In 1994 I volunteered at the Cedar Cultural Center, at Cedar & Riverside Avenues, Minneapolis, MN. That event was a dance, with the band the Bonetones was playing, and dancers were out on the floor. The Bonetones were a Cajun band I had heard of from a couple of friends. I thought that it looked fun as a watched from the sidelines. Then, all of a sudden a woman walked up to me and asked me if I wanted to dance. I said "I have no idea how to do it." She grabbed my hand, and said "here, I'll show you."
It wasn't too long and I was at the Cedar Cultural Center again, watching and learning to dance to a Cajun band from Louisiana. Within the next year or so I was listening to Geno Delafose and French Rockin Boogie, and Terrance Simien and the Mallet Playboys. From then on I was hooked!
My 4 top viewed videos collectively add up to more than 270,000 views. Who knew...
more to come...
Bayou Dancer was a nickname I coined out of love for this Culture, Music, and Dancer originating in SW Louisiana, and SE Texas. So many others had created nicknames, monikers and emails based on most everyone's favorite Zydeco. The name for a type of Louisiana music that combines Cajun & Zydeco is called "Zyde-Cajun." One dance instructor is "Zydecoach."
But, I wanted to create one that was inclusive of the whole region, Cajun & Creole Zydeco.
Hence... Bayou Dancer...
This is a video I captured after teaching zydeco lessons in a studio. I was just testing my camera, to see how it would do. Or, actually, to practice recording video myself. This is Deb Clark and myself dancing to
"N Da Club" by Sean Ardoin and ZydeKool.
Video has 85,000 views... and counting...
This is a video I captured after teaching zydeco lessons in a studio. This video was meant to demonstrate a very slow, basic style of Zydeco.
The main thing to remember throughout one's experience learning genuine Creole style zydeco is that the traditional style is very subtle.
But, with emphasis on feeling the beat, feeling the music.
Video has 31, 651 views... and counting...
This is myself and Deb Clark demonstrating zydeco for my class at Walker Cajunfest, at Northern Lights Casino, in Walker Minnesota.
I taught 5 years straight, as the primary instructor for
both basic Cajun & Zydeco lessons.
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New Age Norseman | aka David Jordahl