baby powder on the dancefloor?

**lola desire** · 10-02-2002, 02:54 PM

i was wondering about this. when i was at ray hands' jamboree afterset in bklyn, i seen some folks putting baby powder on the floor.... i have never seen this practice before. all i could think of was someone slipping and busting a crucial body part. i, personally stayed far away from that spot.

i was wondering what is the purpose of baby powder on the dance floor? could someone explain?

**Jamie 3:26** · 10-02-2002, 02:55 PM

Originally posted by lola desire:
i was wondering about this. when i was at ray hands' jamboree afterset in bklyn, i seen some folks putting baby powder on the floor.... i have never seen this practice before. all i could think of was someone slipping and busting a crucial body part. i, personally stayed far away from that spot.

i was wondering what is the purpose of baby powder on the dance floor? could someone explain?

Lola that happened to me at Shelter.Did an old school kick and was on some baby powder and fell smack dab on my ass....

**upliftdisco365** · 10-02-2002, 02:58 PM

Yeah. Back in the day, the heads used to bring in baby powder to sprinkle on the floor to cut down friction to facilitate hot dance moves. Now, it sems that everybody EXCEPT the real dancers are using the stuff. I think it's dangerous and I avoid it as well.

**drilla** · 10-02-2002, 02:58 PM

Originally posted by JAMIE 3:26:
<blockquote>quote:<hr />Originally posted by lola desire:
i was wondering about this. when i was at ray hands' jamboree afterset in bklyn, i seen some folks putting baby powder on the floor.... i have never seen this practice before. all i could think of was someone slipping and busting a crucial body part. i, personally stayed far away from that spot.

i was wondering what is the purpose of baby powder on the dance floor? could someone explain?

Lola that happened to me at Shelter.Did an old school kick and was on some baby powder and fell smack dab on my ass....[/QUOTE]yeah, blame it on the baby powder... [img]smile.gif[/img]

sometimes floors get nasty and sticky...powder solves that problem...

also, if you are rockin footwork, depending on how fast your changes/turns are it can help with the smooth delivery of your steps.

**Koffy Brown** · 10-02-2002, 02:59 PM

I saw this at a club in Atlanta...needless to say I also saw a dude come out of the back with a first aid kit........I was like what da hell...

**drilla** · 10-02-2002, 02:59 PM

Originally posted by upliftdisco365:
Yeah. Back in the day, the heads used to bring in baby powder to sprinkle on the floor to cut down friction to facilitate hot dance moves. Now, it sems that everybody EXCEPT the real dancers are using the stuff. I think it's dangerous and I avoid it as well.

i like it sometimes...especially when im tired...makes for smooth footwork.

**Myron** · 10-02-2002, 03:11 PM

Does anyone knows the origins of this practice?

Myron

**%seRge%** · 10-02-2002, 03:14 PM

It works well, some people just don't know how to use it. They put down too much, or they spread it out on the floor too much...

Ray Hands' floor is not the greatest, so folks were trying to ad some slide to their glide.

**floorgasm** · 10-02-2002, 03:16 PM

Does anyone knows the origins of this practice?

some crackhead's 8 ball exploded mid-deal and people was freakin sick moves.

[ October 02, 2002, 04:16 PM: Message edited by: floorgasm ]

**Mack-Williams** · 10-02-2002, 03:16 PM

You have to have the right shoes to counteract the surface of the floor. I like hard flat soled shoes. I don't like dancing in gym shoes or rubber soled shoes, to much grip. I don't wear certain shoes to places where I know I am going to get my dance on at.

**konbit** · 10-02-2002, 04:09 PM

Originally posted by Myron:
Does anyone knows the origins of this practice?

Myron

I'm pretty sure they used it in the Northern Soul scene in the UK in the '60s...but that probably doesn't connect to the NYC house scene...

**Insert pseudonym here** · 10-02-2002, 05:06 PM

People from Chicago have never needed baby powder. We just glide across the floor, in sneakers, in boots, in 3 inch heels... we don't need no extra... all we ever needed was some good house music.

...and I'm with Uplift... that baby powder is dangerous, especially if you aren't an experienced dancer.

Hell, just give me some budweiser and a 1/2 pack of wild berry skittles and I will glide across the floor, twirl and back flip.... with my barefeet.

**JMJ** · 10-02-2002, 05:19 PM

Originally posted by DJ Efabulous:
People from Chicago have never needed baby powder. We just glide across the floor, in sneakers, in boots, in 3 inch heels... we don't need no extra... all we ever needed was some good house music.

...and I'm with Uplift... that baby powder is dangerous, especially if you aren't an experienced dancer.

Hell, just give me some budweiser and a 1/2 pack of wild berry skittles and I will glide across the floor, twirl and back flip.... with my barefeet.

You're absolutely right, Efab. The average Chicagoan levitates like David Blaine when we hit the floor. Remember the church scene in the "Blues Brothers" where folks started flippin' 30 feet in the air while James Brown was doin' his thing??? Where was the movie set??? Chicago. Oh, it's true. You can usually catch me working the floor like a Hovercraft, if I think you're worthy of my presence......JMJ [img]graemlins/cool_shades.gif[/img]

[ October 02, 2002, 06:53 PM: Message edited by: JAM-MASTER J ]

**DJ76** · 10-02-2002, 05:31 PM

Originally posted by DJ Efabulous:
a 1/2 pack of wild berry skittles

try the sour skittles.... you'll be jumpin' all over the place.

as for baby powder, it becomes essential in some places. I never tried this, if someone spills alcohol and it becomes sticky, will baby powder fix it?

**D J 1 3 8** · 10-02-2002, 05:54 PM

Originally posted by DJ76:
<blockquote>quote:<hr />Originally posted by DJ Efabulous:
a 1/2 pack of wild berry skittles

try the sour skittles.... you'll be jumpin' all over the place.

as for baby powder, it becomes essential in some places. I never tried this, if someone spills alcohol and it becomes sticky, will baby powder fix it?[/QUOTE]Not really. In fact, it kinda sucks up your baby powder and your like "DAMN! where'd all my baby powder go, this floor is sticky as hell!" Good thing those bottles only cost a couple bucks.

Baby powder is a must for us sneaker wearing folk. Hard soles are smoother but they beat up them dogs too damn much!

**DJ76** · 10-02-2002, 05:56 PM

yeah, when you work all day and wear hard soles, you wanna be relax in your sneakers when you go out. But your feet get lazy in sneakers so you might not pull the best moves, ya know?

dj paradigm · 10-02-2002, 05:56 PM

Originally posted by Myron:
Does anyone knows the origins of this practice?

Myron

I'm pretty sure this practice dates back to the time of the infamous NICHOLAS BROTHERS...It may have begun in the SAVOY BALLROOM in Harlem in the 30s and 40s...My feeling is that it date backs earlier than that...This is a good research topic.

Didn't SANDMAN from the Apollo sprinkle sand on the stage when he danced.

**imported_mhd** · 10-02-2002, 06:07 PM

I always thought of Sandman's sand as more for sound effect, but there is no denying the impact on the friction co-effecient, peace, mark

**miss al boogie** · 10-02-2002, 08:07 PM

it's not for glide...it's to protect your knees. the pounding on the floor can give your knees a good shock. i don't need powder to give me better moves, but at the end of the night (6 hours of dancing some times) the powder prevents my knees from getting REAL sore... and i learned this tactic from the heads that came before me on the NYC scene...

**Shalewa** · 10-02-2002, 08:50 PM

I appreciate a light sprinkling of powder. I have heard that we owe the use of baby powder on the dance floor to folks from philly.

**Mah'chew** · 10-02-2002, 09:06 PM

Originally posted by konbit:
<blockquote>quote:<hr />Originally posted by Myron:
Does anyone knows the origins of this practice?

Myron

I'm pretty sure they used it in the Northern Soul scene in the UK in the '60s...but that probably doesn't connect to the NYC house scene...[/QUOTE]More like the 70's but baby powder (Brut was the talc of choice - so the hall would smell like Kevin Keagan's bathroom..), flat soled leather shoes (spat's, bowling shoes, etc.), lots of amphetamine (to keep up to the beat all night), a pint of Double Diamond to wash it down with...

All you had was your reputation and your kicks..

**liL Ray** · 10-02-2002, 09:32 PM

If you're not dancing on baby powder, then you're not really dancing.

This practice is a Garage/Loft/Ozone Layer practice. al boogie got it right...it saves the knees.

For the out of town djs, if you are djing in Ny and somebody breaks out the baby powder, then you are doing you job....there is nothing like the sweet smell of baby powder rising up to the dj booth......this means you got the crowd in the palm of your hands.

It also comes in handy at the end of the night to freshen up.

....liL Ray

**housebe4titties** · 10-02-2002, 10:51 PM

Anyone seen "How High?"
"Don't make me break out the baby powder"

Heh...you have to see it to get it.

I agree with Lil Ray. If you're a dj and you see someone breaking out the baby powder then you're doing your job. In Atlanta I only see the baby powder toting folks at all the good events.
I don't carry it personally, but if someone around me has it I always use some depending on what kind of shoes I'm wearing. And come to think of it, it does help with the strain on your knees. The only reason I like it is because of the way it feels under your feet, guess I have a valid reason for using it now. [img]smile.gif[/img]

**Touchable Tone** · 10-02-2002, 11:32 PM

Originally posted by Ashaki:
I saw this at a club in Atlanta...needless to say I also saw a dude come out of the back with a first aid kit........I was like what da hell...

I was just about to go there Ashaki, was it Club Kya on Peachtree (front room). Me and my girl FELL OUT when we saw the big white squeeze bottle go flying through the air (the house heads were sharing it)

**Martin Red** · 10-03-2002, 02:04 AM

Places like the Hamptons they use Coke cus they're so flash and care free ;)

I think it's a good idea if your a proper Jazz Funk dancer, Johnson's baby powder in hand and beer towel hanging out of back pocket. [img]graemlins/cheering.gif[/img]

I think it's a bit silly for anyone else.

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