What is the 'Melbourne Shuffle?
The Melbourne shuffle is a style of dance, which originated in the late 1980s in the Melbourne underground scene. The basic movements in the dance are a fast heel-and-toe action with a style suitable for various types of electronic music. Some variants incorporate arm movements.
History of the 'Melbourne Shuffle.
Melbourne Shuffle footwork is based in Celtic dance, in particular Irish Dance. There has been a large Celtic population in Melbourne since the gold rush era, mostly from Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Iberia/Spain and Gaul/France.
The traditional jig (gigue) and reel music to Celtic dance are essentially melody loops. The melody spread over 4,8,16 bars would usually be repeated or looped 4 times, then there would be a change of tunes going through the same loop process. Often getting faster with each repeat.
This suited the new digital loop structure of electronic dance music of the time, acid, techno, psytrance, perfectly.
Most girls in Melbourne attended recreational dance classes from when they were 6 years old. It was as common as kids playing sports in Melbourne.
Celtic dance is the basis for tap dance and was introduced into New York by Irish immigrants in the 1800's. Tap is part of the standard repertoire of dance classes, especially Shirley Temple styled tap for younger dancers.
Classical ballet is the other main dance stream in dance classes. Melbourne has all the major dance universities and colleges of Australia, the Australian Ballet was founded in and is still based Melbourne. So dancers from around the country moved to Melbourne for dance studies. They also loved dance parties, as you would expect.
Facts about the 'Melbourne Shuffle'.
Today known as "shuffling" to the Melbourne locals, the name "Melbourne shuffle" has been derived from overseas DJs, party goers, visitors and the media trying to describe this phenomenon. 'The Age' referred to it as looking like "a cross between the chicken dance and a foot stomping robot" to the untrained eye, but locals have simply called it the "shuffle" since 1992.
Some dancers sprinkle talcum powder on the floor beneath their feet to help them glide more easily, some including 360 degree spins or jumps into their moves.
All the above information was taken from Wikipedia!
The Melbourne shuffle is a style of dance, which originated in the late 1980s in the Melbourne underground scene. The basic movements in the dance are a fast heel-and-toe action with a style suitable for various types of electronic music. Some variants incorporate arm movements.
History of the 'Melbourne Shuffle.
Melbourne Shuffle footwork is based in Celtic dance, in particular Irish Dance. There has been a large Celtic population in Melbourne since the gold rush era, mostly from Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Iberia/Spain and Gaul/France.
The traditional jig (gigue) and reel music to Celtic dance are essentially melody loops. The melody spread over 4,8,16 bars would usually be repeated or looped 4 times, then there would be a change of tunes going through the same loop process. Often getting faster with each repeat.
This suited the new digital loop structure of electronic dance music of the time, acid, techno, psytrance, perfectly.
Most girls in Melbourne attended recreational dance classes from when they were 6 years old. It was as common as kids playing sports in Melbourne.
Celtic dance is the basis for tap dance and was introduced into New York by Irish immigrants in the 1800's. Tap is part of the standard repertoire of dance classes, especially Shirley Temple styled tap for younger dancers.
Classical ballet is the other main dance stream in dance classes. Melbourne has all the major dance universities and colleges of Australia, the Australian Ballet was founded in and is still based Melbourne. So dancers from around the country moved to Melbourne for dance studies. They also loved dance parties, as you would expect.
Facts about the 'Melbourne Shuffle'.
Today known as "shuffling" to the Melbourne locals, the name "Melbourne shuffle" has been derived from overseas DJs, party goers, visitors and the media trying to describe this phenomenon. 'The Age' referred to it as looking like "a cross between the chicken dance and a foot stomping robot" to the untrained eye, but locals have simply called it the "shuffle" since 1992.
Some dancers sprinkle talcum powder on the floor beneath their feet to help them glide more easily, some including 360 degree spins or jumps into their moves.
All the above information was taken from Wikipedia!
i know your post is just havin a lauf, but:
ReplyDeletea) when this all kicked off it wasn't called shuffling - not going to say what it was really called, since you haven't done your research :P
b) but i will tell you it had nothing to do with celtic dance - there's enough bs about the dance out there as it is, get a clue, LOL!