Shiftless Shuffle - Post Event Interview (April 20, 2014)

Interview with Tracey Whittingham

Shiftless Shuffle Field Visit
Research Participant

Sunday April 20, 2014

17.00 - 17.20

Whitechapel Art Gallery Cafe, London

The list of questions I based the interview on are the same ones I will be asking all field research participants for this project. They are as follows: 

List of Questions for Research Participants:

• Name
• Age      
• Location
• Profession
• Are you trained in any style of dance? If so, what was the period of training, e.g. 12 years in jazz, one off workshop in salsa
• Do you regularly partake in any kind of dance activity in your daily life? e.g. Zumba classes, clubbing and so on
• How did you feel prior to taking part in this dance research event? What were your expectations?
• Did you feel comfortable dancing at the event? Why? Why not?
• How would you describe the way you danced at the event?
• Please feedback your thoughts about the following at the dance event you attended-
• The venue
• The music
• The other people at the event
• The clothing worn at the event
• The atmosphere
• The dancing that happened at the event
• The timing of the event (was it too early? Did it go on for too long?)
• The cost
• Would you attend this event again? Why ? Why not?

                                        Audio recording of interview with Tracey


Transcript

Note: As I am friends with Tracey, I skip the first 4 questions which I already know the answers to, to save time. Tracey is a female in her early 40s. She works in Marketing and is based in East London.

LS: 

Ok, so I’m here with Tracey and I’m going to interview her about the event we just went to called Shiftless Shuffle. So Tracey, can you tell me are you trained in any style of dance?

TW:       

No.

LS:         

And in your day to day life, do you take part in any dance activity? It can be like Zumba class, going out dancing…

TW:       

Well I usually enjoy going out dancing and I used to enjoy doing, like a step class which had quite a lot of choreography in it so I used to quite enjoy that because even though you’re doing step class, it was actually quite dancey. You’d learn quite a few dance moves and it was quite fun.

LS:         

So in the club, we were talking about how you started dancing quite a lot when you were younger.

TW:       

Yep.

LS:         

So in that period, can you tell me a bit about where you would go, what kind of clubs you would go to? Why you went out as regularly as you did and maybe why you don’t go out as much anymore, dancing maybe?

TW:       

Um, I think the kind of clubs I used to go to, they used to be quite varied. So I had quite a varied set of friends and like one of my main set of friends were people who would like hip -hop and RnB and acid house and jazz funk. So we used to go out quite a lot dancing.  So for example, we’d probably go out Wednesday night to one club and then we’d, each night would be a different club night somewhere. And when you’re 18, 19, 20, it’s like you haven’t got any responsibilities. It’s quite easy to go out clubbing that often and also get up and go to college. The simple reason I can’t go clubbing as much is that I‘m too tired.  I physically wouldn't be able to, rock in, get home at like 2 o’clock and the get dressed and go to work the next day after having so little sleep.

LS:         

So what age were you when you were at the peak of your going out dancing period?

TW:       

Literally probably 18 to 22-23. So while I was at university. Or even up to my first job but I could just about cope then because I was. So I’d come home have my little power nap. I’d get home on a Friday night. I’d get home about 5.30-6.00. Sleep to about kind of 8.00. Get dressed and go out. And we’d go to clubs that would start about 11 and 12. So it’d be quite a big night out.  But I would've had my little power nap to keep me going as I didn't used to drink much.

LS:         

So let’s talk a bit about Shiftless Shuffle where we've just been.

TW:       

Yep.

LS:         

Before taking part in this event, what were your expectations of it?

TW:       

I didn't know what to expect. I quite enjoyed the concept of it. Going to the dance class part was really quite fun, although slightly nerve wracking as I have really terrible memory for choreography so I always forget half the moves. But I enjoyed it. I thought the teacher actually was quite well paced.  He didn't rush ahead and he kinda just repeated the steps so you really kinda like, could just kick it in and the class itself wasn't too intimidating so it didn't feel like, even though they may have really been super advanced, it didn't really feel like that way.

LS:         

And why did you agree to go in the first place?

TW:       

More for the socialising experience than anything else, but, it was just kind of a new experience.

LS:          

Did you feel comfortable dancing at the event?

TW:       
I can’t say I did. Like after the class finished, it felt like,

LS:         

Well, we didn't dance. We did the class but we didn't actually do any social dance.

TW:       

But it was more to observe. But I use to quite like that going to clubs more to observe   people dancing. Kinda like, that was a part of the night as such. The only thing missing was someone chatting about some fit bloke [inaudible]

LS:         
Ok, let’s keep going. So yeah, in this instance, we didn't actually take part in any of the social dancing. In your case, why was that? Because I wasn't or you just didn't feel like it, or the atmosphere?

TW:       

I think it was a combination of different things. A - that the atmosphere felt so much that it was more kind of male dominated and that felt, actually not even the fact that it was male dominated. I felt that the guys on the dance floor were quite professional, well not professional but knew what they were doing and it felt quite intimidating.

LS:         

When you said, 'knew what they were doing,' what did you mean by that?

TW:       

They knew their dance steps and were quite proficient in their execution.

LS:         

And what would you call the dance steps they were doing?

TW:       

Quite, like, you know, they looked quite good and they looked like they had been coming for a while. Not necessarily like, taking the actual classes but obviously, they knew the dance, they looked quite comfortable. They were kind of sharing their dance moves with their friends. They were messing about but to be quite honest, most of them looked like they were just doing their own thing.

LS:         

Do you think they looked like they were improvising or they already had a bunch of moves in their head that they wanted an opportunity to do, to fit the music?

TW:       

I think they did look like they were improvising. They probably do have a couple of moves they feel they have mastered as such and would kind of, break into whatever moves depending on the music. But it just felt like it was more interesting to watch than dance. Because they seem quite good so it was quite nice to watch a bunch of guys dance.

LS:         

And so would you call it jazz funk style of dancing? What would you call it if you had to give it a name?

TW:       

Probably jazz funk. Some of the moves crossed into many different forms, like hip hop or any urban dance form. But it was good to watch.

LS:         

What did you think of the venue?

TW:       

It wasn't the probably the nicest of venues that I've ever been to but it was quite functional for what it was. I wouldn't say exactly say the venue put me off going there but it didn't actually enhance my experience either.

LS:         

What about the music they played?

TW:       

The music was good but my tolerance to jazz funk is probably maximum an hour, two hours and then I get a bit bored.

LS:         

Why’s that?

TW:       

Just because that form of music, I enjoy it, but I wouldn't mind if it was mixing up with RnB, hip hop or some other kind of thing.  Not just solely that. It does kind of wear on me after a while.

LS:         

And what did you think about the other people that attended the event?

TW:       

Actually I thought that was quite interesting because when we initially got there, it felt like it was a very varied age group but as the night progressed, I think the people that came in seemed to get older. And it did feel like that these were people that had been doing this, like when I said I used to go clubbing twenty years ago.

LS:         

They were there with you?

TW:       

I said they were probably there with me and whereas I kind of went off and did my own thing, they stuck true to it and now they’re part of that scene and they’re like. I was just like kind of flitting in and out whereas they were truly committed. They loved the music. They loved the dancing. That’s their thing.

LS:         

We were saying at one point it was like being in somebody’s lounge room as they all seemed to know each other.

TW:       

Yeah, they did all seem to know each other. They did feel comfortable it was kind of very relaxed and informal. It was kind of nice. Like the Cheers experience when you walk in and everyone knows your name.  There’s something nice about that. And also that shared experience. That you can talk about something, like, that night when blah, blah, oh yeah that was really great.

LS:         

And um, what did you think about the clothing that people wore at the event because you talked about this a bit to me earlier?

TW:       

I thought it was quite interesting in terms of clothing. Probably about 20 years ago, people seemed to be more tribal in the sense there seemed to be a more set pattern of dress. Although saying that, as the night progressed, it did semi turn into that. In the beginning there was more individuals. There was more like, the look didn't feel like much of a uniform but as the night progressed and the older people came in, it did feel become more of a uniform. Obviously they probably were there in the 90s, in 1990 and they have got the dress sense from that period and they stuck with it and it became more apparent.

LS:         

So describe what you mean by uniform?

TW:       

So like denim trousers rolled up.Probably brogues, some kind of brogue shoes, maybe brown. Maybe a check shirt, maybe just some kind of shirt and then like a cap.

LS:         

What about the women?

TW:       

I don’t feel that is dress sense for women as such because even then, women were probably doing their own thing and I think women are fortunate enough that your tribe is so you can do your own thing. I think then when I was going to clubs like that, you’d probably be wearing trainers or as the night progressed or the clubs changed that you went to, you did become more formal like there would be no jeans, no trainers on the listing.

LS:         

And what did you think about the atmosphere there? You talked about that a little already, like you felt it was quite informal amongst people that knew each other.

TW: 

It was quite informal amongst people who knew each other but I think it was also quite intimidating for people who didn't know each other.

LS:         

Why’s that?

TW:       

I felt like again, it was like you’d ventured into someone’s living room and going, ‘Oh Hi,I didn't mean to interrupt your night.’

LS:         
So what, you didn't feel included?

TW:       

Oh I didn't think it was a case of being included or excluded, it was just, I felt a little bit suspicious being there, but maybe that’s more me than them.

LS:         

And in terms of the dancing you watched whilst you were there, what did you think of the dance?

TW:       

Well again, most of the dancing was quite good but I did feel like it was bit of a battle. The guys dancing off, getting onto the dance floor saying that. Maybe that whole hip hop battling was bit apparent. Maybe not in a kind of real kind of…

LS:         

Formalised way?

TW:       

Yeah, not even formalised but you know in certain battles, like certain hip hop battles there’s like, 'Yeah, I’m the best.' I didn't think it was like that. The guys there were like not semi-serious and just a bit laughey.

LS:         

What did you think of the timing of the event in that it was during the day?

TW:       

I thought it was really interesting. It was like – why is that? Is it because now they've got children.

LS:         
Why do you think? That’s a valid point? Do you think it was because they have children and if they do, where are their children because it’s the weekend? What have they done with their children?

TW:       

It’s probably easier to get a babysitter during the day, the cost of one for a day.

LS:         

What did you think of the cost of the event? That it was £7 to go. Do you think it was worth it? That it was too much?

TW:       

Um, you do get quite a lot for your money because you get a dance class. If you were to talk about the dance class itself, I think your, like if you go to Zumba class, any class like Fitness First or whatever kind of gym, you’re talking about £7, between £7 - £10 so I think that’s quite comparative. I think that’s the also the thing about clubbing. Partly the reason why I stopped going. It seemed to get more and more expensive to go out. So once you factor in your entry and drinks, cab home, your night is quite expensive. But I suppose the good thing about this is you don’t have to factor your cab home as you can get home as the trains are still running.

LS:         

Just a thought came into my head when we were talking about that. Like, when we were younger, like you said the peak of your time going out dancing was 18-23. I don’t know what kind of income you were on back then, but I know that when I was going out dancing as a student, I had a lot less money than I do know. And obviously the prices of clubs and stuff are more expensive now but it seems to be more of factor now, than it was a factor back then to stop people going out dancing. Why do you think it’s more of a factor now?

TW:       

I suppose when you’re younger you may have less money but you have more disposable income that you have and your priorities are so different. Like your priorities are about having fun and socialising.

LS:         

Yeah like you said you used to drink only diet coke and dance the night away.

TW:       

Precisely so my worries wouldn't be am I going to be able to get up and go to work, it was more, oh shit, who is going to come with me to this event?

LS:         

Ok so last question, would you attend this event again? Why? Why not?

TW:       

I would attend the event again. I’d probably just go to the class, I quite enjoyed the class and it was quite a nice way to do exercise, I had a nice build-up of sweat and I quite enjoyed it. Why I wouldn't go again, I ‘d probably just go for the class and not for the club part. Maybe I didn't give it a fair enough chance. Maybe if you went in a bigger group and got more involved in it it’d be more enjoyable but at the moment, I think that class, yes, club  - not so much.

LS:         

Is it also because of the dancing that happened on the dance floor as well, that you wouldn't feel comfortable joining in?

TW:       

I dunno, it’s the whole thing in terms of dancing, the music, but it was good. The music they played for the class was more mainstream and that’s probably more palatable for me whereas the music they played afterwards. It does feel like the DJ’s slightly selfish and it was more about ‘Oh look, like at this really wicked record that I got from this dealer, blah, blah, blah, look at me, I got this record,’ And I felt like it was less about me, more about him. So I think, not that I wouldn't go again, but I would be happy to go to the class rather than the club.

LS:         

Well thank you very much.  

Shiftless Shuffle Field Visit April 20, 2014

It's Easter Sunday and I am on my way home from a field visit to Shiftless Shuffle. This week has been a heavy one with two field visits in a week. In hindsight, it might have been better to space them out a bit more. 

I'm writing up my field notes whilst travelling on the tube. It is 5.30pm. A strange time to be heading home from a dance club. Usually I would be heading home in the early hours of the morning, ready for bed. In this instance, I am heading home to an expectant toddler who requires bedtime stories. 

Shiftless Shuffle is run every Sunday at a venue called Dukes in East London from 2pm to 8pm. The event is hosted by an organisation called Jazz Cotech who are: a specialised organisation of Dancers, DJs, Promoters and friends who promote and keep alive the UK Underground Jazz Dance and Music scene (taken from the Jazz Cotech website) 

The event is broken into a class on jazz fusion technique from 2pm to 3pm followed by a club session from 3pm to 8pm.  The class is taught by Perry Louis, Artistic Director of Jazz Cotech. The entry fee is £7 which gives you entry to both the class and club session. 

Shiftless Shuffle has been on my radar for a long time. My solo Charleston teacher, Rosaria Sativa had told me about it frequently, saying that it was a great dance event. 

Flyer promoting Shiftless Shuffle featuring Perry Louis

My partner in crime today, a.k.a field research participant, is my friend Tracey. Tracey is in her early 40s and is someone who loves to dance. She has a background in burlesque dance but is interested in a range of dance forms and music. So it is that Tracey and I meet at East Aldgate Station on a rainy Sunday afternoon and head down to Dukes on Houndsitch. When we arrive at the venue, I take a photo before we head in:

Tracey warming up outside the venue (which was easy to spot)

We enter and I pay our entry fees. Moving downstairs to the basement club, we find the class about to commence. Perry (the teacher) welcomes us with a smile. We join the class who are assembled in two lines facing Perry.  Facing us on a podium is a DJ who goes on to spin music for the class. 

The basement club venue is one large space with a bar and seating area on one side, a large dance floor with rigged lighting overhead and two DJ podiums facing one another on either side of the dance floor. On the other far end is what I believe is a cloak room space which is shut during our attendance. Below are some pictures of the space taken from the venue's website. It did not look as snazzy during our visit:

Perry takes us through an extensive fifteen minute warm up. At first glance, I count nine people in attendance, four males and five females. The ages seemed to range from mid-twenties to late forties, with ethnicities including Oriental, Caucasian and Afro Caribbean amongst others.  I note the presence of a male photographer who proceeds to take photos of the class from all angles throughout the hour. We are not informed who he is, what the photos are for or whether we allow for any images of ourselves to be used. I find this disconcerting but also helpful as later on in the class, I snap a few photos without asking permission of anyone and feel ok about it. 

After the warm up, Perry starts teaching us a basic jazz fusion routine which he teaches in counts of eight. He proceeds to do this over the hour and eventually we learn a 32 count routine. He is a good teacher, breaking the moves down clearly and ensuring consistent repetition until we all have the basics covered. The live music provided by the DJ is also helpful in enlivening the class atmosphere. 

Some of the routine is as follows:


Throughout the whole routine. The upper body is held loosely, slightly hunched over with arms following freely. The knees are always slightly bent. 

First 8 counts 

1& -  Jump right foot forward, feet in a parallel vertical, and invert right heel out so foot lies horizontal
2 -    Bring right heel back into vertical parallel. Left foot remains still 
3& -  Repeat on the other side with left foot forward
4 -    Bring left heel back into vertical parallel. Right foot remains still 
5-6 - Repeat counts 1-2 on right side
7-8 - Repeat counts 3-4 on left side

Second 8 counts

1& - Invert left foot so that heel leads outwards towards the left side of the room in a semi vertical position. Bring left heel back so it is pointing to the right side of the room whist travelling towards the left side of the room still. Right food remains on the floor, being dragged along as left foot travels
2& - Repeat above
3 -   Repeat above
& -  Take right foot back in to a ball change step
4 -   Low jazz turn on left foot toward left side of room, right foot up at left ankle 

Third 8 counts

1& - Feet together in parallel. Jump into second parallel, landing with feet inverted in
2 -   Turn both feet out
3 -   Jump and land with feet crossed over
& -  Jump again and land with feet in inverted second parallel again

4 -   Turn both feet out
5-6 - Repeat counts 1-2
7-8 - Repeat counts 3-4  

Fourth 8 counts

1 -  From feet together in parallel, lift right foot slightly off the ground 
& - Bring right foot back down to the ground. At the same time lift left foot off the ground to right knee
2 - Bring left foot back down to the ground. Both feet together in parallel
3 - Jump both feet out together in a wide second, feet in parallel
& - Bend upper body over to touch floor with both hands. Legs remain straight. Feet do not move
4 - Jump both legs together into a crouching position. Hands remain on floor. Legs and knees together bent. Weight of the body is on the balls of the feet. Heels are off the ground 
5 - Jump legs back out into wide second position, feet parallel with upper body bent over to touch floor with both hands. Legs remain straight 
& -Jump feet back into crouch position as in Count 4
6 - Jump body upright landing with straying position as in Count 1
7 - Jump feet out into wide second, feet parallel
& -Jump and land with feet crossed over one another so lower body is twisted 
8 - Single turn using momentum of twist for propulsion and use arms as necessary

The class pace is fast and constant. Halfway through, I am hot and sweaty from the exertion. I take a water break and also take a few surreptitious photos with my Blackberry. They don't turn out very well:

People have been drifting in throughout the hour so towards the end of the class, I count a total of nineteen people; nine men and ten women. I am impressed by the almost equal representation of sexes in the class, as it is not something I experience often in a dance class. I wonder if this trend will carry over to the club session. 

Enjoyable as the class was, Tracey and I are hot and sweaty afterwards so we get drinks and sit down. I'm mindful of the fact that the class was just something to be enjoyed whereas the club session would be the focus (or not) of my fieldwork research. I want to observe the dancing that goes on.

The dance floor remains mostly empty for the first half hour of the session. People who had taken part in the class are mostly still here, hovering around the edges. Occasionally a few men enter the dance space, execute a few complicated looking foot moves and then retreat off the floor. Below are some pictures taken during the early stages of the event:

As we gaze at the mostly empty dance floor, I mention to Tracey that, 'it feels like we are waiting for something to happen. It feels like everyone is waiting.'  Over the next half hour, more men in their early twenties to late forties move onto the dance floor. They dance around the edges of the space, executing moves that look like they are derived from the jazz fusion technique that Perry taught us, fused with elements of hip-hop, break dance and other styles I cannot distinguish. There is a lot of emphasis on footwork above all else, with the upper body mostly being held loosely. 

There is also a performative sense with what I am seeing. The dance floor so far does not look like a social dance situation where people are on a dance floor improvising to the music. A lot of the moves I am seeing look polished and worked on. At this point, there is no chance in hell I am going onto the dance floor as it does not feel like a democratic space.  I do not know any of the moves that are being executed and quite frankly there is only one other female on the dance floor at this point and I feel a bit intimidated.  I also do not feel the desire to dance as I am not being driven to it by the music that is playing which is entirely instrumental and in the jazz funk vein.

Tracey and I discuss what is happening on the floor. She feels similarly to the way I do. She also has a cold so she is happy to sit and watch. In response to my comments about the majority of men taking over the floor, she confirms that this is something that happened regularly at jazz funk clubs she visited in her twenties.  She referred to the performative display being put on by the men as 'peacocking.' 

The men on the dance floor have now formed a rough circle. One man enters the circle, does a few moves and then moves back to the perimeter. Alongside performative, the dance floor now also feels tribal as this circle formation and the entry into the middle and exit feels timeless. Although I cannot verify personally if this true, I have seen enough dance performances, social dance scenarios, historical clips and so forth to believe that this circle formation in dance is intrinsic somehow in the relationship between humans and dance. This is why I put the question about people dancing in circles in my survey.  The sole female is still on the dance floor but she has not joined in the male circle. 

Below is some footage I recorded. This first clip was recorded about forty-five minutes into the event:

 

Ninety minutes into the club session and more have punters are arrived, the crowd estimate being sixty to seventy people, with what looks like a 50/50 gender split. Oddly, this is not represented on the dance floor which is still predominantly male. The sole female is still there on the edges but not part of the circle formation which is dominating the dance floor. The men in this formation look like they have warmed up. Their dancing has started to loosen and take on a feral energy. It is still has all the elements of the technical dance footwork of before. I start to wonder that if you have had training, what exactly is spontaneous on a dance floor?  

This clip was recorded about ninety minutes into the event:

Even though I am seated a fair way off from the dance floor, I can feel the energy start to build in the dancing and the club. Many of the new punters entering seem to know one another as there are many waves, handshakes and hugs. Whilst the vibe of the club is welcoming, the intimacy between the majority of punters makes me feel like I am in someone's lounge room watching a dance off.  At this point, Tracey and I still have no compulsion to dance. We feel tired, we can no longer see the dance floor clearly due to the arrival of more punters and so I make the decision to leave so that I can also interview Tracey before we both head home. 

Tracey and I, looking ghoulish at Shiftless Shuffle