LOCAL HARDCORE DANCING 

My mother works at Gold’s Gym where she coaches gymnastics and dance; I never thought I would see the moves she teaches at a local hardcore show.  Perhaps the kids coming to these shows get private lessons from her or another gym, or maybe Olympians who failed to win the gold medal found their home in hardcore “pits.”  Hardcore shows and any live music event, for that matter, once thrived off of spontaneity by the bands and the fans attending the shows.  If the music held the power to move the members of the audience, show goers would react accordingly- sometimes creating an environment that may seem chaotic to some.   

The scene has since been infected with “Karate Kids” who seem to be practicing their “kata’s” on the dance floor rather than in the dojo. The current local hardcore community threw spontaneity and originality out the window and replaced it with well-rehearsed/polished dance moves and carbon copied bands.  Kids, or should I say clones, just wait around on the outskirts of the "pit" for parts (that are extremely predictable) that allow them to show off their latest routine that they spent hours practicing in front of their mirrors.  Often times, this draws attention away from the bands, but I guess that’s okay, since none of them really have anything  to say anyway aside from the occasional, “SHOW ME WHAT YOU GOT,” or “FUCK SHIT UP!.” 

Fans spend more time with their backs towards the bands, or looking over their shoulders looking out for “Chuck Norris” in the pit who strives for his gold medal.  More cheers and clapping fill the room for a well implemented handspring, or a back flip, than a rant (which happens on very rare occasions) on a considerable issue by a band.   No one seems to care about what the bands have to say, or why they are part of “hardcore” in the first place; they just want to look good and show off their moves to climb up the status ladder to stand out.