Dancing on the "1", or, Introducing Myself to a New Audience

​My name is Jim Hance, and I’ll be posting stories to a new Substack, Dancing on the 1. The stories will be about Cajun and zydeco musicians, and dance events, because knowing more about music and the artists who make it will sustain interest in it. Both Cajun and zydeco, for most dancers, are non-technical dances without strict rules except for one caveat: If you're smilin', you're doin' it right. The title of this blog, “Dancing on the 1,” is intended to poke fun at the informality of the dance and to invite you to do your own thing, which of course you will do without invitation. There is ONE hard-and-fast rule that applies to every dance I've ever encountered: whatever dance you do, STAY ON THE BEAT! 

Cajun and zydeco music are both products of one area of Southwest Louisiana that has come to be called Acadiana. While under the French occupation of the New World, immigrants came to the area either by force (as slaves) or to claim some independence from oppression. The common language that influenced a separate culture in Acadiana apart from other colonized parts of the New World was French. French-speaking immigrants from Nova Scotia were expelled from Canada when the British seized control, and found they were welcome to settle in Louisiana and became known there as Cajuns. French-speaking blacks formed their own social communities and culture in Acadiana and they commonly identify as Creole. The musical heritages of each continued to evolve independent of the rest of the continent as Cajun and Creole music was insulated by the French spoken there. While over the past century both Cajun and Creole music and cultures have become more influenced by the prevailing American culture of the United States, specific signatures of the Cajun and Creole music remain intact in contemporary Cajun and zydeco music. Cajun music has a fast tempo with an accent on the up beat. Zydeco, with a distinct blues influence, is typically a bit little slower with a heavy emphasis on the down beat, encouraging you to "dance down into the floor.” Whether the beat is up or down, the music will make you want to move!

My love for Cajun music started when my wife and I were invited by a friend to a Bon Temps Social Club dance in San Diego in 1994. Their monthly dances featured live music by bands from Louisiana. We were introduced to a whole new activity and acquired a passion for social dancing that started with Cajun dancing, and soon included zydeco, country dancing, Lindy swing, west coast swing, nightclub two-step, waltz, cha cha, salsa, and hustle dancing, to name a few. Over time we expanded our dancing acquaintances from a handful to thousands, many of whom we are still in contact with three decades later. My wife, Jane, became a west coast swing dance instructor, and I became a deejay for Cajun and zydeco dances, and a promoter for Cajun and zydeco dance events. 

It didn't take long before we strayed from the basics of the dances to making up our own dance stylings. Jane came up with her own dance styling to zydeco music she called "zyde-swing," incorporating Lindy and west coast swing connection and moves in her zydeco. And I have to confess that much of my zydeco dancing is informed by hustle: soft connection, continuous circular motion on the dance floor, and a flow that works particularly well with zydeco infused with funk or disco. 

This isn't wierd. This is what dancers do. West coast swing at most clubs and studios is danced to the pop music trend of the moment. West coast swing dancers have added hustle, tango, salsa, zouk, Carolina shag, and hip-hop styling to their swing dancing as pop music cycles through music trends. Most west coast swing dancers are okay with any styling you choose to add as long as you stay on beat and, preferably, maintain the anchor step and swing connection somewhere in the amalgamation. 

This is happening in the Cajun and zydeco dance scenes as well. Some Cajun and zydeco styling looks a bit like Pony that was once one of the dances in national country dance competitions — a lot of styling from jitterbug and east coast swing. Other styling seems to be derived from salsa and hustle, with lots of circular motion on the dance floor, deep drops into the knees and hand tosses added in, Others highlight the zydeco slide with lots of heel swivel action. Others include "swing outs" and underarm turns. If you want to see the diverse variations of Cajun and zydeco being danced in Acadiana, check out the postings of "Fran" to our Florida Cajun and Zydeco Dancers group on Facebook. 

Now you have permission to play with your zydeco dance and make it your own. We wouldn't want it any other way.