The A,B,C�s and 1,2,3�s of Skanking!
One dance that is found all over North America, Europe, South America,
Africa� hell, this dance is found all over the world and it is called
�skanking�. Skanking is also known as �doing the ska�, �the rocksteady
or
�the monkey�. �Doing the ska� is fairly simple, you just need a good
ear for
music and have a good sense of rhythm.
This dance existed just as long as the first two, but seems to have
gained
most of its popularity during the 2-Tone era (1980's, primarily in the
U.K.). It has become a powerful standard for discrimination in "the
scene";
people who have been going to shows for a year or two often complain
that
newer arrivals aren't familiar with this dance. Ironically, seeing how
its
popularity increased, it is the most complex to describe. This quality
prompts the very common response, "you have to just go to shows and
watch
everybody else"; that's actually not a bad idea, but not very helpful
either. Here's a decent step-by-step how-to:
1. Listen to the music carefully. When you can sort out the beats (the
constant 1-2-3-4 of the song, easier for some people to catch than for
others), you should begin by alternately putting each foot forward and
taking it back, having yourself slight hunched over at the same time.
Move
your feet forward on the odds and back on the evens. This is similar to
a
two-step, in ballroom terms.
2. Next we add the arms. The elbows stay bent, and the hands are balled
into
fists; the right hand comes forward when the left foot is out, and the
left
hand comes forward when the right foot is out. When a hand isn't
forward, it
ought to come back about as far as the hip. This coordination can be
tricky-
it's the step my mother and grandmother have been having the most
difficulty
with.
3. To make it look a little smoother, it helps to bob your head along
with
this movement. If your head goes down on all the ordinary beats
(1-2-3-4),
it comes up on all the upbeats (the little "ands" in between).
4. Now start to vibe with some classic ska sounds. If you're doing a
classic
skank, your feet should not be moving too much. Rather, you should be
bouncing with the upbeats and cranking those elbows. For added style,
get a
real cool expression and stare somewhere off in the upper corner of the
room. Preferably with shades and a wearing a fedora.
Variation�s on a Theme
That's it for the basics. Elaborating on this takes a little practice.
One
variation is "bouncing" your fists on the beats. More popular among the
skinheads is a variant where the knuckles are pressed together the
entire
time, and the elbows swing very wide. Sometimes, you can mix in 4 beats
of
double-time, dancing at twice the speed -- it looks like 4 quick rabbit
punches -- this move is demonstrated somewhere in the video for "One
Step
Beyond". Another move for interludes of double-time is a spurt of
running in
place with your knees coming way up high, a la "the Blues Brothers".
While people usually skank side-by-side in rows facing the stage, I've
encountered variations to adapt this dance for two people. One is to
simply
do the dance facing someone. This looks best if you're NOT a mirror
image
(i.e., you should each put your right foot in at the same time. Hokey
Pokey,
anyone?). Another is to do a pinwheel, each person following the other
in a
circle. Both of these require a bit more coordination than dancing
alone, in
order to stay in synch. Also, these variations take up more room;
you'll
only get enough space to do this at a show when the floor is not
crowded, or
if other patrons back off in fear of your flailing limbs.
The amount of variation only increases in today's world where ska
mingles
with Swing, Latin, and Punk influences. I find that one thing holds
true for
these hybrid genres: Say you're listening to a band whose sound you
could
characterize as "Latin ska". Some songs use rhythms to which you could
either do "ska dances" or Latin dances, interchangeably.
Others alternate between one type of rhythm and the other in separate
sections of the song. The latter is often the recourse of unskilled
bands
which don't understand the technique required to blend gently from one
rhythm to the other, although sometimes good bands will pull this
alternating maneuver off well.
Here is just a quick re-cap of all the different dances�
Rocksteady: Steady Rock Easy
For the more mellow rocksteady era, you'll want more of a pose, less
movement in the arms and legs ('cause it too HOT!) and most of your
expression coming from your hips.
Skinhead Stomp
When you're ready to strap on your braces and Doc Martens, you can add
more
of a snarl and a bit more machoism and testosterone (yes, even you
skinhead
gals) to the classic skank. The stomp comes in when you really lift
those
boots off the ground and start thomping with the more uptempo rhythms
of
early reggae.
Two Tone: Kick-starting the 80s Skank
Here's the classic "rudeboy" skank that most young ska fans today know.
As
ska mixes with the tempo of punk, you'll be adding a kick forward with
every
beat. You'll have more of a skip and a hop in there as you emulate your
favorite British ska idols.
Ska-core: Slam and Mosh
When the skank hits the States, the more hardcore fans take more from
the
punk/metal moshpit then they do from Kingston style. This is where you
really start to see some dance culture clashes on the club floors.
Third Wave: That "Running in Place" Thing
Ah, the great mystery of the 90s. Little skasters jogging in place as
fast
as they can. Somewhere in there, there is still some slight evidence of
the
skank, and therefore, some hope.
What Do You Do With All of This?
This is, of course, your decision entirely. You may decide that the
only
benefit you derive from this piece is to be better informed on the
opinions
and practices of the people you always saw around you at shows and
never
understood. On the other hand, if you've always stood there tapping
your
foot, really wanting to bust a move, but been very concerned about how
to
get started, you're the person I wrote this article for. If it gives
you any
confidence and guidance, then I've accomplished what I wanted to do.
I don't expect anybody to take their first stab at dancing at a show.
It's a
lot less frightening to "test-drive" some moves somewhere you feel
safer
(i.e., at home in front of your stereo). For example, when I first
started
skanking I would always get all stiff and tense, then I looked like a
nervous wreak when it was my turn to take a crack at it. So once you
feel
comfortable enough to dance in public, it can open up an entire new way
of
social possibilities. Never mind how nice it is to have the confidence
to
ask someone else to dance; the feeling you get when someone else asks
YOU is
the greatest feeling of all.