I have a theory, confirmed only by a handful of folks I know, that writers are not naturally gifted dancers. They talk well, they write well, and evidently they cook, eat, and drink well also. But can they dance? Even those who write about dancing, are they any good at it? Did Astaire or Kelly write?
My theory is two-part: (1) all the talent goes to the head, eyes, and mouth box (witness the nattering in this forum), and the rest of the body is left out; and (2) many writers are natural introverts, and only extroverts are uninhibited enough to shake, rattle, and roll in a room full of raving loonies.
This doesn’t mean they hate dancing. I love to watch good dancers, but I’m no good at it myself.
I cannot dance. In my last year at Cambridge, I suddenly lost my inhibitions and went in for uncontrolled movements … not as bad as wotsisname in “4 Weddings …” but it only lasted a few months. But even then if you tried to get me in anything like a two-step, leave alone anything more complex, I would absolutely freeze on the dance floor and go into a state of panic.
The only thing I can think of that I really do as badly as I dance is sing. My daughter confessed to me when she was about 18 that when she was little the reason she had liked me to sing a song to her every night when she went to bed was that it was so boring and monotonous that it sent her to sleep quickly! Now I refuse to embarrass not only myself, but also the people I’m with … and the Chinese love Karaoke!
Never tried formal dancing, but in my younger days I used to dance in clubs for hours on end. No idea if I was objectively ‘good’, but I first met at least three then-girlfriends on the dance floor, so I can’t have been too bad
So far, it seems, your thoery has been mostly confirmed true.
I can dance (vaguely - I wouldn’t say I’m great at it, but what-the-hey; more of a physical theatre person really), however, I don’t see myself as a “writer” as such. A poet maybe, but within that I’d happily call myself a songwriter or performance poet - note the emphasis on performance for both.
I do see where you’re coming from. I think dancing uses a very different part of the brain to writing. For certain kinds of writing, i can see how there’s some crossover - I mean, spontanious movement and spontanious writing, for example.
But yeah - textual thought and kinetic thought. Different ball-games.
I have no illusion to my dancing prowess. There is normally a circle of observers gathered and all enjoying the show. Once the laughing dies down and the paramedics arrive my wife crawls our from under a table and offers to compensate for any damage done. It only takes a few weeks for her to speak to me again.
Imagine Vic-k’s avatar hurtling pellmell into the lambada… a frenzied and altogether ridiculous sequence of gyrations utterly devoid of elegance, or indeed reason. Well, that’s me attempting to waltz.
That reminds me of a story I wrote the last time I got drunk; it involved a court wizard who repelled an invading army that summoning massive flocks of Canada geese to “carpet bomb” the invaders.
Hahaha! That is a riot. Wock, that is about the funniest thing I’ve seen all week.
I think it’s a fallacy to think that writers can’t dance. My mother is a writer, has been all her life, mostly fiction, screenplays. And she was a champion jitterbug competitor in her youth and still dances up a storm. She’s the reason my siblings and I can dance too. My brother, a professional composer, wowed us all at his wedding when he and his new bride did a routine that would have put Fred and Ginger to shame!
Who says we can’t use many different parts of our brain fully, eh?
Outstanding! I knew we had one extrovert in the bunch! You get to chair the First Anniversary Dance Party and Reunion for Scrivenistas, which Vic will co-host at his compound in StockPond. Hoping he will serve his famous Baked Bean Pizza, too!
Well, I always test as an introvert, but I definitely have an extroverted side! I’ll do it! Not sure about the baked bean pizza, but, as chair, I can guide us into a healthy and delicious assortment of foods. Vic, you’d best behave and keep that LD fellow in check. You will all be dancing fools before the night is over.
