MSO (Melbourne Shuffle Oldskool): GLOBAL SHUFFLE DAY. Singapore

Friday, May 29, 2009

GLOBAL SHUFFLE DAY. Singapore

MSO started Global Shuffle in 2007, as a fight back to a campaign to Ban the Melbourne Shuffle

Naturally shufflers went berzerk and staged protest boycotts of the Sydney club owner who wanted to ban the Shuffle. He said Shufflers took up too much room on the dance floor. Club owners prefer to have people standing on the dance floor drinking alcohol, they make more money that way.

So we set the date 17 May 2008 as a challenge to this fool, to prove that Shufflers were no push-over, and there was no way he could ban Shufflers shuffling. We would defiantly shuffle where ever we were around the world on that day, banned or not.

Shufflers started to avoid clubs in general that didn't allow Shuffling on the dance floors as a protest too. Everybody just started having meet-ups in public parks, malls, carparks all the free places. That really pissed off the club owners, they had no control over us, and others were avoiding clubs in protest to support us. The clubs were loosing lots of money.

The Sydney club owner fell out of favour very quickly as other Sydney club owners abandoned him, and publicly announced their support for Shufflers and Shuffling. All of the calling him an idiot.

By the time 17 May 2008 rolled around, the anti-Shuffle guys club had closed, and nobody has heard of him since.

About 4 weeks before 17 May 2008, a young lady named Jancis from Singapore contacted me to see if she could hold an official Global Shuffle meet-up event in Singapore. It would also be Singapore's first official Shuffle meet-up.

There wasn't much time, so we worked really hard and fast getting proper permission etc to hold an outdoor meet-up. In Melbourne we just go out and do it, but Singapore is a little different with that sort of thing ;) So we did the right thing, we didn't want anybody having any excuse to ban shuffling...anywhere.

So 4 weeks later Jancis and her fantastic SG crew staged the 1st GLOBAL SHUFFLE DAY 17 May 2008.

Here's the official video (with SG officials credits) You'll see quite a few from Shifter Hardstyle Prodigy there too. It was a good occasion for them to cross the border from JB Malaysia and meet-up with the Singapore Shufflers. Shufflers support each other regardless of what crew, religion, language or nationality they are.

Global Shuffle Day became our Victory dance, the Shuffle survived and is now going stronger than ever!

I had many people contact me afterwards about what the next Global Shuffle project was.

So after some chat, we started working on a documentary dvd about the Melbourne Shuffle from it's first steps in 1990 to the Global scene it has become today. The dvd documentary is called GLOBAL SHUFFLE. It will be released in March 2010, to mark 20 years of the Melbourne Shuffle.

Shufflers from around the world are contributing to documentary, with interviews and shufflers showing us around their towns and their favourite shuffle spots, sneak peeks at www.globalshuffle.com

In the mean time we are still doing Global Shuffle Day as a celebration (rather than a protest) each year 17 May or a date close to that on a weekend.

Here's some great vids of Global Shuffle Day (GSD) 2009 in Singapore.

If you'd like to do an official Global Shuffle Day event in your town, any where in the world next year 2010 (20th anniversary of the birth of the Melbourne Shuffle) ... contact Garry with your ideas on cybafaeries@gmail.com

HSRockerz at Global Shuffle Day Singapore

SDF Short Rocks At GSD

simple short rawk in GSD '09

Global Shuffle Day 2009 Officially Started

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ABOUT: The origins, history, culture of the underground dance style called the Melbourne Shuffle, commonly called 'shuffling'.

> The Shuffle mission : To really give a damn (Scooter. J'adore hardcore)

> This is a Melbourne Australia based blog by Melbourne born and based artist Garry Shepherd

> The Melbourne Shuffle was created in the underground arts community of Melbourne (Australia) in the early 1990's.

> The Melbourne Shuffle has 3 main genre's: Party, Rock and Goth. Each genre has it's own distinctive moves, fashion, art and lifestyles.

> There are no fixed steps in shuffling. It is largely a free form dance tradition. Each shuffler has a set of moves they shuffle around to suit their mood and setting.

> Shuffling skill is judged on the choice, sequence and presentation of the moves. Individual shufflers are encouraged to create their own moves to mix in with established moves.

> Shuffling can be done anywhere at anytime, alone or with others. Original oldskool shufflers broadcast their moves on underground TV in the 1990's. Today, Youtube is the favored medium.

> The Melbourne Shuffle has it's own unique dance pants called, PHATS.

In the time of the ancients, the Melbourne Shuffle was originally called STOMPING

Locals pronounce Melbourne - Mel-BeN

ERA's
Oldskool: 1990-96.
Commercial: 1997-2003
Global: 2006-today

DANCE CONCEPT
The Melbourne Shuffle is a dance concept. It uses all sorts of moves like building blocks, and you shuffle these moves around to suit your mood. The basic moves are easy to learn, but will take years of regular practice to reach pro level.

SHUFFLE MOVES
Stomps, turns, spins, shuffles, back steps, hand moves, lifts, jumps, hops, arm moves, elbow moves, hi-kicks, lo-kicks, glides, running man, kick behind, ...and always adding ;)

SHUFFLE GENRE'S
Oldskool, Hardstyle, Rock, Competition, Freestyle, Group Formation

SHUFFLE TERMS
Style: A collection of shuffle moves.
Sequence: A fixed order of shuffle moves.
Routine: A choreographed combination of shuffle moves.
Meet-Up: A casual gathering of Shufflers usually free in a public place, mall, carpark etc, to meet other shufflers and Shuffle.

Shuffle Vid: A youtube video of someone shuffling.

Shuffle Comp: A shuffle competition for individuals and crews.

Shuffle Crew: A group of friends who are interested in Shuffling.

Shuffle Team: A shuffle crew who perform or compete in Shuffle competitions.

Pro: An experienced and talented Shuffler.

> SHUFFLE CULTURE
Shuffle is 'All about the DANCE'. It's a dance culture, the Shufflers are the focal point. Where as RAVE culture is 'All about the music' it's a DJ culture, where the DJ's are the focal point.

> SHUFFLE RULES
The Shuffle saying 'There are no rules' came from the reality nobody in the oldskool would bother obeying them ;) But here's some general principles we're happy with.

> The Shuffle is based on freedom and mutual respect. Violence, hate, aggression, racism and sexism are not tolerated. The real world has plenty of that, and Shufflers are not interested in them.

> There is no restriction to creative freedom in shuffling. You can Shuffle to Express and Impress.

> The Shuffle can be danced solo or in a group. Both male and female can Shuffle.

> Group Shuffling can be unstructured like at a meet-up or structured in a Crew.

> The Shuffle can be spontaneous freeform or a choreographed style.

> You can Shuffle for fun, fitness, art or comps, or all the above. There are no restrictions.

> There is no limit to where you can Shuffle. In the street, carpark, mall, dance party, at home, outdoors in a forest, a city, a suburb, where ever you want to.

> Individual Shufflers are encouraged to add moves to the artform. Saying the Melbourne Shuffle is just one set of steps, is like saying spinning on your head is the only dance move in hip-hop.

> And who decides which new moves are part of the Melbourne Shuffle? Anybody! It's an inclusive artform. The Shufflers make it what it is.