Excuse me, but the topic at hand has just a tangential relation to music.
edited 5th Dec '11 6:04:07 AM by Litis
Wait - only tangential? Dance culture, especially social dance culture, is a huge part of the music culture from which it comes. It's certainly possible to disassociate bboy culture from hip-hop culture, swing dancing from swing music, rave culture from electronica, and nightclub culture from pop music, but why would you? Why shouldn't we discuss dance here? It's not like discussing social dance in a music subforum will detract from any discussion. If anything, it will enrich it.
That said, there's only one other thread on dance in the entire forum, and that topic's in Yack Fest. There isn't really a place for discussing social dance. I'm personally of the opinion that Live Performance is discussion for theater and other choreographed or otherwise planned stage performances, but if a mod feels otherwise then I'll migrate over there.
Anyway, back on topic. Xiaoninja, that's planned before they hit the floor, isn't it? It's not quite a partnered connection, unless the dancers are playing off of each other as they dance, which is really, really hard to do when the only connection is visual.
I'm specifically thinking of a lead-follow type connection like one would find in ballroom dances, swing, and salsa. Granted, the rhythms are different enough that coming up with a partnered connection with more depth than grinding would be a challenge, but I think we've given up way too early.
It's not really planned. Believe it or not, a lot of commando routines happen when bboys play off each other's style. I can't really describe it too well, but whenever I do a commando set it's created at the spur of the moment. Yes, a lot of crews do create planned routines, but many commando routines are thought up on the spot. For it to work, I really need to know how my partner battles and dances, though. I can't do a commando with a person who's style I have no idea about. Sorry for the shitty explanation, but your best bet to understand it more is if you try breaking for yourself. Honestly, with a background in swing dancing, you will get the dancing aspect of bboying down very quickly. :)
Everything happens for a reason.

After five years of swing dancing and many hours of watching youtube dancers of other styles, I have come to the frightening realization that modern street dances (primarily bboy and other hip-hop dance styles or rave, shuffle, and other electronic dance styles) have not developed any significant partnered connection - they're all solo dances!
I have three questions to ask of the TV Tropes dancing community.
First, is my realization wrong? If so, can anyone send me links to a video, or something? I'd love to see some partnered shuffle or uprock.
Second, if I am correct, why hasn't a partnered connection developed? Charleston, if I recall correctly, developed both individual and partnered variants simultaneously. Why hasn't modern dance done that?
Third, if it hasn't been done, do you think it's possible? My best guess would be to start with lead/follow techniques from partnered Charleston, as it's fast enough to keep up with modern music. The biggest challenge I see is maintaining connection - shufflers seem to build up tons of energy and send it straight into the floor with each step, and partnered bboying has the challenge of creating connection through downrock and power.
I can't get this idea out of my head - the potential awesome just seems way too awesome to ignore.