Is a close one, James in his prime vs. Prince in his. Imagine that, pay per view, with the most incredible music you ever heard. Tearing pants, looking for the splits champion, prince doin'his thing with Housequake, James with Cold Sweat. Just imagine...

hee, hee, heee ... I think Prince did more back 2 back ... but James ... James was still doin' splits when he was "fiddy" (50) years old ... it's true ... I saw the tape! So the godfather gets my vote 4 kickin' time's azz alone. PEACE

I think prince is a much better dancer than Rick James.

Prince learned to dance by watching James Brown videos. The Godfather of Soul wins.

Yo bkw, get off that keg man. I'm talking about the godfather of soul, James Brown, not about the godfather of crack, Rick James.

The Godfather is really the Godfather to that style, so he gets ahead on points for that. But Prince gets it on difficulty because of the heels. Prince could do it in Brown's shoes, but Brown couldn't do it in Prince's shoes.
[This message was edited Sat Jul 20 19:03:12 PDT 2002 by Wolf]

My favorite Prince splits:
#1 - Sign "O" The Times movie - If I Was Your Girlfriend performance. The continuous splits he does when dancing towards cat is the best captured on film. Freaky, super funky, seductive, like a mating dance full of heat.

#2 - Kiss video. Does splits comes up and kisses dancer. Cool.

#3 - Little Red Corvette video

#4 - Lovesexy tour...when I saw Prince playing a guitar THEN SLIDE WHILE doing the SPLITS WITH the guitar still in hand was the wildest coolest thing I ever saw.

#5 Baby I'm A Star permormance in Purple Rain.

# 6 Scandolous video...reaching for mike as he comes up or down. Pure Prince.

#7 Rave concert video performance. How many I forget! And his age...40, 41?

#8 Act I tour - during a performance of Scandalous, he picked up the mic with a split. C'mon!

Prince wins. He just added more flair to that dance move. I think the best ones are the ones who do it with ease and have that double jointed, fluid, elastic look. James just did a little too stiff, great though but Prince just does it with a extra natural twist.

Share your favorites!


~*~
[This message was edited Sat Jul 20 19:51:07 PDT 2002 by FlyingCloudPassenger]

aspera773 said:

At least wait until P turns 50 b4 u make ur final decision!

NEVER count P out!

Wolf said:

Aaaah, yes, yes, quite true, my dear Wolf. The heels bring some added complication to the sport.
And Nep, u've got a point. Let's just say that I'm trying 2 make one also. Aaliyah wrote a song about it, I believe. ... but, besides the age factor, P did study the Godfather ... so James still goes home with the belt. Sorry. I'm ol' school ... with me, it's about RESPECT. ONE LOVE
[This message was edited Sat Jul 20 20:19:29 PDT 2002 by aspera773]
[This message was edited Sat Jul 20 20:36:11 PDT 2002 by aspera773]

Wolf said:

Good point. but as said earlier. Prince idolizes James Brown. So the GodFather gets the 'W'

Blue Cashmere
Don't Play Me

All dancers learn from someone else it is the personal style and flare they add to it that makes them better or worse. Prince studied James but he added his own umf to take it a level higher. James is outragious, don't get me wrong, but Prince brings his moves to life. James was alittle to stiff if you think about it.

James actually influenced prince so i give him the edge...and NOBODY could flip his feet like "soul brothah # 1"..night train! all aboard!

TheBluePrince said:

Who idolizes who has nothing to do with it.

Well I hate to say this but Prince is so repressed about everything currently,including his dance moves. I doubt Prince will do the splits any time soon, and get his groove on again. It's not that he is too old to move. I wonder if it's something or someone telling him that it's not a proper way to conduct ones self. He has lost his TRUE self.
[This message was edited Sun Jul 21 1:44:22 PDT 2002 by YoungandBeautiful]

YoungandBeautiful said:

I agree to a certain extent. Prince hardly did any dancing at the ONA shows that I saw. In a way you're right about him not doing certain dance moves because they might not be the "proper way to conduct ones self." He wasn't doing any humping or bumping and grinding at the ONA shows I saw.

But I think there could be a different reason why he dropped his other dance move, the splits. I think the reason that he doesn't do the splits anymore is because he has had some kind of leg injury.

He injured his ankle and cancelled a show a couple years ago, and then about a year ago, he had another injury and was seen limping. When he was asked why he was limping, he said that Kip accidently kicked him in the leg. He may have been joking, but there was still something wrong with his leg that was causing him to limp. I think that injuries caused him to stop doing the splits.

Young and beautiful.

You do not know why Prince has not been dancing like he use to.
Do not assume that because a person goes to church they stop dancing or having fun.
Did it occur to you that Prince maybe just getting old and could be having a hard time doing the moves he use to.
Try to think outside the box.

James Brown in a Breeze.I have footage of JB back in 62 with the Famous Flames&when He does "Night Train" it's unreal.also I have James Brown's Autobio&there is a time when Prince came back stage&asked JB if He had Rollar Skates under His shoes? Prince came along way though when He first came out He danced like a Poor Man's Mick Jagger IMHO but around 82&onward He found His JB dance Groove.I give Prince Heels Props especially during "Housequake" from the Sing o the times film.but James Brown had wicked splits.but on splits alone I gotta say I think Jackie Wilson had the coolest IMHO.

Laurarichardson, you are correct I don't know exactly why Prince has not been dancing the way he use to. I'm not asking that he starts humping the stage again. I think Prince is probably in good health, and I don't think that his age has anything to do with him NOT being able to get funky on stage. I don't think that 44 years old is that old honestly for him not being able to perform dance moves. I will assume that Prince eats healthy foods, and excercies. I think he looks physically fit, maybe not as muscular as he looked in the 80's but he still looks fabulous. I cerainly hope he is in good health. It might have something to do with how he feels he needs to conduct himself,that's all I'm saying. I certainly do not believe that all people that attend church stop having fun or stop dancing. Where's the Prince that had fun doin' The Housequake? That's not a "sexual or suggestive" dance move, it's just plain fun. Little man isn't doing any dance moves, why is that?

Batdance, I was at the Celebration last year and I also heard the comment about Kip kicking him in the leg. I know Prince had injured it last year during the Celebration and he looked like he was in some pain last year. I completely understand that he was not able to dance a lot last year,but I think that injury should have be healed within a year. I honestly don't think that is why he is not dancing like he used to. Again, let me repeat I don't expect him to hump the stage,microphone,etc... lol I have bone chips in my knees and bad ankles,but I can still get my groove on. Yes, they can occassionally bother me,but I still love to dance.

May I point out in an interview for last years Celebration with Robin Robinson that Prince started to laugh at something Robin had said and then Prince said, "That's too much emotion." and he tried to not laugh as much. OK, personally I don't think there is anything wrong with showing his emotions. It's like he had an internal shut off switch,telling him to stop,repress your feelings. I don't think he made that comment as a joke, he looked like he let us see too much of who he really is. The man just needs to be who he is, and I don't believe he is being his TRUE self. That's just my opinion.

YoungandBeautiful said:

Yes Neps, it's true. Robin told Prince that she had written him letters when she was younger and Prince said where are they and what did she write. Robin said something playful, I can't remember exactly what and then she told Prince she was going to wear purple lingerie to the Xcel show. She told him that she wore it to the Purple Rain concert and Prince was just laughing about all of it. Then he made some comment about her having her job after that, in jest. Prince was enjoying the interview and having a good time. I don't think he was nervous and he looked comfortable. He just thought that he let too much emotion out.

If he the man wants to laugh or cry then he should. I've come to learn that there is never too much emotion.

First I'll answer the question. I think it's a tie. JB for being the orignator and Prince for orginality.

Second: I think Prince may have a knee/leg/ankle injury of some sort. I watched a few of his videos last weekend and if you think of the physicality of doing the spilts over and over for years then he may have an injury which may or may not be age related at this point.

And . . . I was at the celebration this year and it seemed as though Prince was holding back on the dancing. Almost like he wanted to cut loose, but would catch himself and stop. Don't get me wrong he was still funky as hell, but I think this JW thing is really throwing him for a loop.

I think it's in his nature to want to bust loose, but it's in his religion to keep it under wraps.

Just another side of the Gemini personality that we've grown to love.

mistermaxxx said:

Prince's dancing on American Bandstand is a classic Prince moment

GoldNigga said:

theC
so true.so many think Prince started out with this JB soulful thing.HE DIDN'T!!!

You know what Prince needs? A WOODEN LEG!

Does Prince have his own dancing doll like JB does? No? Case closed!!

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