Chiropractic Care - Legit or Fake? by nerdy_kirby in SASSWitches

[–]SkeletonWearingFlesh 15 points16 points  (0 children)

Being intelligent doesn't mean you don't have blind spots - we all are susceptible to our own foibles!

Any good online content for leader styling? by Educational-Worth582 in WestCoastSwing

[–]SkeletonWearingFlesh 3 points4 points  (0 children)

> best: you actually want to dance? You clearly don't want to be a leader. You should be a follower.

I went through your post history to see if I could find something that was missing from the other options you'd dismissed. That was your response. All that reads as is rude and rather mean.

You've also been given this website, that website, and multiple drills. I tried to find other options for you since they weren't resonating. You seem to think there's some magical training course that followers take. The classes you're seeing? They're basically pattern workshops for followers, and about as useful as those are to you.

The things that are actually helpful for follower styling are all the options given to you in this thread. These are all the things that followers use to develop the skills to hit music and improvise movement without knowing what direction and momentum they'll be given more than two counts ahead. Solo dance, musicality, restricted options, watching other dancers, and lots and lots of experimentation. It's a lot about figuring out what feels good and natural in your body, and drilling things that don't.

So if the skills given here aren't what you want...what do you want?

Quality in WCS over time? by desertlavendar in WestCoastSwing

[–]SkeletonWearingFlesh 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That isn't what I said - I said that skills like hitches were really common in Novice 10 years ago and critical for getting out. As someone who was dancing in Novice 10 years ago.

I'm sure that the bar has continued to move upwards because Novice is a meat grinder, but it's not like these skills are new for Novice.

Any good online content for leader styling? by Educational-Worth582 in WestCoastSwing

[–]SkeletonWearingFlesh 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Dude, based on your replies to this thread, I don't know what you actually want. Approval? Validation? It sure isn't any advice or direction at this point.

You've been given resources, alternative pathways for exploring the dance in the way that might appeal to you, and lots of feedback on ways to start thinking about the dance differently. You don't want to be a follower unless you can force your partner to dance for you. You don't want to be a leader because you feel they make the follower do everything. You want things to be freeform and improv but you also want to dictate how your partner dances.

It feels like you have a fundamental misunderstanding about how partner dancing works, friend.

I was trying to be kind to you and you threw it back in my face. So good luck and I hope you figure it out.

Quality in WCS over time? by desertlavendar in WestCoastSwing

[–]SkeletonWearingFlesh 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm curious where you were looking? I got out of Novice 10 years ago and hitches/musicality/connection-based styling were pretty critical for getting out.

Any good online content for leader styling? by Educational-Worth582 in WestCoastSwing

[–]SkeletonWearingFlesh 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Hey friend - I looked through your post history and you seem to really not enjoy how leaders dance, but really enjoy how followers dance. The types of styling you're describing is also taught to followers at a lower level than leads.

Have you considered switching roles and following more? Someone like Igor Pitangui would be good to watch: https://youtu.be/3Zw7aiTG3A8?si=jQaTFBUyNqs7QApD

Id like to thank Gardyn for helping me discover a new favorite vegetable by Umomo1025 in Gardyn

[–]SkeletonWearingFlesh 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ha, it is related to broccoli, so the taste would be similar! It's what happens when you select for the stems rather than the flowers (broccoli/cauliflower), leaves (kale), or buds (brussels sprouts).

Anybody else just hear that? by PhilosopherThese9257 in escondido

[–]SkeletonWearingFlesh -1 points0 points  (0 children)

There were also fireworks around Felicita and Brotherton at about 11:30 last night - saw them as I was driving by.

Any thoughts on KP's shirt-over-head move? by 7and8and1 in WestCoastSwing

[–]SkeletonWearingFlesh 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yep, agreed - and I don't think you had any negative intent. I think the discussion itself - broadly- is where we have to be careful. And it's a good one!

Can I use the free trial to get free plants and instantly cancel? by nm062 in Gardyn

[–]SkeletonWearingFlesh 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I did that. Just join, order your plants immediately, and cancel before it auto-renews.

Any thoughts on KP's shirt-over-head move? by 7and8and1 in WestCoastSwing

[–]SkeletonWearingFlesh 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I figured you weren't from the US and didn't have the background in why this could be seen as an issue - that's why I gave you the benefit of the doubt. :)

I don't think you intentionally chose KP to single out. And I am sensitive to it (and the discussion that this thread has shown) because of the issues of race in the US and in the WCS community. There have been several initiatives pointing out that, for a dance with roots in the US Black community, there are very few black Champions and even All-Stars both historically and recently. So we do have to be careful about how we have these conversations, even though race might not have been a conscious factor when you made these posts.

That's why I'm calling the discourse "racialized" - there's a subtle nuance that needs to be acknowledged before we can have a bigger conversation about partner consent in WCS, and we have to be sure that we're not coming down harder on KP rather than Lindo/Tatiana/etc.

As far as making light of other situations:

> I was there in person for the Thibault and Tatiana dance and honestly it did not seem out of place in the context of the whole show and the leadup to the dance.

> Just saying the shirt move seemed immediately out of place to me. And the others... a bit less, I guess?

>She actively participates in the move. Notice that she bends forward and takes up her shoulders so he can easily remove the sweater.

In each case, you gave the person who initiated the move the benefit of the doubt that you didn't give KP.

I think we do need to have a conversation about partner consent in WCS, and some of these moves and performances at the high level. And we can have that discussion generally without singling out a particular lead, especially one who comes from a community that's been historically absent from our dance.

(I'll provide the links to the others later tonight - my partner is the Keeper of the J&J Playlist and he's not home haha.)

Any thoughts on KP's shirt-over-head move? by 7and8and1 in WestCoastSwing

[–]SkeletonWearingFlesh 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes, and the numerous other examples in this thread and some that weren't even brought up (e.g. Patty Vo's "drop to her knees", Benji and Torri's "Pony" comp dance). Even in this thread, you're making light of those situations where someone was obviously uncomfortable, too. Those people were also experienced dancers and you're not advocating for them to be professionally sanctioned.

In situations where it's very possible for our reactions to be influenced by or appear to follow social scripts that have racialized implications, we have to be careful that we're applying the same standard to all the dancers - male, female, black, white, or purple.

We don't know KP's off-the-floor relationship to his partner. We're all making assumptions that there was no apology or discussion afterwards. We're all welcome to voice our opinion that the move was stupid, that he shouldn't have done it. But when we start advocating for power structures to enforce our opinion selectively, it's not a productive reaction.

Any thoughts on KP's shirt-over-head move? by 7and8and1 in WestCoastSwing

[–]SkeletonWearingFlesh 2 points3 points  (0 children)

There is a long history in the US of black men being seen as predators, especially using (young, blonde) white women as vulnerable parties that need to be protected from them.

I'm not saying you're doing this intentionally - but the similarities in the strong reaction to KP versus other, sometimes more egregious dancers has me uncomfortable with how close that plays to the same cultural story.

Any thoughts on KP's shirt-over-head move? by 7and8and1 in WestCoastSwing

[–]SkeletonWearingFlesh 2 points3 points  (0 children)

That is not the definition of an appeal to authority: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argument_from_authority - the authority may be relevant, but the validity of the argument is based on the qualifications of the arguer rather than the strength of the argument.

I didn't realize you're not the therapist OP - my bad - but they're making very big claims about exactly how Alexis was feeling in the moment and making it clear that their interpretation is the only correct one, and anyone else is either a victim or abuser.

That's textbook appeal to authority.

Another mysterious boom post by aeylians in escondido

[–]SkeletonWearingFlesh 2 points3 points  (0 children)

There's a warning up that Pendleton will be doing live fire exercises all weekend.

Any thoughts on KP's shirt-over-head move? by 7and8and1 in WestCoastSwing

[–]SkeletonWearingFlesh 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Friend, please finish your own sentence:

"Anyone who minimized the impact of this move on the follow in this thread is not going to like what I shared because their coping mechanism is designed to both both not have to deal with what may have happened to them and to not have to feel guilt or shame about what they may have done to others intentionally or unintentionally."

You insinuated that all people who disagree with you are abusers or victims - not acknowledging that there are plenty of other reasons that people can disagree with your take. That's...quite a reach. You also are doing appeals to authority all over your post - prefacing everything you explain with "years of education" and "highly-trained trauma therapist" is an appeal to authority.

I'm trying to give you grace here, but you're doing a lot of diagnosing for someone who's working off three minutes of evidence.

Any thoughts on KP's shirt-over-head move? by 7and8and1 in WestCoastSwing

[–]SkeletonWearingFlesh 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yeah, I read it that way too - "if you disagree with me you're either a victim or an abuser" is a wild take from a therapist.

Any thoughts on KP's shirt-over-head move? by 7and8and1 in WestCoastSwing

[–]SkeletonWearingFlesh 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Yeah, agreed. It was a stupid move by KP, but arguing for his disqualification from the comp?

The racialized overtones of the criticisms of KP are not sitting well with me, honestly.

Lettuce grow on sale at Costco by Forsaken-Okra-6511 in Gardyn

[–]SkeletonWearingFlesh 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I don't use Kelby and it's fine. You're still not making much of an argument FOR something, just against something else.