Now, this video is a bit of a drag, mostly because it's just me floundering around trying to figure out how to practice catwalks whilst isolating the element. Obviously, throughout I use hand performance to start up my catwalks as is per usual for the dance style.
The catwalk is a heavily stylized feminine walk and the primary element for movement and mobility in Vogue Femme. It allows performers to navigate the stage/runway or wherever they so happen to be dancing. It also allows for movement around opponents in a *battle. Catwalk's almost always occur at a mid-level with the intention being to be able to push out one's hips in an exaggerated sway motion with each step. Given that Vogue Femme is a freestyle dance form, catwalk's vary from performer to performer, however, the mid-level positioning and signature hip sway are fundamental to the element. Arm movement is oppositional to the legs, so if your left leg steps forward, your right arm should lead.
A cat-walk is quite difficult to hold and practice on its own, I find. This is most likely because of my lack of fitness and stamina. Despite this, I'm quite fond of my catwalk and though I don't feel I was able to capture that well in this video, I'm confident in knowing that I can serve what is required of me in a ball. I will note that I have gained weight since beginning HRT which means that I do have to exert more energy to execute the element cleaning. I think there are many things I can improve, especially regarding the pacing of my arm movements so that they remain concurrent with my legs. Again, that takes a lot of energy and I'm not sure whether or not it's a real symptom but the lethargy that comes with HRT is intense. I guess, this too is a challenge for me regarding my reacclimating to Vogue Femme.
Catwalk and Hand Performance combined are my favourite elements to perform. This video I don't feel encapsulates this, but truly, there is a boisterous joy that comes through when performing these elements. Though with all elements combined, Vogue Femme is very natural fun, and joyous, hand performance and catwalk lend themselves so well to storytelling, especially when performed in tandem. The more you move and are made to expand on whatever story you're telling, these elements push you to the edge of your creativity. In this way, catwalk's become so many things, which is why, despite having fundamentals, when a performer is getting their *tens you can see a great many 'walks' that would still be seen as a catwalk. So long as it contributes to your story of femininity you're serving, it is valid. This may seem contradictory to what I explained a catwalk to be and it is, distilling a tens performance or *essence onto the page is difficult. Watching, experiencing, performing Vogue Femme really is the only way to understand what I mean.
My body is in flux constantly, more so now that I'm on HRT, and though the challenges I experience are making me more conscious of this fact, I'm glad to experience the joy of the dance form again.
Here's a comprehensive breakdown of this element:
Terms:
*Battle - when performers participating in a category are made to verse one another in a one-on-one dance battle.
*Tens - the preliminary performance each dancer must do in order to qualify for a category and progress into the battle rounds.
*Essence - used to describe when a performer serves 'peak femininity' through their performance. Often used to describe the quality of a femme queen's performance.
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