout the event. We are expecting cooperation from all participants to help ensure a safe environment for everybody. If you feel that anyone is disrespecting the Code of Conduct, please bring this to a dSB Staff Member’s attention.
Options For Help
We expect all participants to respect and adhere to these policies at do Something Blue.
Remember you should always contact someone if you need help.
Lastly, please remember that we are all volunteering and dedicating our time to do Something Blue because we are passionate about blues dancing and the Los Angeles blues dance community. We ask that we all look out for each other and be kind and respectful to one another so we may continue to spread the goodwill and positive spirit that is blues dancing!
Thank you and please enjoy your time at do Something Blue!!
Thursdays: Blues Dance Lesson and Dance at Lindygroove (Pasadena)
The LAST Friday of the Month (unless otherwise noted): do Something Blue (Pasadena)
Various Nights: Joe’s Bar & Grill (Burbank)
Also check out http://bluescal.com/ for blues dancing events around the country.
Coming Soon
The evolution of the blues provides insight into the changes that took place in the lives of African Americans after slavery ended. ” Jessica McElrath, African-American History.
Before blues music, solo music in the Black culture was irregular. Black music revolved around chants, call-and-response, and work calls. However, with the end of slavery and the discovery of the individual, Black music was free to explore” the personalized form of the song.” For instance, now instead of calling out to others, the singer responded to him/herself as they told the harsh realities of life.
In 1895, George W. Johnson created the first blues recording, “Laughing Song”. By 1920, blues was in its hayday, and Mamie Smith’s recording of “Crazy Blues” and “Its Right Here For You” sold 75,000 copies in its first month of release- the price was $1 a record.
The market continued to be mostly African American throughout the 1930’s and new artists continued to emerge including: Bessie Smith, Ma Rainey, Alberta Hunter, and Ethel Waters.
Blues would go on to influence other musical styles jazz, bluegrass, and rock and roll to name a few. By the 1960’s, there were several fusions of these styles, as well as artists from every race, country, and gender. And, with the Civil Rights & Free Speech movements, as well as other never-ending political battles, each generation has been inspired to find the blues as a way to express themselves through song.
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do Something Blue or blues dancing in Los Angeles.
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