Democratization of dance

I don't belong to the "techno generation" but to the "travolta generation" instead. I am happy to see that dancing has been democratized. This was not the case some years ago. My generation had too many issues and prejudices with regard to "dancing good" or "dancing bad".

What was dancing for most of us? Simply stated, it was an exhibition act performed mainly in nightclubs where the first goal was to attract people from the opposite sex. You danced for the others. "To observe and be observed". Generally speaking, dancing was for those gifted people or for those with enough will to learn the "steps" of a particular style. Normally, class, sex and race differences came into play at the time of dancing according to one style or another. Attitude prevailed. PLUR was just unconceivable. That was plain stupid, as attitude only leads to boredom, envy and bad feelings. Combined with alcohol, attitude is the worse drug ever.

Was it some kind of "aristocratic" dance culture? Yes. But a (peaceful) French Revolution was taking shape, thanks to the rave movement and to electronic dance music. At the raves (or "fiestas", as called in Spain) or techo-dance-house clubs, nobody gave a sh*t about how others dance. Now, there is no more "dancing good" or "dancing bad". No more "look at me" or "look at that guy". The point now is to completely submerge your head into the music and enjoy each beat, with your mind, with your soul and with your body. It is, at last, a true dionysian and liberating experience, like it should have always been. Exactly the opposite to what I experienced around the 80's.

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