BluesBlues is actually a name for a family of dances, danced to a variety of music styles. All have, as their basic unit, a single step. This means that there is very little reliance on patterns, and a great deal of emphasis on creativity and partnership. Styles of blues dance include vintage styles like ballroomin and jukin, as well as modern styles like drag blues, microblues, groovin, and more.
Ballroomin' Blues In the big ballrooms, in the heyday of jazz as pop, the big band would play slow tunes, as well as fast tunes. So rather than take a break, the dancers would continue to dance, doing what we now call ballroomin blues. Ballroomin is characterized by traveling, momentum, large moves, and fancy turns, and is danced to slow jazz music. Jukin' Blues Jukin blues, on the other hand, grew up alongside blues music, in juke joints- basically, bars with live music. They were often crowded, and were not dance halls, so to speak, so the dance uses much less traveling and momentum than ballroom. Instead, it focuses on sharp, rhythmic movements, and a repetitive structure that allows for a lot of individual freedom. Additional Styles Additional styles that have sprung up since the resurgence of blues include groovin (a relaxed, low-momentum dance popular in the northeast), micro-blues (an in-place style danced to contemporary, often non-blues music), drag blues (a style that uses modern connection ideas to dance to slow jazz, and often steals ideas from tango), and more. |
 Mike Legett and Chris Mayer (Austin, TX) at BluesSHOUT! 2010  A room full of Blues dancers at Enter the Blues, 2010 in Atlanta, GA |
Ballroomin and Drag Blues |
Solo & Jukin Blues Exhibition |
