WhatisHandDancing?

WHAT IS HAND DANCE?

WRITTEN BY MARCIA DIANE FOSTER

WHAT IS "HAND DANCE/DANCING/DANCER"?

What is "hand dance/dancing/dancer"? For purposes

of this Website, hand dance/dancing/dancer is based on

my perception, living, and dancing experiences here in

Washington, D.C., in the 1960's and present in the

black community. I later found out that hand dancing

was danced in the white communities, also. I gave this

information to my new students when I taught

a social hand dance class from 2003-2007. Considering

they knew nothing about the dance, they found this

information very helpful and informative.

Hand dance/dancing/dancer is a partnership (male/female)

style dance distinguished by the motions of the male's hand and

received by the female's hand to follow his lead. The dance has a

6-step (foot) count--for females--it is right, left, right, right, left, left or right, right, left, left, right, left and the opposite for males starting with their left foot. The count is (1-2-3-4-5-6) starting with 1 on the right foot, for females, and ending on 6 on the left foot--reverse for males. Universally, some hand dancers put the word "and" between the count, that is, (1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and 5 and 6) and some hand dancers use the 7-step count (1-2-3, 1-2-3-4). No matter what count you use, as long as, both partners are on the appropriate foot, their footwork looks coordinated, professional, and awesome. I loved being a part of the 1960's generation and hand dancing to the Motown sound. But personally, I truly loved the excitement of dancing "freestyle" to music of the 1970's era.