Kevin Marshall's America
So, dancing.
When not writing an intriguing blog for the Times Union, Kevin Marshall is a one-man dance crew.
No, really. Bloggin’ about dancing. For real.
Up until the last year or so, I always carried the “too cool for school” attitude when it came to dancing. I never did (and still don’t) listen to music that’s conducive to dancing. I took it to be an activity that people do when they can’t think of anything clever to talk about or aren’t creative enough to find a better activity.
You know, all the typical stuff people say about dancing when they don’t know or are too inhibited to do it.
Something changed in the last year, though. I became a lot more comfortable with my self image due to the weight loss and measures I took to improve my appearance. Or maybe it’s more accurate to say I became a lot less self-conscious.
In any case, now I dance if the mood strikes me. I don’t rally up a posse and say “c’mon folks, let’s go DANCE,” but I’m willing to at least join people on the dance floor.
I’m still terrible at it, mind you. But I don’t care. Neither should you.
So for those who don’t give a (what?), some of us folks will be at the Official Unofficial Troy Night Out After-Party this Friday night, 10:00pm, Daisy Baker’s in Troy, NY. Good music, better times, and even better people.
And, quite possibly, Kevin Marshall dancing.
REACT: Do you dance? Why or why not?
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27 Responses to Dancin’ with Myself
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I play ‘rock star’ in the 12×50 foot aisle of the big barn. So yes, I dance – when no one is watching! (In the old days, I loved to dance.)
I literally danced one time in my life before I met my wife.
Since I have met her though I have opened up to it more. If we go out to ‘da club’ I’m more than willing to go out and dance with her.
I used to be 100% against it and wanted nothing to do with it, but now I’m fine with it, I don’t think about what anyone else thinks about how I look because, honestly, you just have to look around and see what some of the other people look like and suddenly you realize you don’t look so stupid!
With my job, I don’t get much exercise. It’s because of the odd hours. Also, being single, I have to do all the domestic chores of a household in my spare time. And because I’m single, I do go out and meet people because hey – I’m single.
Dancing is like killing two birds with one stone. It’s great exercise. It’s a great way to go out and meet people. I never feel badly about my life when I’m dancing.
Wow, I used to be quite the dancer, and I was pretty good. I’ve danced partner dances, along with the group dancing, and *cough*line-dancing*cough*. (I am from Texas) Learning to dance with a partner was a prerequisite to living in Texas. I had to learn the Texas Two-Step, waltz, polka, variations of the two-step, and the ever-so-fun swing dancing. In recent years, I’ve found myself dancing less & less, unless it’s at home while I’m cleaning and in the mood to groove. I actually got on the dance floor last weekend with M. at Quintessence. I love M. dearly, but he’s not the best dancer, yet he’s a great sport and fun to dance with. I KNOW my issues are self image, and the fact that I don’t go to dance clubs, and don’t know how to dance to some of the songs out there these days. Boy, do I miss the country dancing I did in high school and college, sometimes.
I will be there doing the running man
I don’t dance often, but when I do, I don’t suck for a fat white guy. The best time was when we were at a wedding and I was dancing and my wife said..”hey,my Baby got moves.” Of course I almost broke a hip.
Dancing fool…anytime, anywhere. We went dancing 5 nights a week in college; some nights in San Francisco literally dancing through the night until they kicked up out at 7am. You can’t get me to sing but I can move to anything with a beat.
I never stop dancing. Ever. I was born dancing.
Thing is, I don’t care if people “can’t dance”. If they’re dancing, having a great time with a smile on their face, I love it. I often think goofy dancing is more fun than people who take it seriously while at bars, clubs, etc.
Speaking of, ever notice the girls that dance at bars, who watch themselves in the mirrors? So funny.
I dance poorly, but if I’m up for it, I’m having a good time!
I dance like a crazy person (depending on the music) at home alone or at a bar/club/what-have-you. I recently became obsessed with the music video for the song “Song Away” by the band Hockey. Very awesome crazy person dancing in it. I dance like that. I not-so-secretly desire to play that song at a bar and have everyone spontaneously begin dancing along (much like in the video). I can dream, can’t I?
I was shaking it like a Polaroid picture back when we actually had Polaroid pictures. I blame camera phones for the death of dance.
I started dancing a couple years ago because of the Troy Night Out after party, because I saw that I wasn’t the worst dancer there. “I won’t look as stupid as that guy, so what’s stopping me?” I’m pretty shy/reserved/self-conscious so I need a little help getting started, i.e. a drink, a song worth dancing to, and someone willing to dance with me. Now if I found a place that played all minimal wave, I don’t think I’d need any of the aforementioned things, because I’ll dance to that stuff alone in my apartment anytime.
Nowadays about the only dance I do is a duet with the Crown Prince called the Daddy Without a Shirt Dance, but back in the day I was hell on wheels doing the Sprawling Goalie. Nobody else would even try to do that one.
I dance when I’m cooking or cleaning, and I almost always dance at shows. Kids in clubs these days don’t know what dancing is… all they know is how to dry hump. Ew. I love to tango and swing… =)
That Billy Idol song is NOT about dancing.
…whatchu talkin’ ’bout, Madeo?
Note – I am well aware of this fact, just as I know that Cyndi Lauper’s “She Bop” is not about a woman with a love of Bebop.
Hey, Kevin, maybe we could list ALL the songs with double-entendres about self-gratification? Then, in future Google searches, this would be a definitive source. Worldwide. Across the whole Internet. Your page.
No more than Turning Japanese is about turning Japanese… or Pictures of Lily is about pictures of lilies.
Gman & Rob – Good idea. Then, when people think masturbation, they’ll think Kevin Marshall.
…
I rarely dance anymore, but when I did it was usually in a crowded situation so nobody could really see me much…. Then there was that blue ribbon and trophy from back in the day….
It’s better than total obscurity. And you could even list songs like “I Want a Hot Dog for My Roll,” the 1920s classic from Butterbeans and Susie. Expand a little bit from the pure self-satisfying milieu.
I’m only confident enough to dance with a bit of liquid courage in me. I suppose I do okay when I dance with a group of friends, but as soon as some one tries to dance up close with me I’m at a loss. I’ve never been to a club and never intend to. Just not my scene.
I’m a sucker for a slow dance, though.
I love to dance. I dance all the time. My friends and I (now in our early 30s) have Wine and Wii parties where we exclusively play Just Dance. I LOVE to dance. I’d never consider myself a good dancer and I suspect most who know me would agree, but I absolutely love it.
As an aside, my mom has always told me to marry a man who dances – she says I’m her last hope since my dad and brother-in-law do NOT dance, where both of my grandfathers danced and danced often. I still hope to do that. :)
Cake – The Distance
Violent Femmes – Blister in the Sun
Kevin, in reference to your #19 comment, I literally spit on my screen. Thanks.
Blister in the sun, yes. The Distance..no, but that’s funny…it’s about the corporate rat race.
I dance fairly often when at social events. Dancing as I do comes fairly easily to me, helps burn off stress, and distracts me from negative thoughts and feelings.
I often dance for 1 to 2.5 hours going at a faster than typical pace that a few attempt to emulate. Since I don’t drink, I go faster than normal with my own made up moves as I get bored doing what is more typical.
However, most of my dancing is done alone. If another attempts to dance with me I am a shade uncomfortable due to my shyness. This could also be that oft when someone does try to dance with me it is in a manner that would push a rated R movie to the next rating up. Meanwhile, my typical dancing is G rated at its worst.
Another factor of discomfort in regards to dancing with another is that I tend to shy away from human contact since I have been mostly void of it for so long. This is similar to cat or other pet not acclimated to being touch by humans. Also, I shy away since I don’t want to make others uncomfortable by making it seem as though I have impure motives or the ilk.