Some time ago I mentioned the Lewes Dancing Man - a gentleman who is something of a local celebrity. If you look him up on YouTube, there are several videos that show the full majesty of his talents.
I first came across him in a pub, ten years ago. To begin with, I barely noticed the man in his 50s, sitting alone at a nearby table, staring into a pint of Harvey's. Then someone selected a Rolling Stones song on the jukebox and he was up, performing a highly individual dance routine.
I thought the Lewes Dancing Man was unique, but this morning I discovered a new pretender to the throne:
I thought the Lewes Dancing Man was unique, but this morning I discovered a new pretender to the throne:
The dance moves are quite similar (albeit with a lot less legwork), which suggests that LDMII is either an understudy to the original or that this is how we'd all dance if we weren't worried about looking silly. The band - an excellent group of young men called the Ouse Valley Collective - were suitably bemused.
I would rather walk through a building on fire than dance in public and looked at the new Lewes Dancing Man with more than a little envy, as he seemed so unihibited. My wife suggested that this was because he was mentally ill. I wasn't entirely convinced.
But even if the new LDM does have a few 'issues', give me a madman any day over some of the clinically sane people who have appeared in the news recently for various reasons
If only they'd embraced their inner Lewes Dancing Man, we might all be better off.
7 comments:
Reminds me a bit of Tai Chi. There are a few people near me who practice in local parks.
I love to watch them.
In my mind, I'm a wonderful, rhythmic dancer. But no one will ever see me dance because, in reality, I'm so self-conscious that, like you, I'd rather walk through a burning building than dance in public. I'm envious of insane or sane people who can just dance to the music and not worry what others think. Although some of them do look incredibly silly. I remember in particular a heavy-set young woman at a party who thought it was spectacular to run and slide across the floor. Most of us were just trying to stay out of her way to avoid being knocked down like bowling pins. But, oh, to dance like Isadora!
"give me a madman any day" - yes, because increasingly I'm beginning to believe that the ones who seem mad are usually the least mad of the lot, (which of course may be an indication of the onset of madness on my part).
"Give me a madman any day ..." An easy call to make when our current crop of politicos sound like extras from the movie, "Dr. Strangelove."
And as for being too embarrassed to dance - don't be! Remember what they say, "Dance as if no one was watching." Of course like the Eugene Levy character in the movie, "Best in Show," some of us really do have two left feet!! Moi aussi. :)
Michael Flatley should sign him up at once for Riverdance.
With all those arm movements and almost unmoving legs, he'd be the perfect counterpoint to their leg-jiggy antics.
I'm not a dancer, either. I'm just not the least interested. Sometimes I think that because I play drums and actually make the rhythm, simply reacting to it by moving just is not rewarding to me. But my main problem with most dancing comes down to what you point out: there's not enough happy abandon in it. Dancing should be about joy, I think, and a lot of public dancers seem to turn it into such a serious affair; too much pseudo-sensuality; too many furrowed brows...not enough frolicking. If one is consciously broadcasting one's presence, one cannot really be feeling the music...and isn't that the point of dancing? Still, I do love when people dance to the band... At any rate, here's to LDM I and II for really feeling it.
Further research (i.e a friend's comment on Facebook) has revealed that LDMII's main claim to fame is that he summons pigeons. The dancing is just a sideline.
Post a Comment