As DJs lament crowds who stand still and film on their phones, the UK’s northern soul, jazz dance, footwork and vogueing events are bringing back free expression and fun to the dancefloor
I’m the only one who’s not been in. The floor’s open. Someone goes in for their second round, buying me some time with a two-step, a dribble and out. Another agonising pause. I know Tiger’s looking at me – he’s not going to let me get out of this, so I jump in. I’d been working on my running man, but the two‑step is my anchor now. And I just keep two-stepping. It’s fitful, it’s awkward, it’s out of time – but I’m doing it, footworking in the middle of a dance circle. “You’re part of the culture now!” beams Tiger, as I jitterbug back to the sidelines.
It’s my first time attending a footwork practice session, led by the instructor Tiger in the foyer of Central Saint Martins art college in London. I heard about these sessions through an “open decks” night dedicated to footwork, the furiously fast and bassy style of dance music from Chicago. The dance actually came before the music, but that part of it has never really caught on in the UK. Times are changing, though. Not since flailing to dubstep at university have I felt so enthused by the dancing side of club music.
