Just checking out some old televised live performances and just checking out Prince's dance moves. He seems like a natural, not rehearsed like MJ or Janet etc. But I also recently viewed old video Dirty Mind, and also I wanna Be your Love, and Prince did not seem to know WHAT the hell to do.
So are his moves today learned and carefully rehearsed to look spontaneous? Or was the earlier performances meant to look that bad?

Prince reherses his breathing, man.

get....down?

Now that is one person I would do anything to dance with. God damn!

Prince didnt learn James Brown's dance moves like the splits intell the 1999 tour and the Little Red Corvette video in 1982. In the early tours (Rick James tour, Dirty Mind tour, Controvery tour) Prince use dominate the space, climbing on amplifiers and eguipment, going from one place to another like Iggy Pop and prancing like Mick Jagger. Humping the guitar like Hendrix.

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

rudeboynpg said:

I didn't realize that P was a not so great dancer in the beginning until I saw the American Bandstand performance recently. He appears rhythmless as he prances around like Mick Jagger . I wonder what made him change his style of dance.

PurpleCharm said:

'Thriller'.....

abierman said:

I think you are on to something. But didn't Thriller come out after 1999? 1999 is the era where he started dancing like James Brown.

PurpleCharm said:

it was like a whole process, you know? Just like the skin-color: first MJ was darker than P and in the end P is darker than MJ.....get it?

I don't.....

abierman said:

1sexymf said:

Yep...huh huh!

Prince's every move, ever gesture, and dance step is rehearsed.
This was noted by several reporters who've been allowed to see him and the band practice.

Even his reponses to audience remarks are practiced.

The genius in it is that he's so good, you think it's spontaneous and natural.

He dances like a spaz.(if you've seen the Dirty Mind vid when he's spinning around lifting his arm up and down will understand that statement)

Apart from 'the performance of 'Housequake' on SOTT, he's never really impressed me much, but then i've never gone to his concerts to see him dance. He did improve a lot over the years, but i bet he worked like hell to get better.

abierman said:

1999 and Thriller came out in the same year didn't they so he wouldn't have had much time to rehearse, and I imagine he had heard of and seen MJ move some time before Thriller.

I think he has stopped dancing, I havent seen him dance in a long time.

He started doing the splits before 1999 people. Havn't you guys seen the Sexuality video? In fact, he also did the splits in the Dirty Mind video. It wasn't until 1999 that he started to incorporate other James Brown moves.

I think that his dancing really took off after he had professional coaching for the film Purple Rain. You can see how much he improved between the 3/8/83 benefit concert at First Ave and the Pyrple Rain tour concerts. By the time he went on the Parade tour his dancing was top notch. I believe he also had dance coaching and proper choreography for that tour.

I have always thought that he is an excellent dancer and i prefer to see his dynamic style than the crotch grabbing MJ. I think that Prince moves like a natural dancer.

However, he certainly doesn't dance very much these days.

Marrk said:

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I guess you missed these videos Sexuality, LRC, The Sign of the Times Movie, Girls and Boys, Kiss. I would be curious to know what good dancing would be to you.

I DISAGREE COMPLETELY.

I love the dancing pre-Purple Rain. I didn't like this dancing in Sign 0 The Times.(although he does a cool little move on Hot Thang). I loved the jerky movements he used to do. i.e. Sexuality. What I hated is that whenever I'd see his choreography, the moves would be 10 years old.i.e. SOTT(waving both hands in front of your body).Thank God he didn't try to do the cabbage patch. When I see someone STILL trying to do it, it drives me batty. Especially when you see it all over the t.v. and it's done completely WRONG.

Miguel

1sexymf said:

Hello!

4nowneway said:

Last time dancing was Rave

IMO the folk who are the best dancers are the ones comfortable with their bodies (OK a sense of rhythm certainly does no harm...). Rehearsed or not - Prince has always been comfortable in his skin and with being on stage. That air of confidence can make pretty much anything look good.

Watch the When Doves Cry video and everyone is basically doing the same step. Everyone else looks wooden and he looks smooth...putting forth half the effort. Whatever soul or rhythm is he's got it. I also like that jump spin in the air and that little kick out he does.

My other favorite is that sidestep thing he does during the guitar solo on the Little Red Corvette video.

I liked it better before Prince did all those choreographed dance moves. It was all about music, attitude, and shock value.

When Michael Jackson got everyone on the choreographed dance bandwagon, concerts by everyone, including Prince, started losing their hard edge and started looking like a damned Broadway Show.