Techno dancing, a genre of "house dance," is rarely classified with the more traditional forms of dance styles. Read on to learn a bit more about this up and coming club-style dancing, as well as how to refine your own moves!
What Exactly Is Techno Dancing?
If you are a classically trained dancer who spends more time at the studio than the nightclub, then chances are you probably haven't heard of techno dancing outside of knowing it's something your body's never done! In fact, techno dancing prides itself on being part of an underground "scene" movement, where only those who truly grasp its culture can convey its steps on a dance floor.
Techno dancing finds its roots in underground dance music. Both music and culture have evolved from really simple beginnings, with the dancer freestyling movements based upon the random beats of the song. Enough prominent bars and clubs eventually cropped up to allow for the formation of a vocabulary term forever known as "house dance," in which techno dancing is a genre.
Doesn't make much sense? That's because the only way to truly embrace the meaning of techno dancing is to feel it. Countless young people have flocked to raves and house music nights at local DJ spins to try out their own personal style of house dance, while gleaning moves off of others already well versed. Like explaining colors to a person blind from birth, the only way to understand techno dancing is to experience it.
Famous House Dance Moves
There are a few terms from this underground dance dictionary that can be defined for the purpose of this article, starting with the ones found below.
Time to Jack
In the late 1980s, the very beginning of house dance, DJ Chip E told his listeners it was "time to jack", taking after a Chicago style known as "jacking." All movements in this waist-centered style of dance featured a type of bodily control still used in house dance today. Bold isolations that use specific parts of the body to express both subtle and large movements, the Jack is the foundation for all house dances. The speeds vary, while some jack in the air and some stay low to the ground. Like all techno dancing, jacking is varied upon the individual executing the steps, but the style remains recognizable through its controlled movements that build strength during the snare music and releasing it at the peak of a song.
Loft
Coming out of New York, formal dress defined the beginning of loft dancing, and fancy spins and footwork defined the style. Large and athletically challenging movements are popular with loft dancing, becoming unique as they accentuate continuous grace and amazing bodily control despite their athleticism. Soft and flowy music is another popular form, much more prominent among the formal fine dressers mentioned above. Loft dancing now allows freestylers to bust out their gym shoes and push their bodies to the limit in front of an impressed audience.
House Dance 2004
Created by Tone McGregor, 2004 movements tell a story from the music, combining classic house steps with more updated rhythm movements not danced before. Just as modern house music utilizes muted sounds, background beats and more complicated electronic tones, the dance has evolved to include sharp body beats, subtle kick outs, and other accentuations not before seen.
Finding Your Own Style
Many are worried they don't know how to even start with techno dancing, and many club environments can be intimidating. Many attribute techno dancing to the ability to be "free," and both sadly and humorously, some of the best moves have been birthed out of an individual's best drug trip. Whether under the influence or not, don't be afraid to express your own style based upon what your body feels from the music - you may be surprised at what comes out.
Many of today's best house dancers originally borrowed moves out of what they observed in others. There is no shame in biting steps when you are first starting out. Just make sure you stick to your own unique expression and style as much as possible, and the club scene will be yours to have!
