Crazy Dancing Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Material
• Aim of the Game
• Preparation
• The Game
  • First Dance-Off
  • Second Dance-Off
  • Third Dance-Off
• End of the Game
• « Furious » Version
• Authors' Suggestions

Material

• 8 « Beat » cards
• 26 « Easy » cards
• 17 « Furious » cards (marked by a star)
• 1 « Rule » card

Aim of the Game

Collect as many points as possible with your team by winning dance-offs.

Preparation

• The players make sure they have music playing equipment nearby and choose titles they will create dance routines for. All kinds of music which can be danced to are possible. We suggest slow tempo titles for the first few games.
• The players split up into three Crazy Dancer teams: team A, team B and team C.
• The 8 « Beat » cards are lined up in numerical order in the middle of the table, facing the dance area.
• The « Furious » cards are put to one side. They will be used for the « Furious » version.
• Shuffle the « Easy » cards and put them face down to make a deck.

The Game

A game is made up of 3 « dance-offs ». Each team has to dance in two dance-offs and will play the role of the jury once.

First Dance-Off

Team A is the jury.

1. They create a routine: a member of the jury says a beat between 1 and 8 and then picks up a card. He puts it on the table underneath the stated « Beat » card:

• The cards representing the « Upper Body » are placed just under the « Beat » cards.
• The cards representing the « Lower Body » are placed just underneath the « Upper Body » cards (see diagram).

The jury continues in this way until 4 cards have been placed. There can be an « Upper Body » card and a « Lower Body » card under the same « Beat » card. However, if a card has to be placed on a spot which is already occupied, it is moved over to the right so that it fills an empty spot. The beats form a loop: 1 comes after 8.

Diagram: example of a routine. The beat numbers 1 to 8 run across the top, with cards placed beneath them. Arrows show "Displacement" (a side step) and "Next beat" under the cards.

2. Team B stands up in front of the cards and the jury starts the music. The dancers can have 5 practices. I.e. they try to perform 5 run throughs of 8 beats.

The dancers' objective is to simultaneously imitate the positions on the cards in 8 beat time. To determine which side (« Do I have to lift my right or left arm? »), just imagine that the card is like a mirror reflection. The empty spots mean no gesture is imposed. Make sure you don't keep the previous positions though!

In order to start the routine together, the dancers count « 5…6…7…8 » in rhythm before beginning the routine. They can continue to count the beats out loud while they dance. If the routine stops before completing the 5th run through, they begin counting « 5…6…7…8 » again and start from where they left off.

The jury is in charge of counting the number of completed run throughs and lets the Crazy-Dancers know when the practice period is over. Each run through which has been started counts as one of the five.

3. Next, Team C takes team B's place and also gets 5 practice attempts.

4. Team B is then judged. The music is played from the start and the dancers can begin their show. As for the practice, they have to complete 5 run throughs of 8 beats.

5. Then it is Team C's turn to be judged.

6. The jury consults and then announces the team which has technically done the best routine in the judged phase. Some things to consider are:

• « Double » cards (marked with a k): they indicate actions which must be maintained over 2 beats. The spot directly to the right of these cards must therefore remain empty: Beware: a « Double » card cannot be placed on the eighth beat.
• « Jump » cards: a jump is represented by a symbolic arrow. The « Jump » cards are « Lower Body » cards and should be placed as such. Here are the various « Jump » cards:
  • A jump on the spot.
  • Double jump: a side jump to the right on the beat that the card is placed on and then a side jump to the left on the next beat.
  • Double jump: a jump forward and then a jump back on the next beat.
• « Crazy » cards: the jury must invent an action to be performed (a position, a movement or a shout). This choice is free and the action must be over 2 beats if the card is marked with a k. The card is placed on the spot of the selected action: shout, Upper Body or Lower Body.
• « Total Recall » card: if this card is picked from the deck, it is put to one side and does not count as part of the routine. But the routine cards must be turned face down at the end of the practice session. The judged performances will then be done without seeing the actions represented on the cards!
• « Shout » cards: the whole team has to say the word at the corresponding time. A « Shout » card is placed completely covering the relevant « Beat » card. There can therefore be a « Shout » card, an « Upper Body » card underneath and a « Lower Body » card underneath that, all at the same time for the same beat!

The winning team scores a point!

The jury then shuffles the « Easy » cards and makes a new deck.

Second Dance-Off

Team B is the jury.

1. Team B creates a new routine.
2. Team C practices.
3. Team A practices.
4. Team C is judged.
5. Team A is judged.
6. The jury awards a point.

Third Dance-Off

Team C is the jury.

1. Team C creates a new routine.
2. Team A practices.
3. Team B practices.
4. Team A is judged.
5. Team B is judged.
6. The jury awards a point.

End of the Game

After 3 « dance-offs », the team with the most points wins the game. In case of a tie, do another « dance-off »!

« Furious » Version

Once you are familiar with the first version, you can add the « Furious » cards (marked by a star) to the « Easy » cards.

Authors' Suggestions

• You can adapt the number of « dance-offs » and routine cards to the level of the Crazy-Dancers. For example, play 9 « dance-offs » and increase by 1 the number of cards for each new « dance-off ».
• With your team, work on team harmony and develop your own style: greet the jury together, all wear a common piece of clothing…
• If you don't have music and you are insatiable Crazy-Dancers, you can play by simply counting the beats out loud.
• Be careful, the faster the tempo of the music, the harder the routine is to perform. Here are some « easy to play » songs:
  • Disco, Funk: The Bee Gees: Staying alive, Donna Summer: Hot stuff, Kool and the Gang: Fresh, Imagination: Just an illusion, Abba: Gimme gimme gimme.
  • 80's, Pop: Michael Jackson: Billie Jean, Anastacia: I'm outta love, Mika: Relax, Gnarls Barkley: Crazy.
  • Electro, House, Dance: Daft Punk: Da Funk, Starsailor: Four to the floor (Thin White Duke remix), Pink feat Redman: Get the party started.
  • Hip-Hop, R'n'B: Eminem: Without me, Shaggy: Hey sexy lady, Black Eyed Peas: Shut up, Rihanna: Don't stop the music.
  • Latino, Reggae: Papi Sanchez: Enamorame, Juanes: La camisa negra, Jimmy Cliff: Reggae Night.
  • Rock: Queen: I want to break free, Noir Désir: L'homme pressé, The Offspring: Why don't you get a job, The Beatles: Obladi Oblada.