Ballroom dance that breaks gender roles | Trevor Copp & Jeff Fox | TEDxMontreal
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0:09 - 0:15(Music)
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1:38 - 1:42(Applause)
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1:48 - 1:51Trevor Copp: When Dancing With the Stars
first hit the airwaves, -
1:51 - 1:54that is not what it looked like.
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1:54 - 1:55(Laughter)
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1:55 - 1:58Jeff and I were full-time
ballroom dance instructors -
1:58 - 2:02when the big TV ballroom revival hit,
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2:02 - 2:05and this was incredible.
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2:05 - 2:08I mean, one day we would say "fox-trot,"
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2:08 - 2:11and people were like "Foxes trotting."
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2:11 - 2:13(Laughter)
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2:13 - 2:15And the next day they were telling us
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2:15 - 2:17the finer points of a good feather step.
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2:17 - 2:19And this blew our minds.
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2:19 - 2:25I mean, all of the ballroom dance
geeking out that we had always done -
2:25 - 2:28on why salsa worked differently
than the competitive rumba -
2:28 - 2:31and why tango traveled unlike the waltz,
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2:31 - 2:35all of that just hit
the public consciousness, -
2:35 - 2:37and it changed everything.
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2:38 - 2:40But running parallel to this excitement,
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2:40 - 2:45the excitement that suddenly,
somehow, we were cool -- -
2:45 - 2:47(Laughter)
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2:47 - 2:49there was also this reservation.
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2:50 - 2:52Why this and why now?
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2:54 - 2:57Jeff Fox: When Trevor and I
would get together for training seminars -
2:57 - 2:58or just for fun,
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2:58 - 3:00we'd toss each other around, mix it up,
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3:00 - 3:02take a break from having
to lead all the time. -
3:02 - 3:05We even came up with a system
for switching lead and follow -
3:05 - 3:06while we were dancing,
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3:06 - 3:08as a way of taking turns and playing fair.
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3:08 - 3:11It wasn't until we used that system
as part of a performance -
3:11 - 3:12in a small festival
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3:12 - 3:14that we got an important tap
on the shoulder. -
3:14 - 3:18Lisa O'Connell, a dramaturge
and director of a playwright center, -
3:18 - 3:20pulled us aside after the show and said,
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3:20 - 3:23"Do you have any idea
how political that was?" -
3:23 - 3:25(Laughter)
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3:25 - 3:28So that began an eight-year
collaboration to create a play -
3:28 - 3:30which not only further developed
our system for switching, -
3:30 - 3:34but also explored the impact
of being locked into a single role, -
3:34 - 3:35and what's worse,
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3:35 - 3:38being defined by that single role.
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3:38 - 3:39TC: Because, of course,
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3:40 - 3:44classic Latin and ballroom dancing
isn't just a system of dancing; -
3:45 - 3:47it's a way of thinking, of being,
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3:48 - 3:50of relating to each other
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3:50 - 3:52that captured a whole period's values.
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3:53 - 3:55There's one thing that stayed
consistent, though: -
3:55 - 3:56the man leads
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3:56 - 3:58and the woman follows.
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3:58 - 4:01So street salsa, championship tango,
it's all the same -- -
4:01 - 4:03he leads, she follows.
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4:03 - 4:05So this was gender training.
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4:06 - 4:07You weren't just learning to dance --
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4:07 - 4:10you were learning to "man" and to "woman."
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4:12 - 4:13It's a relic.
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4:14 - 4:16And in the way of relics,
you don't throw it out, -
4:16 - 4:18but you need to know
that this is the past. -
4:18 - 4:20This isn't the present.
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4:21 - 4:24It's like Shakespeare:
respect it, revive it -- great! -
4:24 - 4:25But know that this is history.
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4:25 - 4:28This doesn't represent how we think today.
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4:29 - 4:31So we asked ourselves:
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4:31 - 4:32If you strip it all down,
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4:33 - 4:35what is at the core of partner dancing?
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4:36 - 4:38JF: Well, the core principle
of partner dancing -
4:38 - 4:41is that one person leads,
the other one follows. -
4:41 - 4:44The machine works the same,
regardless of who's playing which role. -
4:44 - 4:48The physics of movement doesn't really
give a crap about your gender. -
4:48 - 4:49(Laughter)
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4:49 - 4:51So if we were to update the existing form,
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4:51 - 4:53we would need to make it
more representative -
4:53 - 4:55of how we interact here, now, in 2015.
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4:56 - 4:59When you watch ballroom,
don't just watch what's there. -
5:00 - 5:01Watch what's not.
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5:01 - 5:04The couple is always
only a man and a woman. -
5:04 - 5:05Together.
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5:05 - 5:07Only.
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5:07 - 5:08Ever.
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5:08 - 5:12So, same-sex and gender nonconformist
couples just disappear. -
5:12 - 5:15In most mainstream international
ballroom competitions, -
5:15 - 5:17same-sex couples are rarely
recognized on the floor, -
5:17 - 5:18and in many cases,
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5:18 - 5:20the rules prohibit them completely.
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5:20 - 5:25TC: Try this: Google-image,
"professional Latin dancer," -
5:26 - 5:28and then look for an actual Latino person.
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5:28 - 5:29(Laughter)
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5:29 - 5:31You'll be there for days.
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5:31 - 5:35What you will get is page after page
of white, straight Russian couples -
5:35 - 5:37spray-tanned to the point of mahogany.
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5:37 - 5:39(Laughter)
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5:39 - 5:41There are no black people,
there are no Asians, -
5:41 - 5:43no mixed-race couples,
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5:43 - 5:46so basically, non-white people
just disappeared. -
5:47 - 5:51Even within the white straight
couple only paradigm -- -
5:52 - 5:53she can't be taller,
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5:53 - 5:55he can't be shorter,
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5:55 - 5:57she can't be bolder,
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5:57 - 5:58he can't be gentler --
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5:59 - 6:01if you were to take a ballroom dance
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6:02 - 6:04and translate that into a conversation
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6:04 - 6:05and drop that into a movie,
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6:05 - 6:09we, as a culture,
would never stand for this. -
6:09 - 6:12He dictates, she reacts.
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6:13 - 6:16No relationship -- gay,
straight or anything -- -
6:16 - 6:20that we would regard as remotely healthy
or functional looks like that, -
6:20 - 6:22and yet somehow,
-
6:22 - 6:24you put it on prime time,
you slap some makeup on it, -
6:24 - 6:28throw the glitter on, put it out there
as movement, not as text, -
6:29 - 6:31and we, as a culture,
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6:31 - 6:32tune in and clap.
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6:34 - 6:37We are applauding our own absence.
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6:38 - 6:41Too many people have disappeared
from partner dancing. -
6:42 - 6:47(Music)
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7:26 - 7:31(Applause)
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7:33 - 7:35JF: Now, you just saw
two man dancing together. -
7:36 - 7:37(Laughter)
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7:37 - 7:38And you thought it looked ...
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7:38 - 7:40a little strange.
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7:40 - 7:42Interesting -- appealing, even --
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7:42 - 7:44but a little bit odd.
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7:44 - 7:47Even avid followers of the same-sex
ballroom circuit can attest -
7:47 - 7:51that while same-sex partner dancing
can be dynamic and strong and exciting, -
7:52 - 7:54it just doesn't quite seem to fit.
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7:54 - 7:56Aesthetically speaking,
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7:56 - 8:00if Alida and I take the classic
closed ballroom hold ... -
8:02 - 8:03this is considered beautiful.
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8:06 - 8:08(Laughter)
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8:09 - 8:10But why not this?
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8:10 - 8:12(Laughter)
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8:12 - 8:15See, the standard image that the leader
must be larger and masculine -
8:15 - 8:17and the follower smaller and feminine --
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8:18 - 8:19this is a stumbling point.
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8:20 - 8:24TC: So we wanted to look at this
from a totally different angle. -
8:25 - 8:29So, what if we could keep
the idea of lead and follow -
8:29 - 8:32but toss the idea that this
was connected to gender? -
8:33 - 8:38Further, what if a couple
could lead and follow each other -
8:38 - 8:39and then switch?
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8:40 - 8:41And then switch back?
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8:42 - 8:44What if it could be like a conversation,
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8:45 - 8:48taking turns listening and speaking,
just like we do in life? -
8:48 - 8:51What if we could dance like that?
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8:52 - 8:55We call it "Liquid Lead Dancing."
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8:57 - 8:58JF: Let's try this with a Latin dance,
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8:59 - 9:00salsa.
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9:01 - 9:04In salsa, there's a key transitional step,
called the cross-body lead. -
9:04 - 9:07We use it as punctuation
to break up the improvisation. -
9:07 - 9:10It can be a little tricky to spot
if you're not used to looking for it, -
9:10 - 9:12so here it is.
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9:17 - 9:19One more time for the cheap seats.
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9:19 - 9:21(Laughter)
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9:24 - 9:26And here's the action one more time,
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9:26 - 9:28nice and slow.
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9:33 - 9:37Now, if we apply liquid-lead thinking
to this transitional step, -
9:37 - 9:39the cross-body lead becomes a point
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9:39 - 9:41where the lead and the follow can switch.
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9:41 - 9:43The person following can elect
to take over the lead, -
9:43 - 9:46or the person leading can choose
to surrender it, -
9:46 - 9:48essentially making it
a counter-cross-body lead. -
9:48 - 9:50Here's how that looks in slow motion.
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9:58 - 10:01And here's how it looked
when we danced it in the opening dance. -
10:07 - 10:10With this simple tweak,
the dance moves from being a dictation -
10:10 - 10:11to a negotiation.
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10:12 - 10:14Anyone can lead. Anyone can follow.
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10:14 - 10:17And more importantly,
you can change your mind. -
10:18 - 10:20Now, this is only one example
of how this applies, -
10:20 - 10:23but once the blinkers come off,
anything can happen. -
10:23 - 10:28TC: Let's look at how liquid-lead thinking
could apply to a classic waltz. -
10:28 - 10:30Because, of course,
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10:30 - 10:32it isn't just a system of switching leads;
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10:32 - 10:33it's a way of thinking
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10:33 - 10:37that can actually make
the dance itself more efficient. -
10:37 - 10:38So: the waltz.
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10:39 - 10:41The waltz is a turning dance.
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10:41 - 10:43This means that for the lead,
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10:43 - 10:46you spend half of the dance
traveling backwards, -
10:46 - 10:47completely blind.
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10:47 - 10:50And because of the follower's position,
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10:50 - 10:53basically, no one can see
where they're going. -
10:53 - 10:54(Laughter)
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10:54 - 10:56So you're out here on the floor,
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10:56 - 10:59and then imagine that coming right at you.
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10:59 - 11:00JF: Raaaaaah!
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11:00 - 11:02(Laughter)
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11:02 - 11:05TC: There are actually a lot
of accidents out there -
11:05 - 11:07that happen as a result
of this blind spot. -
11:08 - 11:11But what if the partners
were to just allow for -
11:11 - 11:13a switch of posture for a moment?
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11:14 - 11:16A lot of accidents could be avoided.
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11:16 - 11:21Even if one person led the whole dance
but allowed this switch to happen, -
11:21 - 11:23it would be a lot safer,
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11:23 - 11:26while at the same time,
offering new aesthetics into the waltz. -
11:26 - 11:30Because physics doesn't give a damn
about your gender. -
11:30 - 11:31(Laughter)
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11:32 - 11:35JF: Now, we've danced liquid lead
in clubs, convention centers -
11:35 - 11:38and as part of First Dance,
the play we created with Lisa, -
11:38 - 11:40on stages in North America and in Europe.
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11:40 - 11:42And it never fails to engage.
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11:43 - 11:46I mean, beyond the unusual sight
of seeing two men dancing together, -
11:46 - 11:49it always evokes and engages.
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11:49 - 11:50But why?
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11:50 - 11:54The secret lies in what made
Lisa see our initial demonstration -
11:54 - 11:55as "political."
-
11:55 - 11:58It wasn't just that we were
switching lead and follow; -
11:58 - 12:01it's that we stayed consistent
in our presence, our personality -
12:01 - 12:04and our power, regardless
of which role we were playing. -
12:04 - 12:05We were still us.
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12:06 - 12:08And that's where the true freedom lies --
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12:08 - 12:10not just the freedom to switch roles,
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12:10 - 12:14but the freedom from being defined
by whichever role you're playing, -
12:14 - 12:16the freedom to always remain
true to yourself. -
12:16 - 12:20Forget what a lead is supposed
to look like, or a follow. -
12:20 - 12:21Be a masculine follow
-
12:21 - 12:22or a feminine lead.
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12:23 - 12:24Just be yourself.
-
12:25 - 12:28Obviously, this applies
off the dance floor as well, -
12:28 - 12:30but on the floor, it gives us
the perfect opportunity -
12:30 - 12:33to update an old paradigm,
reinvigorate an old relic -
12:33 - 12:38and make it more representative
of our era and our current way of being. -
12:39 - 12:42TC: Jeff and I dance partner dancing
all the time with women and men -
12:42 - 12:43and we love it.
-
12:43 - 12:48But we dance with a consciousness
that this is a historic form -
12:48 - 12:52that can produce silence
and produce invisibility -
12:52 - 12:55across the spectrum of identity
that we enjoy today. -
12:56 - 12:57We invented Liquid Lead
-
12:57 - 13:03as a way of stripping out
all the ideas that don't belong to us, -
13:03 - 13:07and taking partner dancing back
to what it really always was: -
13:08 - 13:11the fine art of taking care of each other.
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13:13 - 13:19(Music)
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15:13 - 15:19(Applause)
- Title:
- Ballroom dance that breaks gender roles | Trevor Copp & Jeff Fox | TEDxMontreal
- Description:
-
Tango, waltz, foxtrot ... these classic ballroom dances quietly perpetuate an outdated idea: that the man always leads and the woman always follows. That's an idea worth changing, say Trevor Copp and Jeff Fox, as they demonstrate their new "Liquid Lead" dance technique, along with fellow dancer Alida Esmail. Watch as Copp and Fox captivate and command the stage, while boldly deconstructing and transforming the art of ballroom dance.
This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx
- Video Language:
- English
- Team:
- closed TED
- Project:
- TEDxTalks
- Duration:
- 15:34
Riaki Ponist
4:57
The couple is always only a man or a woman.a
a man or a woman
->
a man and a woman
One of the speakers confirmed that it was misspoken.
Riaki Ponist
5:35
spray-tanned the point of mahogany.
->
spray-tanned to the point of mahogany.