Part II - Passes essentially describes the underarm turn for rockabilly without the flat-hand push or Statue of Liberty kickoff. Essentially, the move's been homogenized and the annoying flavor has been removed for a more white-bread audience. Ironic since the other two 'moves' on this page essentially describe styling that can be added to spice up the bop. They still look silly, though. I imagine the flea hop kind of looking like the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man bumbling across the dance floor. Conversely, the crossover is a standard 'bling' move in Puerto Rican salsa, one of the few I can do without screwing up!
Secondly, I'm painfully aware of how hard it is to write good instructions. There is an actual career path called instructional design which teaches people how to (drum roll) write instructions. I wish everyone who contemplated writing directions would at least take some basic instructional design courses. It'd sure make it easier to actually understand what you're supposed to do. Case in point, the pass section starts out with this handy tidbit:
"Passes are not so much steps as new figures in which you pass or approach your partner, sometimes going under his or her arm, sometimes not."
Um - okay, I know dance isn't logical but it's called a pass so why would you do a pass where you don't pass? Wouldn't that be something else - like maybe a walk up and stare at? I've never passed anyone without actually passing them. Or, maybe I have and I just didn't know it? It's making my head hurt.
After all of that complaining, though, I have to say I wish I knew someone who danced the bop so that I could get some lessons or see it in the wild. I'm going to cruise Youtube later today to see if I can't actually see the bop. It sounds like a fun dance.
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