I know this post is a few days late but Nationals weekend was exhausting and of course there was DWTS to be watched. So better late than never here are some of my thoughts from the USA Dance Nationals in Baltimore this weekend. Now, it is a full three days of dancing so I didn't get to see everything but here are my highlights.
Let's kick things off with the Championship Latin event on Friday night. Originally I was pretty bummed going into this event since last year's champs Val and Daria were out of the running after his retirement from competition last year and many other finalists weren't registered. I was even more bummed when I found out that Denys Drozdyuk and Antonina Skobina weren't competing even though they had been registered. But my outlook quickly changed once the rounds started and I was treated to some great dancing. Pasha Pashkov and Daniella Karagach took home the title, adding it to their previous US 10 Dance titles. Pasha and Daniella focused only on Latin this competition and as much as I missed their Standard, it was nice to see them really shine with some new material in their routines. They are such a great couple and so gracious, I really hope they get to represent the US at the World Championships (why wouldn't they? yup, it's that pesky WDC/WDSF war again). Other couples I loved watching: 4th place couple Jason Dai and Patrycja Golak and semi-finalists (and next into the final) Ron Garber and Liza Lakovitsky. Other things of interest? I noticed a lot of the couples were foregoing the traditional rhinestones everywhere approach for simpler costume styles based on color-blocking, overall I would say they were very effective at catching the eye.
The New Champs
Moving on to Saturday night. At ballroom competitions and events its pretty common for Saturday night to be the marquee evening, with the best events and the best dancers. This year I felt a little differently though for a few reasons. To start, the Championship Rhythm final. I say final and not event because there were only six couples registered. After attending the American Style Congress earlier this year, I was really hoping to be inspired by what could be the future of the Rhythm style. There seemed to be a lot of camaraderie between the finalists and I don't doubt that many of them are working hard to improve and represent the style but the reality is the amount and the level of competition is just not on par with the other three styles showcased. I really hope that next year (if I make it, LA is far to spectate!) that I'll have more to report on.
Also on Saturday were the Youth Championship Latin and the Adult Championship Standard events. I really enjoyed the Latin although I thought that many of the couples didn't dance as well as I've seen them dance before. The Standard was a little more confusing to me. I just didn't find myself really picking favorites throughout the rounds and even in the final I wasn't decided on all the dances. It definitely made miss some of the couples I'm used to seeing, especially those that were already there in Baltimore but not competing like Pasha and Daniella and Sasha Tchernossitov and Regina Maziarz (who later on Sunday won the US 10 Dance title when I was sadly already on my way home).
On Sunday, I mainly enjoyed Baltimore but I stopped in for some of the night session before heading home. I didn't get to see the conclusion of all the events because I had to leave but I have to say I really enjoyed the session, particularly the Junior II Latin Championship event and the Championship Smooth event! I thought both of the top two couples in the Latin were fantastic. I think Patryk Ploszaj and Anna Kaczmarski had a well deserved win but it could just as easily go to second place couple Nicholas Stevens and Alexandra Gutkovich next time! Patryk and Anna probably had the best weekend of anyone at Nationals mopping up the Junior II titles in Latin, Standard, and 10 Dance. Looks like they have a busy international travel schedule ahead!
Right before I left I got to see the beginning of the Champ Smooth event and I was really impressed with the level of talent. I remember not being that impressed in past years so it was great to see such an improvement in the field overall. Although I wasn't there to see it, the win went to Kyle and Allie Spinder from Utah.
Looking back, I really did get to see some incredible dancing this past weekend even if there were couples missing for their various reasons. I've heard this year's Nationals was the biggest yet (so I guess that 75% rule didn't eliminate too many couples). Even if it does mean a packed schedule, I hope they get to say something similar next year; it is such a great time and I'd truly hate to see the event suffer from international politics.
Following up my post yesterday about the Smooth portion of the 2nd Annual American Style Congress, here is the Rhythm installment as promised! Once again I took a lot of notes so this is just meant to be some highlights but the post is still long so grab some coffee!
Ricky Bentzen & Albina Habrle
The
afternoon started with Ricky and Albina and their demonstration of the American
Rumba. They focused on the need for
structure and clarity,meaning you want it to be clear what dance you are doing
so you need to use basic movements.
They talked about how it was their belief that the general technique
should be to arrive on a bent leg because it allows you to enhance hip action. They talked about some exceptions for this
choreographically and it was interesting to see them break those down and
demonstrate different places where they made choices to arrive on a straight
leg. They explained that when the next
step in their choreography is a rotation or a spiral they step onto a straight
leg. Similarly, they use straight legs
when creating some lines.
There
were some other great tidbits but overall their lecture wasn’t organized as
well as the pre-lunch Smooth lectures so I had a little trouble following it
thematically. They also brought the
first hints of controversy into play when mentioning that unity of timing for
the Rumba should be a goal someday, although they refused to talk about their
feelings on how it should be resolved.
Peter
& Alexandra Perzhu
Peter
and Alexandra’s Swing demonstration was similar to the set up of a number of
the Smooth lectures in the morning; giving simple basic steps and developing
them into full choreography. They talked
a bit about the importance of lateral hip swing and the different available
timings (half-half-whole which they said they use and the also acceptable three
quarter-quarter-whole) but mostly they demonstrated choreography
evolution.
It’s
very hard to describe what is mostly a visual experience (so again look into
buying the video), but I do have to say I just loved their “toe heel swivels” (quoted
because there were no heels). The amount
of body they got going through the step was astonishing and I just loved how
they developed that particular piece.
Otherwise, to my eye their presentation did demonstrate a lot of lateral
movement in the hips with only a bit of a tick on the rock step which was in
line with the first part of their talk.
Emmanuel
Pierre-Antoine & Liana Churilova
Emmanuel
and Liana started their lecture with a bit of review of what they talked about
last year, which was good for me because this was my first time out. They quickly indicated their positions on the
technique (bent legs/press lines going forward and back with a side meringue
action) and then moved on to other ways to make rhythm different saying it’s not just
about leg action after all!
The
three points they focused on were rhythmicality, musicality, and personality. Rhythmicality
is being aware of what part of the body you are using to match the music,
coordinating the muscles and bones. They described a few different actions: vibration, shimmy, staccato (like in mambo),
and impulse action. They then did a Cha
Cha demo of the same steps first without what they called rhythmicality and then
with it. This is where some real
awkwardness crept in, when they asked the audience "which do you prefer" most
people cheered for the rhythmicality version but Sam Sodano, one of the
Congress organizers, yelled he preferred the first. Of course everyone is entitled to their
opinion and Emmanuel and Liana were soliciting responses from the audience, but
it definitely took the air out of the room in an instant. They managed to laugh it off but the
uncomfortable feeling in the room took a while to dissipate.
Anyway,
moving on. Emmanuel and Liana next addressed
musicality and how ideally you want each routine and performance to feel like a
show dance. It should really work that
well to the music! They then did a demo
of the same routine on phrase and off phrase to the same music and said they
always strive in every round of every competition to match the highlights in
the music that is chosen. Developing
this obviously takes too much time for a 25 minute lecture so I guess private
lessons may be in order. :)
Lastly,
they broke down personality into three parts:
inner focus, partner focus, and outer focus. Essentially the idea was that you must first
feel then energy in your own core and then work on sharing that with your
partner and then the audience. Only with
all three will you reach the level of performance you are striving for.
Cher
Rutherford
Next
up was Cher Rutherford breaking down the Bolero assisted by Rufus Dustin and
Lori Woods-Gay. I’m just going to flat
out start off with buy the video. There
was a lot of information presented/demonstrated which I have no hope of putting
as eloquently in written form.
But
since I don’t want to leave it only at that, here goes my failed attempt at a
short summary. She started by saying she
does not use the words “rise and fall” in relation to bolero because she
reserves that for the swing dances.
Instead, she refers to it as elevation styling. She also noted the bolero was a combination
of the lowering of the waltz, the groundedness of the tango, and the soft
lyrical style of the rumba on breaks.
From
there she described, and Rufus and Lori demonstrated, the four basic actions
used to interpret bolero: Checked
action, Drift action, Whisk action and Cuban action. They used these actions again in demonstrating
cross over breaks. Seeing each action
right after the other demonstrated so clearly was amazing and really essential,
I think, for anyone learning and wanting to improve their bolero!
Bob
Powers & Julia Gorchakova
When
former champions Bob and Julia took the floor it was clear a lot of the
audience was excited and it was clear they had an agenda (they even had a
handout). They started by saying they
were so interested in lecturing because they had heard of the disagreement
coming from last year’s Congress. It was
immediately apparent they intended to address their thoughts on the basics even
those that may be considered controversial.
They definitely spoke with a plan and clarity of ideas that some of the
other Rhythm lecturers lacked making their point of view easy to digest and
understand.
Before
they broke down into the six most important basic concepts they noted that we
should always remember that Rhythm came from social dancing and in social
dancing there is an emphasis on body rhythm and lead & follow. I really loved hearing that stated so simply,
and it was a great jumping off point for their lecture. Now for the list:
6
basic concepts
Before
any step there should be body action.
This starts high in the back under the armpit. Body action should be productive, meaning you
move off of it not just sink (they described it as wanting shifters not
grinders)
Step
on a flexed knee but if it changes your level, it’s too much. The reason for this is that bent legs create
more rhythm and are more natural.
Over-bent knees however don’t look good and they slow you down; every
step should go from flex to straighten.
Use
split weight in your actions. The
exception for Bob and Julia is the mambo where there is no split weight.
Using
a compressed figure 8. Their demonstration
of this together was very helpful. They
reminded everyone you can’t keep your hips behind, you need to “fill out the
hip sockets”.
Using
delayed hip action (or foot generated hip lift). Always work towards a continuous movement
(don’t delay and hold).
You
do reach 2 straight legs at some point in time.
In
their dancing, they tried to include these six basic concepts in every step,
understanding they may lose it sometimes when up to speed but that only
emphasizes why it’s important to go through everything super slow. Since I don’t have any visuals to share (I’m
not a rule breaker and would not dream of videotaping the Congress when we were
asked not to), I will just note that to my eye the arrival on a bent leg for
Bob and Julia was significantly less than all the others that danced in the
Rhythm section.
Since they didn't dance much together, a trip down memory lane!
Bill
Sparks
Bill
Sparks presented his lecture next assisted by two couples demonstrating while
he spoke (I’m sorry I didn’t catch either of their names). I’m going to try and present my notes as clearly
as possible but I have to be upfront in saying this was probably my least
favorite lecture of the day. First, it
was just not as easy to follow as the others, particularly following Bob and
Julia whose lecture was so well organized.
Second, the information was almost too academic and at times too forced,
I couldn’t decide whether I was going to be tested at the end or asked to buy
something. I can only speak for myself
of course but the room seemed a little more uncomfortable throughout this
lecture, you probably could have heard a pin drop throughout the entire thing
(quite the change from the cheering and laughing of the other lectures).
The
content of the lecture was focused on “Structured Actional Movement” or the
“SAM” method. Bill noted he believed SAM
to be the most valuable technique available for Rhythm today because for any
movement to have benefit it needs structure and there is too much overblending
of leg & hip movement in Rhythm today.
SAM addresses the brain of dancers which allows them to train in a way
that just looking and feeling doesn’t.
Well as I’ve said my brain couldn’t process all this quickly enough
(even with the demonstrations) so my notes are a bit hazy.
The
lecture was to focus on the four distinct features of the SAM method but the actual
listing of the features was not clear.
From my notes the discussion included indigenous action (catching weight
in the knee, hip, ball of the foot) and the different kinds of hip lift (foot
driven, knee driven, vertical rotation) but the end of the lecture was too
rushed for me to get anything out of it (to say trying to fit everything into
25 minutes was ambitious is an understatement).
The
way the demonstrations were set up was somewhat helpful, with each of the four
dancers demonstrating different aspects simultaneously so the audience could
compare but more could have been done with this. Also it was a bit disconcerting at the
beginning when Bob mentioned that he started with the dancers a little while
back knowing they wouldn’t have improvement in the routes they were taking; they needed the SAM structure to improve.
It made me wonder how all the other dancers that had performed up to
that point had improved without/before the development of the SAM method. The whole lecture definitely had my brain
hurting and wishing for the end of the day so I could try and sort my thoughts.
Taliat
Tarsinov
Just
when I thought I couldn’t take in anymore, Taliat’s lecture swept the room,
finishing the day with a breath of fresh air.
He started by describing his transition to Rhythm, a process he said
wasn’t easy but ended with love. From
that point on, I was also in love and it was only aided along by the stunning
performances by assistants and champions Jose Decamps and Joanna Zacharewicz.
My
favorite part of this lecture was Taliat’s discussion of how bad choreography
is hurting the Rhythm style. He
addressed the Rumba, Swing, and Bolero in turn pointing out the wrong choices
that were made and emphasizing what he felt was most important about each of
the dances. For the Rumba, Taliat was
emphatic that it was one of the most beautiful dances, it just isn’t done
correctly. Choreography should focus on
being mostly stationary and creating vibrant motions in small spaces instead of
movement around the floor. Jose and
Joanna did an absolutely stunning demonstration of what Taliat was talking
about keeping the dance mostly stationary and with steps circling each other
instead of making grand patterns across the floor. I was certainly sold! :)
For
the Swing, Taliat noted the lack of general swing action as well as bringing
the follow in and releasing her out and for the Bolero he noted that the dance
needed to be grounded. Once again Jose
and Joanna demonstrated beautifully and in the end got an enthusiastic standing
O for their performances.
As
a side note, Taliat mentioned an article he had previously written entitled “Lyrics
and Physics of Ballroom Dancing” (I think), and if anyone knows where I could
find it I’d love to know!
Competition video of some of the steps demonstrated
The
Wrap Up
As
with the Smooth session, the Rhythm session ended with some Q&A. There were some interesting questions but I
have to say the feel good feeling of the morning was not present with this
panel. Some of the questions were left
mostly unanswered due to confusion with the questions and some of the questions
were even met with hostility. I can
really only remember one because it was the most shocking experience of the day
for me.
The
question was something like “Do the panel members (other than Bill Sparks) use
or teach the SAM method?” To me this
seemed like a fair question and I would have loved to hear how the panel
members addressed it, particularly Bob, Julia, Cher, and Taliat who are not current
competitors. However, before any of the
panelists got a chance to answer, Sam Sodano shouted from the audience that he
didn’t think that was a fair question.
What ensued was a confusing exchange between Sam and the MC John DePalma
which ended with Sam standing and giving a small speech about how he didn’t
think anyone else should have to answer about using his technique since it was
his and everyone teaches their own thing.
This seemed incredibly strange when part of the point of the SAM method
is to unify the technique in Rhythm dancing.
I’m not really sure why he felt he needed to respond to the question in
that way but it really came across as a heavy handed attempt to stifle the
panelists (whether or not they intended to say anything positive or
negative). It was made all the more
confusing considering he was not on the panel but giving his speech from the
audience.
As
I previously mentioned, I definitely learned a lot at this event but the end of
the Rhythm session left me not only shocked but frustrated. The one question that may have cleared up
some of my confusion after Bill Sparks’ lecture wasn’t allowed through and I
was certainly very glad I hadn’t submitted any questions of my own since they
weren’t all treated with the respect they deserved. All in all it seemed like maybe this year everyone was trying too hard to find consensus and eliminate any discussion of controversy.
I
hate to end on a negative note since I really would encourage anyone to attend
the event. But I do think it’s fair to
say that as a whole the Smooth session ran more smoothly and congenially than
Rhythm, which had a few super awkward and condescending moments.
Still
thanks must go out to Edward Simon, Sam Sodano, and the NYDF for organizing
such a great panel of speakers. Seeing
all the love and effort put in to the American styles by these top
professionals is truly inspiring.
It has been a long
weekend at the New York Dance Festival, but before I pass out I had to share at
least something about this great event!
So I figured I’d write a bit about the American Style Congress that I
attended on Friday morning.
The event is in its
second year and is organized by Edward Simon and Sam Sodano as a part of NYDF. I didn’t get to go last year but I had heard
mixed reviews. Some said it was great
and that there was a lot of information shared and love expressed for the
American styles. Others said
(particularly after the Rhythm section) that there was no consensus and dancers
were more confused going out than coming in.
So what about this
year? All in all I’d say the Congress
was great and I certainly did learn a lot and there was plenty of inspiration
to go around! I would definitely
recommend anyone dancing Rhythm or Smooth to attend next year and buy the video
from this year. That said, there were
still a few awkward moments (to put it nicely) and at the close of the Rhythm
section the love wasn’t flowing quite as strong as it was at the end of Smooth.
Since I took a bunch
of notes, I’m going to try and just give the highlights for each of the
panelists (although in some cases it will be hard because they had an awful lot
of interesting things to say)!
So to kick it off, on
to American Smooth! Henceforth subtitled, the love fest. I must warn you this is a long post! :)
Mayo Alanen &
Michelle Officer
The day began with
Mayo and Michelle and they did a great job kicking things off, even being first
up at 9am the audience was enthralled.
Their lecture focused on the development of style and choreography in
Viennese Waltz and how to create choreography with your partner.
They offered some great
advice on communicating and testing out new ideas with your partner. They explained in their practice they use a
number of different techniques for conveying choreography ideas including: explaining your thoughts in words,
demonstrating the steps yourself, working through your ideas with your partner
but keeping your partner in “receiver mode” (meaning they don’t contribute to
how the idea pans out, they are really just a body to work with), collaborating
with your partner to try and bring your ideas to life, and even trying to sing
or draw the shapes or feelings you want to express. The real words of wisdom here were to let your
partner run with their idea to the finish.
Even though you might think the idea is crazy at first you don’t want to
stifle your partner’s creativity and in the end you might come up with
something great. It’s probably something
we all know deep down but in practice it can be so hard and hearing them
describe their process was just a great reminder of something so important.
They did a great demo
of developing choreography noting it’s important to always emphasize the
character of each of the dances. Starting
with a simple reverse turn they first explored alternate holds, then adding
turns for the lady, next alternate positions (like shadow), then borrowing
styling from different types of dance (like the Latin samba roll), and finally taking
the move side by side. Just by watching
Smooth you can see there are so many choreographic possibilities but seeing the
many options for just one basic step performed back to back really hammered the
idea home. You can really get creative
with your choreography and your inspiration can really be endless and come from
anywhere!
The last thing they
talked about was musicality and how darker v. lighter music can change how the
dance is performed. Demonstrating their
choreography in the two extremes, they gave the audience a real treat and
really there is no amount of explaining that could make up for the visual. Guess you’ll have to buy the video :)
I didn't video the Congress but Michelle did break out her fan from this dance. Might as well enjoy the whole thing here!
Mazen
Hamza & Izabella Jundzill
Next
up was Mazen and Izabella with their discussion of choreography in Tango. Their lecture was actually quite similar to
Mayo and Michelle’s (although I will admit I thought it lagged a bit more in
places). Their overall theme was “Make it,
Master it, and Make it Matter.” They similarly
took a simple step, the left turn (or reverse turn) into the fan, and worked
through sprucing it up. In effect, “making”
the choreography.
For
“mastering it”, they focused on two things:
self awareness and unit awareness.
Basically first dealing with your own balance and steps and getting
those under control before moving into couple work. This part of their lecture was truly
fascinating to watch as they each took turns demonstrating how the steps
allowed them to create different shapes and feelings, which in turn changed
their partner’s shapes and feelings. Their
most simplified demonstration of mastering dealt with ladies turning and the
control that is necessary so that the leader’s dancing doesn’t suffer
(something they called “no spin and pray”).
Once again, there are no words that could make up for their performance so
if you are truly interested buy the DVD (no I swear I’m not getting a portion
of the sales)!
Next, they reiterated a point that became prevalent throughout the smooth
lectures: don’t forget what dance you
are doing! The dance gives you a spectrum
of ideas for choreography already, so use them!
Finally, to end they noted the importance of making the dancing matter
first to yourself and then to the audience.
By this point in the day (if you’re keeping track we were only
about an hour in), I think it’s safe to say everyone had drank some of the
Smooth Kool-Aid. Even the non-Smooth competitors/judges in the room seemed
enchanted!
Slawek Sochacki & Marzena Stachura
The current champs Slawek and Marzena were next and I am ashamed
to admit I don’t have many notes. After
the first two lectures I was having a serious wrist cramp and was looking
forward to just watching instead of furiously writing! I did take down a few things though, so here are some
seriously condensed highlights bullet form:
Tailor your choreography to your level, strengths, and of course
the character of the dance
There was a discussion of their study of the Laban Movement
(really wish I had more notes) that was very interesting. There might be some more dance reading in my
future :)
They finished by noting you should never be performing the same
dance twice. First, because the music
always changes round to round and the music should dictate so much about a
dance. Second, because with so many
competitions a year you’ll just get bored, changing even little things keeps
the inspiration flowing!
Charlie & Jeannie Penatello
Jeannie Penatello’s lecture was next up with comedic relief
provided by husband Charlie. Her lecture
focused a lot on the history and development of Smooth taking to heart the theme
set for the Congress: “American Style
Dancing…where we’ve been and where we’re going!”
Her lecture would make a great article; it got a little hard to
follow with all the dates and historical information jumping back and forth but I would love to have it in print! She detailed changes in music (live to
taped), costumes (large petticoats to the more Latinized Smooth gowns of
today), and dance position (how contact was originally improper but gradually grew
closer starting with the introduction of foxtrot and “diaphragm contact” in the beginning of
the 1900s). She also talked a lot about
how competitions used to be organized in terms of style, with the foxtrot,
bolero, swing, and mambo danced together as the American Style until 1984.
Her lecture ended with the Peabody and a lot of cheers,
particularly when she said, “Why add an American Quickstep? If anything it should be called the
International Peabody!” Their quick demo
of the Peabody of course got a standing O and was one of the mornings
highlights!
Should we add Peabody? At least there would be more YouTube videos to choose from!!
Nick & Lena Kosovich
Nick and Lena were the first lecturers to really focus on the
mechanics of practice. For them the
golden ratio is 90% of practice focused on drills and only the 10% remaining on
choreography. From there they went on to
give the audience a drill on drills (even getting everyone to their feet to try
a few). The recommended drills included:
Bending: all the joints
(limiting knee bend to keeping a neutral hip, if you go too far you’ll either
fall forward or displace your hip)
Stretching
Contracting: this is the
least used, you can’t just shape constantly (always stretch) you need contrast!
Twisting: preparation for
turns
Traveling
Balancing
Timing
After focusing on all those, then you get to work on
choreography because without good technique you can only get so far! As a side note, I could be making this up but I think they said they had a book coming out soon?!? Anyone have any information on this?
Michael Mead
OK so once again I’m slightly ashamed to admit I don’t have a
ton of notes from this one. His lecture
was informative but it was a little harder to pay attention without dancing
interludes (or husband/wife playful bickering).
So I’ll go for some bulleted highlights on this one:
Choreography is to help present the story, not the end goal in
itself
The needs of a basic dancer require choreography so they can
practice but can’t over-choreograph or they won’t learn
Develop character after working on the basics to be more dynamic
(needs to be in character with music once again)
Champ dancers should strive to differentiate themselves from
each other but individuality still needs to be focused in a way that moves the
storylines forward
When judging basic level dancing, you look for clarity not the
best interpretation so focus on technique first (I wish he had talked more
about when a focus of interpretation should enter a dancers concentration
because it seemed like there were a wide variety of levels in the audience)
Tomas Mielnicki & JT Thomas
Tomas and JT ended the Smooth session with a highly entertaining
lecture on finding your own style and personality. They noted that your choreographic choices
can be based on many things including:
emotions, athleticism (don’t make it all this!), overall choreographic
interest (making sure the whole picture makes sense), and of course (by now you
know) the character of the dance.
They ended on a highly inspirational note encouraging the
audience not to get bored with the basics, to not be afraid to try something
new. Some people might not like what you’re
doing but you should still stay true to yourself because you might become a
trendsetter and even a champion.
The Wrap Up
After the lectures there was a Q&A session. There was some great interaction here, but I
only noted two of the questions that I thought most interesting. The first was about adapting Smooth for a
world-wide audience by potentially changing the name to drop “American” from
the title. Apparently this was something
that was discussed last year but since I wasn’t there this was all new to
me. There were some great arguments for
renaming to make the style more all-inclusive, no one would forget its American
roots but you don’t need hit everyone over the head with it. As a corollary, there was a question of
whether the Peabody would make a good addition or if it would make it more
difficult to move towards global appeal.
Michelle Officer gave a great answer: she loves the dance but worries
that it might appear strange next to the other dances since they’ve developed
so much over the years while Peabody music and form hasn’t changed.
The second question that grabbed my attention was whether there
should be a compulsory basic dance added as the fifth dance to Smooth. A lot of the panel thought it was a great
idea, a way to showcase the basics and really be able to see each couples
technique. Mazen was the one detractor,
saying he was worried a compulsory dance would take away from all the
creativity and personal style that the competitors strive so hard to achieve.
PHEW!!! That’s a lot and
all before lunch! As I said this session
was jam packed with information and amazing demos (once again you’re gonna need
to buy the video for that)! For me
getting a chance to see each couple up close was a real treat that much like a
compulsory dance allowed me to compare them technique to technique, style to
style, interpretation to interpretation.
I also loved all the focus on the character of the dance, it really did
get to shine with each of the couples taking on different dances.
Well that’s my take on the Smooth! Love was all around between lecturers and
each other (many current competitors) and the audience. It really seemed like everyone left for lunch
on a high.
And on that note it’s time for me to watch some Oscars and head
to bed, leaving the Rhythm session for tomorrow. But I’ll give you a hint there was a little
less cohesion, a little more confusion, and a tad too much condescension.
Since I did mention the video numerous times, for the website where it will probably be available for purchase, click here!
The Calendar tab includes all of the upcoming competitions I previously listed as well as notable international competitions and general ballroom related events (like NYC's annual Salsa Congress). The events are color coded so you can quickly find what you are looking for!
The calendar will be updated every few months with a new batch of events (expect events for September through January to be posted towards the end of April). Of course, if there are any notable omissions please let me know by emailing me at ballroomblogger@gmail.com!
As the competition continues at La Classique, one important part of the
event has come to a close; the traditional Thursday night Pro Showcase.
This year's showcase was performed by Justinas Duknauskas and Anna Melnikova
and while I couldn't make it in person this year I had been awaiting the videos
with anticipation.
First a quick trip down memory lane. Just about a year ago videos of
their first full show together hit the internet.
Votes for whose hair is more distracting??
Now I would never go so far as to say they looked awful, just disappointing. Having loved her with Stefano I was never really satisfied with her dancing with Slavik, something was just missing. She couldn't quite rock that uber-feminine style that stands out among the other top pros. When I saw this video though, all I could think was "oh dear." A thought that she might not be able to reach her full potential since as they are married this partnership wasn't likely to end so quickly. Similarly for Justinas, it just didn't seem to be a good match. Admittedly I was never his biggest fan but I appreciated him much more with Ekaterina Lapaeva.
My fears only deepened when I got to see them shortly afterward. Not only did they seem disconnected physically but there wasn't much emotion in their dancing either. I thought for sure they could at least sell a romantic rumba but Justinas seemed too into his own thing, hardly giving her a passing glance throughout the show. That seemed to be the theme of the other dances as well, two partners dancing separately not together. Justinas seemed to take things constantly to the extreme, going way too over the top to command attention and Anna just came across as too subtle and unstable.
Fast forward a year and I'm sitting at my computer fingers crossed as the videos loaded. Cue the first video and I'm thinking, "oooh now this I might even enjoy!"
Rumba
Now I still wish that Justinas would rein in some of solo work, especially in the rumba, but at least Anna is more stable and there are some real connected moments. Could the other dances be this improved as well??
Paso
Jive: What no Elvis suit?
So the
choreography/music selection didn't necessarily change but they certainly look
more together. There's much less flailing from Justinas and Anna seems
like she may even be able to be herself in a way she couldn't with
Slavik. This is so much better than the show I saw, I'm experience
serious Canadian jealousy!
Cha Cha: better but still a bit boring
Now I love me
some traditional fun and flirty Cha Cha but something about theirs is still
lacking. It too has improved since I saw them dance live (it was pretty
sparse then) but it's still a bit boring. I'm hoping they jazz it up a
bit before their next show!
Samba
All in all an entertaining performance and even more important a much
improved one! Of course this says nothing of their competition material but
its great to see them starting to mesh with each other. Who knows where
they'll be a year from now.
Thanks to SuperShag
for all the videos. Now if only we could find some video of Ballroom
Dancer the documentary!
So I just returned from a competition this weekend and looking forward I
realized I need to make some tough choices! While I usually pick my
competitions well ahead of time (to clear my schedule and take advantage of
early registration fees) I'm a little behind this season. So since its
easier than choosing between some of these competing comps, I figured I'd share
a list of upcoming competitions (US only). Surprisingly, there doesn't
seem to be an all inclusive list floating about so I'll attempt one here.
Forgive me (and let me know) if I've missed anything!
To help make this list more useful, I've added a U to indicate
USADance, an N for NDCA, and a C for college
competitions. For those with no indicator, it its either awaiting NDCA
approval or they aren't expressly affiliated.
One other note, the list only goes until August because many competitions
past that point aren't set yet. For those you'll need to come back for an
updated list in a few months. :)
Feb
9-11
N
Platinum Dancesport Classic
Feb 11
C
University of Michigan Ballroom Dance Competition
Feb 11
U
Quest for the Best
Feb 12
C
Terrier Dancesport Competition
Feb 16-19
N
California Open Dancesport Championships
Feb 16-19
N
Florida Superstars Championships
Feb 17-19
N
Eastern US Dancesport Championships
Feb 18
C
Binghamton Dance Revolution
Feb 18-19
U
Derby City Dancesport Championships
Feb 23-26
N
Indiana Challenge Dancesport Competition
Feb 24-25
U
Gem State Classic
Feb 25
C
Holy Cross Ballroom Competition
Feb 25
C
UC Berkeley Ballroom Classic
Feb 25-26
U
Midatlantic Championships
Feb 25-26
N
New York Dance Festival
Feb 25-26
Star of the North DanceSport Classic
Feb 28- Mar 3
N
Heritage Classic
Mar 1-4
N
Vegas Open
Mar 3-4
Arnold Youth Dancesport Classic
Mar 3-4
C
Harvard Invitational
Mar 7-10
N
United States National Amateur Dancesport Championships
Mar 8-10
N
St. Louis Star Ball
Mar 10
C
Northeast Collegiate DanceSport Challenge
Mar 10
U
Vernal Equinox Extravaganza
Mar 15-18
N
Music City Invitational
Mar 16-17
U
Steel City Dancesport Classic
Mar 17-18
C
MIT Open
Mar 18
Spring Fling
Mar 22-25
N
Texas Challenge Dancesport
Mar 23-25
N
San Francisco Open DanceSport Championships
Mar 23-25
N
Tri-State Challenge Dancesport Championships
Mar 29-31
N
Michigan Dance Challenge
Mar 30- Apr 1
U
USADance National Dancesport Championships
Apr 3-8
N
Southern States Dancesport Championships
Apr 13-14
U
USU Dancesport Challenge
Apr 20-22
N
Philadelphia Festival & Atlantic Coast Dancesport
Apr 21
C
BAM Jam
Apr 21
C
Gotham City Dancesport Challenge
Apr 25-29
N
Wisconsin Dancesport Championships
Apr 27-29
N
Sunshine State Dancesport Competition
Apr 28
U
Quest for the Best
May 2-6
N
Emerald Ball
May 4-6
N
Washington Open Dancesport Competition
May 10-12
Atlanta Open Dancesport Spectacular
May 12-13
U
Columbia Star Ball
May 17-20
N
American Star Ball Championships
May 17-20
N
Crown Jewel of DanceSport
May 17-20
Randy Ferguson’s Dance Houston
May 24-26
Savannah Dance Classic
May 24-27
People’s Choice of Dancesport Competition
May 25-27
Dancing a la Carte Championships
June 1-3
Sapphire Dancesport Championships
June 7-10
Chicago Crystal Ball
June 7-10
San Diego Dancesport Championships
June 9-10
U
Summer Sizzler
June 14-17
N
Colorado Star Ball Championships
June 14-17
N
Yankee Classic & New England Dancesport Championships
June 20-24
N
Millennium Dancesport Championships
June 21-24
N
Northcoast Ballroom Championships
June 29-July 1
U
Gumbo Dancesport Championships
July 4-8
N
Manhattan DanceSport Championships
July 12-14
N
Twin Cities Open Ballroom Championships
July 12-15
N
Desert Classic Dancesport Championships
July 19-22
Virginia State Dancesport Championships
July 26-28
Volunteer State Dancesport Championships
July 27-29
International Grand Ball
July 28
U
River City Ball
July 31-Aug 5
N
Florida State DanceSport Championships
Aug 3-5
N
Seattle Star Ball
Aug 9-12
Empire State Dancesport Championships
Aug 9-12
N
Heart of America Championships
Aug 16-19
Cincinnati Ballroom Classic
Aug 16-19
N
Nevada Star Ball Championships
Aug 17-19
Killick Klassik DanceSport Event
Aug 22-25
N
Capital Dancesport Championships
Aug 30-Sept 2
N
Windy City Open
Aug 30-Sept 2
N
Embassy Ball Dancesport Championships
Wow, that's a lot of options! Time to get practicing!
Last weekend I decided to check out this event to see if I could pick up some tips; I mean who doesn't want to charge $100 for their birthday party?! I wasn't sure what to expect, since the program wasn't detailed on the website, but I figured why not, surprises can be a good thing. I dragged along a friend of mine who watches DWTS religiously but otherwise has no ballroom experience. Turns out, the event was a little more up her alley than it was mine!
The only picture I took that came out.
There definitely was not as much dancing as I expected! The best way to describe it would be: 1 part roast, 1 part studio showcase, and one part watching a party you weren't really invited to. My friend loved spotting all the people she had previously seen on TV and chatting it up with the lady next to her (who had traveled all the way from California to see Maks) about DWTS gossip. For me though, the event seemed to drag a little bit (it was almost four hours long). Below were my favorite, and least favorite, parts of the evening.
The Good
The best dance number of the evening was definitely a Cha Cha performed by Val Chmerkovskiy & Daria Chesnokova entitled Relax Maks (can you guess the song??). It’s always great to see them dance, especially since they aren’t competing in amateur anymore L The number was cheeky and cute and had the added bonus of a bit of lead and follow syllabus cha cha at the end with Maks & Daria.
There were some great, and seriously touching, video tributes to Maks from family, friends and students. All of the kids from his first class in his first studio came back to talk about how much he meant to them. They also performed and looked pretty good, which was impressive considering some had not danced in years!
There was a cool number choreographed by Matt Hauer entitled Samurai that I wish I could have gotten on video but our seats were in the back and with the dim lighting my camera couldn’t pick anything up. Hopefully I’ll catch it again somewhere.
The Bad
For a ballroom party there really wasn’t that much dancing. The audience, like my friend, seemed to be mostly fans of Maks from DWTS not dancers themselves. It was probably a good thing because there was no social dancing at all throughout the evening, not even during intermission! It was just so hard to be in a beautiful venue with a great dance floor and not be allowed to use it!
Tony, Tony, Tony…what were you thinking? Val and Tony Dovolani did a majority of the talking during the show which was fine in the beginning. By the end however, Tony was throwing in lots of off-the-wall comments and long-winded remarks. He also half-assed the only performance he gave, a samba where his poor partner tried to dance twice as hard to make up for him basically walking around the floor. I think he may have enjoyed the VIP area (the only place there was really a party) a little too much.
Those videos quickly became a double edged sword. They were funny, cute, and touching at first but as the event got longer and longer the lengthy videos became tiresome.
The...What?!?
Val and Daria performed a second number to the tunes of Val himself. Yup! That’s right, Val rapped a whole song in honor of Maks performing an Argentine Tango with Daria during the breaks.
Throughout the night there were a few references to the Real Housewives of New Jersey who my friend had informed me were in house (after she stalked the red carpet for celebrities, of course). She, along with her new friend next to her, decided this must be a sign that a Housewife would be on this season of DWTS. If not, then all their shout outs seem even more random!
Towards the end of the show, Maks was presented with a cake: a gold bust of his own head. He seemed very excited for the Cake Boss creation, but for the audience it started to get strange when he went on and on about it. You can only admire yourself in cake form for so long before it starts to get a little weird.
It wasn’t what I expected, but all in all I had a good time and met some cool people (and avid DWTS fans). Considering this wasn’t a milestone birthday for him, I have to wonder if NYC has an annual birthday bash in its future. Next year I think I'll pass on the bash and hit up a real party instead.
