We all had the covid break. Dance events were gone since March 2020 until mid 2021.
Good thing about dancing is that once you reach a certain level, the dance stays as your muscle memory. Somewhat like riding a bicycle or swimming.
If it was a body builders' gym work of sorts, you may lose it quickly as fast as you lose muscles. But dancing can be maintained easily by watching videos and imaging the dance. Much of dancing is how you use your body, a neuro-muscular control at a subconscious level. It does not simply rely on muscle strength, but on the art you've got.
Yet, we can "forget" how to dance. I use dance videos to reload dancing. For example, before going to West Coast Swing (WCS) party, I watch WCS videos like this.
This is a little old (from 2013), but it records entire finals in a 29 minutes video, so it is quite handy to keep playing. You can find your favorite dancers or moves. I like a few moments that are drawing good long energy flow line in the space (something like 4:37-4:45). We can see moves popular at the time (like the arm catch-drop, 2:50-2:57).
The way I see it, starting in mid 2010's, "full body" kind of dance became more popular in WCS (among some leading professionals, anyway). I should be able to update such dance style evolution with newer videos. Don't know where WCS is heading to after covid break, though (yet).
In "open" category, the dancers are mostly professionals. The category is strictly swing, for which dancers enter as couples (so that they can prepare for some flashy moves beforehand), but they do not know what songs will be played (hence, on spot musical interpretation is needed).
The dances cannot be as polished as in fully choreographed dances. The judges would factor entertainment to the viewers. After all, they need to dance as champions; meaning that they need to entertain the viewers/WCS dance community members attending the event.
One thing I have to remember is that the dances presented here are too good for regular social dances. Imaging the same energy flow and speed may be too much too fast for the most casual dancers you will see on the local dance floor. Assessment and adjustment are needed in social dance.
In terms of range of dancing, WCS covers a wide area, is a dynamic dance, and is more visual.
Visual dances (ballet, ballroom, other entertainment dances) do better in videos. Sensual dances (wiggly bachata or kizomba, subtle Argentine Tango in close embrace, etc) are harder to capture their niceness in film from a distance.
Body usages and energy flow patterns for visual dance and sensual dance are different.
Unless you know the difference and adjust your move, you can be good in one but be stumbling in another. An awesome sensual bachata dancer with great hip motions can suck at salsa, showing her feet are not really catching up with the distance she has to move. And vice versa. A salsa dancer with quick feet can be like a stiff doll in a sensual dance.
All these are a part of fun of dancing. Although covid is still filling up ICU with patients (mostly unvaccinated), I am glad that people started dancing again.
