Anderson .Paak
One of the best parts about dancing, in my eyes at least, is the duality between the musicality we can express on the floor and the moves we can break out. From the funky butt to the fishtail, the Blues dance dictionary is vast and expansive. By having enough confidence and fun, there’s always a move to stay engaged with the music we dance to.
So naturally, I’m going to discuss a move I rarely ever see at our dances:
The Cat’s Meow
When Virginia, a fellow BDNY Instructor, broke out the Cat’s Meow in a class, I was awestruck. It’s such a simple move that almost anyone can learn within five minutes, yet incredibly easy to mess up if you don’t know its mechanics.
Virginia described it best: “it’s all in the tongue.” The step is easy enough to do, but the whole move hinges on the dancer pressing their tongue with their thumb. Forget that detail and the move is incomplete, like a cat unable to meow.
Moves like the Cat’s Meow take little effort, yet end up being the moves we remember the most. By simply amplifying and intensifying a small detail of a dance move, we command attention from people around us and make them want to focus on what we do next. Keep that in mind next time you want to stand out on the dance floor.