Geographicaly different dancing styles

Do different states have different dancing styles?
I havn't travelled around Australia much and havn't been to any parties outside Melbourne, but some of my friends have mentioned that people in other states dance differently. I've seen video footage of some sydney raves and the general dancing style does look different.
I've also heard the Melbourne style called the "Melbourne shuffle" which seems kinda appropriate, the feet shuffle sideways and around and the hands and arms are moving, it's a full body style of dancing and looks really good (takes a lot of energy tho )
Anyone wanna have a go at describing the "Melbourne shuffle" or any other dancing styles?
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Common Sense isn't all that common

Hey Tarsarlan
I went around australia last year. Saw lots of dancing although i only really go to outdoor parties. I don't think the style changed all that much. Dancing around is individual expression and if you find an area with a unique styles i reckon its probably from having too many copycats. Thinking and dancing is a lethal mix. It's nice to have your own style. Mine has been likened to a conductor cross with a roaming evangalist. But to answer the query, maybe there are unique styles, but its definitely fun to watch (and join in)
take care friend
Barney
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Gumnut

I think pinger put it quite well in his post cheers melbourne!.

fuck, you guys cut sick. in sydney dance floor space is harder to come by than a straight interior designer. hence we dance on the spot (big box, small box!). you guys dance fucking wickedly. enough to make me sit down in heavy legged disgrace!

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What about the other states?
BigTrancer

Yes yes! I understand the conductors thing. I know when I'm getting heavy into the music my body kinda goes as much like a conductors stick as possible to try and mimic the music. eg if its a banging thumping thing going both arms most likely will be pumping but if its acid then my hands go into all wierd movements... and if its a big thick trancy build then both my arms will be in front of me doing little swirl moments (kinda like being my own personal MC revving everyone up) and with my own little voice overs (usually.. ohhhhhhhhh yeaaaaaaaaah.. or soooooo goooooooooooood)
I see people sticking to the same style no matter what the music is doing .. but I like to have some personal interactivity ...I think its from the music training I had for many years.
Melbourne shuffle... hahahhahah love it. Back and forth feet things + bigbox littlebox.
I'd love to have a camcorder and show these people what they are like 15 years from now - but.. seriously I can't dance aesetically(sp?) for shit - I suppose at least it looks like they are doing something.
(women have a big advantage here... hips... all you have to do is stand still and swey... )
I've had Sydneysiders always telling me that people from Melbourne dance wierd. Often that the feet tend to go everywhere and with wierd handmovements.... well how to do describe Sydney then? I've never been to a Sydney party... without feet and handmovements... hmmm what is it? The Polka?
Luv
Soma.

Hey man I've never done the big box small box thing!! i move my feet.. i've done the talc thing (hahaha it wasn't mine!!)
i danced harder than i ever have before at LTJ on Saturday night (almost as hard as NYE, but not for as long). for a good three hours though, i cut sik. *giggle* then it got too crowded. My body is aching today... very sore muscles.. muscles that i never use dancing to techno. dancing to d&b is SO different, so much more fun i reckon.. but it always takes me a little while before i feel comfortable enough to go nuts.. but once i do go nuts i can't stop.
ha.. that always seems to happen when i don't have pills..
cheers,
mona.

explain this whole big box litle box??? hUH??
me is waayayay lost..
yew all kinda wierd
teheeheeh
byeee!!
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I might be going no-where in life, but at least im taking the scenic route.
Melbourne -=- the city that never comes down

yeah...i'm all over the place when i dance. move those feet/legs/arms/hands/head/etc... hehehe ...and yes I am definitely a fan of the powder...makes u glide (not slide )around the dancefloor...it's sviiiit. melba.
hamlet

I thought this was common knowledge!!! The variation of each state's dancing style is as defined as it's people's love of music style.
Dangermouse affectionately calls our Melbourne dancing style 'crazy legs...' need i say more...?
Smurf describes the Sydney dancing style as 'Dog paddling...'
All I can say is if you're in Melbourne next to a raver when the music begins; take at least three steps back or you'll end up getting injured
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"Remember where you lost it..."

Living in Canberra originally the best way to descrive canberra ravers is in my opinion somewhere between Melbourne and Sydney, they don't move from there position that much, they do a little though, more emphasis is on the upper body and moving the arms in time with the chest, and sometimes they move to every second beat, not like every beat which I noticed in Sydney (but that was a while ago), but the legs don't play as big a part as in Melbourne. Also, a point of note, from partying in Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra, Canberra is by far the most vocal.
Melbourne people need space and lots of it, which has been bad of recent times with the raves down here being packed. The best way to describe Melbourne ravers is they look like slalom skiers, there is a whole body movement. The legs kick out and move in different directions all the time, with just some freestyle work going on with the arms and upper body in time with the legs, but sometimes in different direction to the legs. In my point of view (and it may be biased), but Melbourne ravers are the best dancers in Australia. The good thing about Melbourne ravers is that even though there is a common style of dancing, nearly all ravers look individual in the way they are dancing.
From my limited experience with Sydney, Sydney people do tend to stand on the spot and the big fish, small fish, cardboard box seems to be the way to go, you also seem to dance in groups a lot. Melbourne people go to raves with people and dance with them, but not as close and together as in Sydney.
This all sounds technical, but is the best way I could describe it.
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It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice

yeah i agree wif the person who posted above me., i need my space to dance, and most of my melb friends feel this way too
it's true their is a general melb dancing style you can watch it in the mornings at partys( god i love that just standing back and watching everyone doof in time with one another)
but each individuals style is actually different, it just looks similar
about melb partys being packed
at tribes and hardware i had no room to move so i just flung my arms and legs about as i usualy do and everyone made room for me
hehe i know thats selfish but hey what im a gonna do

muckeys can't dance man....

well i'm a brisbane bouncer. the way we dance up here is a bounce nothing like the sydney grove and not moving much, where the brissy bounce is just that we bounce to dance and throw our selves around a lot and each different person has a different combination and dance style. it ranges from a very smooth flowing bounce to stomping almost.
all you Sydney siders will be able to sample this dance style when my girlfriend and i come down to work at the games. i want to witness all these other danceing styles.
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The Sun Represents Reality, And We Run From The Sun

No one has mention the Sydney-hardcore-run-on-the-spot dance , which as far as i have seen is pretty unique to Sydney.
I have been to a few parties in a few places, canada , NZ. My theory is that if there is Drum n Bass the kids dance better. hmmmmmmz

everyone can dance. this must be a fact. and when you get a good vibe going and the music is kicking, you will get everyone charging in.
Next time you go to a rave / club / whatever, you should think about standing back for a while and watching people's reactions to the music - when the music picks up, people come running in, everyone dances - everyone has their own thing - their own style.
Only what i think you guys are talking about with the 'melbourne shuffle' is what you get when you see people on dancefloors that have obviously spent a lot of time on the dancefloor - they kinda seem to be more kicking about and going wild - i think thats what you mean - yeah i love it. i get all envious of those people that are just real good at dancing. so much so that i'm really trying to get myself into this kinda group. nah, its not a group its more just a type of dancer ....
.....so now i kick around and do that sliding feet thing and all that and people do kinda step a little back and check out what you're doing. it can kinda be strange - when you're rolling - you can either get self conscious or you just dont give a stuff and dance they way you want cause its fun.
anyway...
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"If you're not confused.. you don't understand everything. Silence is deafening." S.A.

Nice thread idea how did you think of it? hehe
Anyways, having recently seen the infamous "melbourne shuffle" i can compare it to my native bris-vegas...they are world's apart. Melbourne's style is more about "dancing" to the music, brisbanes is more about "moving/going everywhere" to the music.
Well thats my observations of it anyways.
Only when a national BL meet-up happens can we truly be sure.
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"I wouldn't recommend sex, drugs, and insanity for everyone, but they've always worked for me."
- Hunter S. Thompson

Where did I come up with this thread? Oh you know, just sitting around and all of a sudden the idea just popped into my head, just outta nowhere like! Nothing to do with someone on ICQ of course
Anyway... from everyone's posts it sounds like us down here in Melbourne have got it right
I can't remember how many times my mate has told me to watch my elbows and feet when I'm dancing (I'm tall and thin and bony )
I think a national meet-up would rock, I havn't even met anyone yet...
But as long as everyone is dancing and having fun I don't really care how they dance, I'm just interested to find out the different styles (always looking for some new moves to do, like soma said, I can't stick to the same dancing style all night, I havta keep doing different things, although the general movement follows the same theme (hard to describe))
Space can be a big problem... its the only thing I'm not looking forward to on Saturday when I see Christian Smith.. Seven is too small! (if anyone is going, bring some padding if you don't wanna get hurt!
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Common Sense isn't all that common

I'm the worst techno dancer you'll probably every see... my history is from city dance clubs and listening to music like James Brown and Michael Jackson....then I got into 'our' dance and techno, tribal, D&B.....how do the two styles translate for dance?....not very well... my funky little on-beat (or double-beat) moves that work so well to funk and harder, faster rock/club Trance, are pretty useless for techno and Goa Trance....so I end up just swaying and moving my hands..
runs into corner, hands over head.....(blush)...
instead, I spend my time taking photos of people who CAN do it right (like Horse's crew - see the EPTAS20 shots on The Peak! for proof!)....

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The latest Event info, Pill Tests and Club Listings, online: http://www.the-peak.com.au

No NO! Be brave Candyflip. Stand up with me and say "NO!! I Can't Dance For Shit!" ... depending on how the music is my dancing is mostly still with a bit of jittery hand raising or arm pumping.
One of you acrobatic pimps will have to teach me how to dance like the big kids do. I may not ever do it while sober but at least I'll be *able* to do it!
Soma.

While cruising around candyflips site...
two boys in the middle of big box little box http://www.the-peak.com.au/Photos/EPTAS20/boys_rock_space_lge.jpg

Well i have to say i noticed that syd people dont seem to move their legs as much as the melb crew... *chuckle* the 'crazy legs' always crax me up
ok, i know what crazy legs is... but whats the melbourne shuffle? is that the same thing? im confused....
and im from melbourne... hehe should i know this?
anyway i wouldnt know about the dancing anywhere except melb and syd
and soma, im with u... i dont know wtf i do when i dance... but i think i do need a fair bit of room
SaSs