Written by: Samos Madrigal
Images by: Their respective owners.
Tal, greetings. Some of you may be familiar with my articles and columns in other periodicals. It is my pleasure to join this worthy publication I will begin with my “manifesto” (below) and then monthly, I will spotlight a specific dance, e.g. tile, panther, need, etc.
Let’s begin.
I realize that assessment of Gorean dance is always a somewhat subjective affair, but there are legitimate guidelines (Ubar Luther’s Scrolls on dance, and the books themselves, of course), and I strive to support and spread them.
First, a few online basics.
About post-lengths. 150-word posts are very difficult to read and digest in a meaningful way… it is odious to have to scroll up and scan so fast that you can’t see a girl’s animations. A good rule of thumb… for a 15 second post…no more than 25 words, for a 30-second rate of post, maybe 60? And so on.
Overall length of the dance. Ten minutes is a good maximum. I have seen 5-minute limits that produced quick, buoyant dances with a lot of punch!
A note about judge selection. Hometown girls do not usually dance before panels of their own city (unless contestants are limited only to girls of that city) just as a matter of custom and avoidance of bias whether real or imagined. Or, if the judges are all from different sims then that is better, although still, girls of the host-sim could be thought to be given preferential treatment.
Now then, on to a big issue, and an important one. DANCING versus STORYTELLING.
There are two main viewpoints on this.
The “DANCE” faction (championed by Ubar Luther, with whom I agree), holds that a dance should not be a narrated tale, but rather must be a role-played, action-based augmentation of things that could actually be SEEN (as in real) by one observing a dancer (and her props). The dancers in the books did it that way. DANCE faction people will ask, what would you think if a girl stood up to dance in real life and then proceeded to recite a story?
Now the other ‘side’ which might be called the “STORYTELLER” faction essentially says that a well-told story can give a whole panorama of history and detail which makes for a good read. No need to limit a girl to the here-and-now in the sand-pit, let her show her poetic/prosaic skills freely. STORYTELLERS will ask, isn’t it more fun to read a rich, panoramic Gorean tale that covers unlimited times, distances, and characters?
On one hand, I think that almost anybody would agree that the most authentic book-based dances are done by Dance practitioners. But others really enjoy the exciting, impassioned Storyteller presentations. I wish that we had more storytelling events so that this enjoyment could be fully celebrated, separate from dance. I also lament that the playing field is often not level when a Dancer loses to a Storyteller, since the former’s actions are unlikely to present the scope and grandeur of the latter’s recitation.
But don’t confuse STORYTELLING with STORY dances. Even DANCE FACTION people like me agree that there CAN be GOOD “story dances.” Like the earth girl’s dance for Jason. Some examples off the top of my head:
BAD STORY DANCE: “Long ago, a girl was captured in the hills and was taken to a camp and…(add about ten lines of story here)…at long last she was reunited with her Master and it was raining and the thunder clapped and their hearts beat together as they embraced…” and so on.
A GOOD STORY DANCE: “This is a story dance of a girl who wants a certain man to buy her”. Then she dances to show her beauty, her need, finally perhaps dropping to his feet).” See? You can only “tell” a part of a story – then you DANCE…Examples of dancers whom I believe do this right: Catch the Dance Pit raiders if you get a chance. They are a dance troupe, and they are marvelous. They really do here-and-now spontaneous, authentic dance.
Impromptu Dance
I was having a chat with a regular dancer. She surprised me by saying she had only been asked once or twice to dance impromptu, outside her Owner’s private quarters.
When well-done, this is to me the truest and most authentic sort of dancing. As would happen in a real Gorean setting, a girl is usually just commanded to her feet and made to dance. If she has skills (such as knowledge and training in classic dances) then of course she uses them, but if she is not at all trained, she still gets up and dances, in as pleasing a way as she can. There are certainly occasions when a girl pre-plans a dance, with props (such as that Earth-girl dance that Jason’s girl did), but most dance was off-the-cuff.
I have queried the best impromptu dancers, and they say that you don’t need tons of animations, just some lovely ones. Then you start one after the other, describing the subsequent moves and how they are part of whatever it is that you’re trying to express in your dance.
Some of the very experienced girls know their many animations so well that they use those that most contribute to the theme of their dance. Typing speed is an advantage – shouldn’t be, but it is. I prefer shorter posts, more frequently posted than the long ones take – a short post, even if a phrase is all you can type – every 30-60 seconds is very nice.
As for total length, I don’t think most men will expect more than ten minutes or so. If they want more, and if they are Gorean, they will let you know.
Most of all – BE YOURSELF! Take interesting things about your av (or about you in real) and USE that! Stand out as an original. Don’t be a robot! Got freckles (like my girl, Twist Easley)? Make them an attraction! Got classic elegance (like kyss Valeeva)? Show it! Are you a wild-ass little black cat (hello, ebony Breda)? Don’t try to be anything else. I think it’s the greatest beauty of dance, that it spotlights YOU, your good points, even your quirks or “flaws.” Real Gorean want to see real slaves dance, and they come in all shapes and sizes and temperaments!
As many Free and slave alike have discovered, I am very open and responsive to queries or comments. I have even read drafts of girls’ dances now and then.
So many of us love Gorean Dance. Let’s pursue excellence together.
Reproduced with permission from Home Stone Magazine.
Past issues are not currently available to view online as
they were printed as the publication has been defunct since 2010.
