Techno Contra YDW 2008 (My Cool, Adam Tensta)

Contra Dancing to Tensta's My Cool... some are confused, the music in the video is what we are dancing to.

Song: Adam Tensta - My Cool
Director: Forrest O.
Caller: Charlotte Crittenden
Dancers: YDW 2008 http://youthdanceweekend.org/
Choreography: "Hay in the Barn" by Chart Gurthrey: neighbor balance and swing, chain, half hey, partner balance and swing, chain, half hey, start over with a new neighbor...

While the progression is based on contra, a kind of folk dancing, the music is Swedish hiphop and the dancers pull from swing, hiphop, sexy, tango, dirty... anything goes really, as long as it is on the rhythm. Mixmashing cultures and styles to our whim is what we are all about. The basic progression is agreed upon, and every thing else is improv around it.

I think that there should be more social dance frameworks for techno/hiphop/club dancing. You almost never see men and women dancing together in music/dance videos; it is usually taking turns to strut your stuff, then maybe grinding a little bit.

This kind of choreography is simple enough that calling could be integrated into the lyrics of a song. Somewhere between Crank Dat and singing squares I think that there is a niche like this waiting to be filled. If I were a dance music producer, I'd consult with me on making an album of this. Or at least a music video.

PS: after the cameras went off Girl Talk came on and we danced another for 40 minutes straight, thanks to the endless mix.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• dance
• adam
• tensta
• adamtensta
• my
• cool
• mycool
• contra
• dancing
• contradancing
• crossover
• crossovercontra
• technocontra
• dirtycontra
• ydw

[liampelot]

Looks like fun but where are all the African American people?

[forresto]

@liampelot Google: Demographic Maps: African-American Population

[doctordarrow]

Asheville must be a great place to contra dance. Looks like a lot of fun!

[forresto]

@doctordarrow This one was in Vermont (with a van full of Asheville cats). We invented [continuous mix techno contra] dancing to Girl Talk right after making this video.

[washington1rving]

So I started watching the video, caught a glimpse of some faces then realized...I know * all* those people! Oh you Asheville contra dancers... : )

[forresto]

avl represented at ydw fo sho

[starlet8906]

Contra dancing is so sexy... and this makes it so much hotter! Great video Forrest! <3

[RevLuddite]

I've never had any desire to contra...until now. Best recruitment video ever.

[dampraindrop]

shit is rad. i want this in the pacific northwest

[poptart777]

Such a merge of ages! folk dance + techno = even better

[mercymind]

mmmmmmmmmmmmmm...

Missing this right now.

[THEbubbleskid]

Hottest contra dancing EVER! Awesome video, I am addicted! Great dancers, too.

I love contra, would love to try this fusion style.

[VerDeTerre1001]

@VerDeTerre1001 Ah! I see! I don't mean to begrudge anyone their style of music, it's just that the distortions of heavy electronics has always bothered me like nails on chalkboard. One single dance, or even a few of them, coming so late wouldn't upset me at all. Thanks for explaining.

[forresto]

@VerDeTerre1001 I can say with all confidence that everybody dancing here also loves plenty of acoustic contra bands. Elixer played this weekend, and rocked it. This dance was at two in the morning: an addition to the rest of the weekend, not a substitution or subtraction.