Jordan Baseman: Land of a Thousand Dances

You had to have the latest dress, or boots, or whatever.

Of the time. 

You had to have the right gear.

Mary Quant dress. 

It was fun. 

It was safe. 

You got to know a group of people. 

So, girls could turn up on their own and know that there’d be somebody there that they’d know and they’d be able to dance with. 

You made friends with lots of people. 

It was a nice feeling. 

It freed your mind from any other issues that were roundabout. 

It was quite a nice, safe feeling. 

You’ve got to be the right size. 

You’ve got to be the right shape. 

You know, that’s it. 

The pressure’s there. 

Ready Steady Go!

You know that was where you saw what the fashions, what the dance moves should look like.  

And that was what we copied. 

The Rock and Roll dancing, you just did. 

You danced on your own around your handbag with the other girls. 

I didn’t need to practise. 

It was just how you felt at the time.

Things changed.  

Every weekend there’d be something different to look at or different to buy. 

And, you’d got to make something yourself.

Or go to your local shops to see if there was anything that resembled what you should be wearing, to keep in fashion.

There were quite a few records that were good to dance to.

Some you could just listen to. 

You’ve got to have white boots. 

Mini-skirt or hot-pants. 

With like a tabard top. 

Mini-dresses. 

Op-Art type dresses. 

I used to make a lot of my clothes. 

If I was going out on a Saturday night, I’d make something new on the Friday, ready. 

So I had something fashionable to wear on Saturday night.

You’ve got to have to up to date fashion. 

You’re not pleasing anyone but yourself. 

You can just relax and move to the music. 

You’re not dancing to anybody else’s tune, if it’s your own.

It’s how you want to be.

How you want to feel. 

Dancing, changes. 

The style changes but the feeling stays the same. 

It’s a really good free expression, dancing. 

You could just move to how you wanted to feel. 

Just move as you wanted to move to  the music. 

So, it was more theatrical.

You could move as you wanted to move. 

To feel that you can have freedom of expression, it can stop you from thinking anything else. 

You don’t have to concentrate on any problems of the day.

Any world-wide issues that might be affecting everybody.

It’s an escape to be able to do that. 

People can join together and dance. 

There’s no reason to be isolated and lonely if you can link up with other people and share music. 

And dance, if you are able. 

If you enjoy dancing, it stays with you. 

You do whatever you can, while you can. 

Just move to the music, is enough. 

That’s the thing that people can enjoy.

And continue to enjoy at any age. 

Participant

Jordan Baseman