AIBU to prefer Fred Astaire & Ginger Rogers dancing to twerking, lol

[WeWantSweet]

Different times and mores I know with both positive and negative aspects but BBC2 have been showing their old films and the elegance and floaty dress fabulousness is something to aspire to I think..

Very different styles of dance. And you can't be unaware that they are not really reflecting different times but different music, culture and purposes. I feel very uncomfortable with outrage at twerking. Smacks of cultural imperialism, elitism and quite frankly racism

This

This this

So Fred and ginger are now racist?

Or if you are white - and who knows if the op is - and you like them you are racist?

Bloody hell.

This thread is mental

So Fred and ginger are now racist?

🤦🏻‍♀️

MrsPear, no but the wording used when unnecessarily comparing the preferred form of dance to one which is from Black Culture, is.

Black Women have had this shit to deal with since slavery. Their hips/bums were bigger, unlike the 'elegant white ladies', which was seen as them being highly sexed and used an excuse to rape them.

‘Twerking’ when it’s some awkward, suburban teen attempting it is horrible and awkward

The same sort of dance move done in dancehall style by actual skilled dancers to the right music is awesome

I'm looking forward to seeing Ballet Black on the tv on Wednesday, 7.30pm BBC4.

Twerking isn't skilfull (anyone with any large arse can do it).

I bloody can't. I can't coordinate my body well enough

So much virtue signalling here! Woo hoo!
I’ll short of agree in way.

The dancing at the latest SuperBowl With Shakira and JLo and their dancers was the most graceless, unimaginative, rhythmless dancing I’ve ever seen. Compare that to Michael or Janet Jackson or Prince doing SuperBowl.

I'd rather jack than Fleetwood Mac, personally

Can you not say you like a style of dance without putting another form down? It just looks very immature as well as suspect like you’re trying to goad people.

Fred Astaire style dancing would not fit sign today’s mainstream club music.

In the 90s I liked Nirvana and dance music but couldn’t stand BritPop. I’m capable of saying I like the former without slagging off the other as I understand many people prefer BritPop and there’s no need to slag it off. What does it achieve?

Have never understood the type of person who has to put others down to big themselves up.

Finally if this is about racism, African Americans invented tap dancing.

Twerking is difficult

It's hardly a skill that people take years of practice to be able to accomplish and turn into an art form though, is it? I don't know of any dance schools that teach it. Unlike, say, street dance, tap, jazz, ballroom, contemporary, hip-hop, south Asian dance, ballet, acro, bhangra, commercial, modern, latin American, or even belly dancing and pole dancing.

I can't twerk and my arse is huge

I can however dance like Fred and Ginger. At least I could before I got fat

Didn't Michael Jackson take some of the inspiration for his dances from fred astaire? Both great dancers

If anyone loves dance, the Royal Ballet are showing their incredible modern ballet The Cellist on their Facebook page at 7pm this Friday (29th May). Highly recommended.

Fred Astaire was a lovely man as well as being a wonderful dancer, according to all accounts.

Oo which films? Are they on iPlayer?

I tried to twerk in the kitchen once and put my back out for 3 weeks. Clearly there is a level of skill and flexibility involved that I don't have.

It is certainly not 'elegant' like F&G, GK or CC.

But there are numerous black ballet companies, so if anyone is looking for elegance that could be a place to start. I saw an amazing production of Rooster (to Rolling Stones music) a few years ago with an all black cast. It was elegant in parts, but also funny, sexy and most of all life-enhancing.

YABU. Miley Cyrus dances just as well as Ginger Rogers. Though to be fair Ginger has been dead for 25 years.

What is it about this site and deeply loaded racist sentiments. Why even compare the two styles? That's like saying you like oranges because peanuts are crunchy

Twerking is an dancehall art form. That you think it's cheap, imitates sex just displays cultural imperialism. Fred dancing up some stairs is a lot easier than twerking. I have been in carnival and learning to twerk requires training and not as a PP said just possible by anyone with a big arse. Again Mumsnetters showing their ignorance racism - daily occurrence.

I tried to twerk in the kitchen once and put my back out for 3 weeks.

Ouch! A spin class did similar to my neck.

There is a twerk dance class near me, before lock down, I think it's very difficult to do, I've tried and failed miserably

cultural imperialism

What utter bollocks.

Again Mumsnetters showing their ignorance racism - daily occurrence

Nope, it's people comparing two dance forms and expressing their preference, whether based on perceived elegance, skill or costume.

You devalue the word 'racism' when you use it too often - which seems to be commonplace on MN at the moment.

Oh ffs, it's a big world. There's room for both kinds of dance and no need to compare them. Twerk doesn't aim to be remotely similar to ballroom, it's a different kind of expression. Just as vogueing is different to Irish dance, which is also different to pole dance...

If you don't get the appeal of one, that's fine - doesn't negate the existence or importance of the other style to other people. You do you, let them do them.