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SwingOrama Forum: Events: Old stuff: Couples Contest @ The Rocket

By Jim Cruzen on Tuesday, March 07, 2000 - 03:06 pm: Edit

Pass the word….The Rocket Club is hosting a Couples Swing Dance Contest March 21st at Vasa Hall. First place prize is $100!.

Details as follows…..

Entry Fee – None…it’s free!!!!

Registration between 9-9:30pm (Pre-registration is encouraged by calling (619) 291-3775 or email Margaret Adams or Jim Cruzen at 2togroove@mindspring.com)

Contestants Meeting 9:30-9:45pm
Contestants Warm up Period 9:45 to 10pm
Contest at 10pm!
Music will be random selection for preliminaries & finals; tempos may be chosen for final round.

Judging Criteria – Emphasis on great partner connection rather than choreography through use of lead/follow technique, styling that compliments each other and musicality. Looking for that spontaneity and magic that comes with connecting to each other and the music!! Dips as used in social dancing are acceptable and will be counted in your score. Lifts and Aerials (tricks requiring somersaults by either partner) can be used but will not be counted in your score). The emphasis here will be on overall social dance skill. Want to encourage all you great dancers to participate whether you are into doing aerials or not!

So grab your best partner and come show off your stuff !

Please Pre-register!

By Reuben Brown on Tuesday, March 07, 2000 - 03:17 pm: Edit

"Judging Criteria" tells us nothing unless you state whom the judges are. Thanks.

By Jim Cruzen on Tuesday, March 07, 2000 - 03:23 pm: Edit

Margaret is in the process of confirming them. You'll know when she knows. thanks.

By Reuben Brown on Tuesday, March 07, 2000 - 03:26 pm: Edit

No... thank you!

By Margaret Adams on Monday, March 20, 2000 - 11:57 am: Edit

More info. re: The Rocket Couples contest!

Contest is tomorrow -Tues March 21st.
Contest registration begins at 9pm!
NO ENTRY FEE....$100 FIRST PLACE PRIZE.
Dj Ron Bloom to swing the house from 9-12pm!

Judges confirmed to date include:

LISA CONWAY - SD LindyHopSociety/Dance Instructor
SHESHA MARVIN - Dance Instructor/Performer (currently with Hop Star)
MEESHI SUMAYAO - SD Dance Instructor/DJ

GRAB YOUR BEST PARTNER AND JOIN IN THE FUN.

Hope to see you all there!!!!

By Ron on Monday, March 20, 2000 - 12:37 pm: Edit

I just talked to Margaret. I'll add that there will be 2-3 songs for everyone to dance to at the beginning. I'll pick out a few good ones, various tempos. Then for the finals, each of the finalists will dance separately. I'll have a bunch of songs picked and ready to go, the couple gets to pick one of three tempos (around 140, around 160, or around 180 BPM) and I'll randomly pick a song in their requested tempo. Each couple will then have the same amount of time, probably 2 minutes, to dance to their randomly chosen song. Then the finalists will probably all dance together for another minute to another song.

This isn't about choreography, but about lead and follow, so I think I won't choose songs that everyone has memorized. And I won't choose completely wacky songs, either.

Should be fun! Margaret is trying to make sure it all runs smoothly so it doesn't take too much time and people can get back to dancing.

By Ron on Monday, March 20, 2000 - 12:41 pm: Edit

Oh, and I heard Melissa and Valerie are entering as a couple, so look out! There's no rule against it, but if the Moral Majority saw them dance together, they might press for one!

By Ron on Tuesday, March 21, 2000 - 10:02 am: Edit

I spent all evening last night listening to and picking out songs. I think I'll play more well-known songs for the prelims, lesser heard songs for the finals. And I figured out how to make sure they are randomly chosen. Since the couples will dance in a random order, I'll just play my pre-chosen songs in a pre-defined order without any prior knowledge of the order of the finals.

By Margaret Adams on Tuesday, March 21, 2000 - 11:31 am: Edit

Ron...thanks so much for your thoughtful effort preparing the music selections for the contest and letting everyone know about it. Should be a great time! As Ron said, we want to keep the contest movin' along so everyone still gets plenty of time to dance. Remember doors open
at 9pm! Contest will begin between 10-10:30 pm. (One of our judges can't get there until just after 10pm) Hope you'll all come out and enjoy the evening.

By Ron on Wednesday, March 22, 2000 - 09:33 am: Edit

Good contest. Interesting results!

By Jane Hance on Wednesday, March 22, 2000 - 09:53 am: Edit

Well, what were the results?

By Reuben Brown on Wednesday, March 22, 2000 - 12:26 pm: Edit

So the only comments about the contest so far is that it was "good" and it's results were "interesting?"

Had the winners been any number of other couples I bet this thread would have been buzzing by now. That's whats most interesting.

By Ron on Wednesday, March 22, 2000 - 01:03 pm: Edit

Jeez, don't read too much into it. The forum's been somewhat dull recently, anyway.

Results:
Jake & Giselle - 1st
Valerie and Melissa - 2nd
Jeff and Kate - finalists
?? and ?? - finalists (I always forget their names)

So the judges clearly weren't biased by knowing that Jake is an asshole! I guess that is a good thing. Contests should be fair.

By Valerie Yau on Wednesday, March 22, 2000 - 01:22 pm: Edit

Michael & Valena were the other finalists :) They're so adorable!

Mel & I had a great time dancing in the contest and were surprised we even made it into the final round! It was all in fun... hehe :)

I never thought the Jake that posted here was the same Jake that I knew from what seems like way back... he's always been so nice to me in person. It's funny what the forum can do to ya...

By Reuben Brown on Wednesday, March 22, 2000 - 01:34 pm: Edit

Jake has multiple personalities.. that's why he is so rad.

By HopMichael on Wednesday, March 22, 2000 - 01:43 pm: Edit

Val & Melissa: Great dancing between you two! I was most impressed with the seamless transitions of lead-follow role exchanges. I'm sure the judges caught that but I wonder how much of the audience did.

The influence of Memories and the LA style was evident in Jacob's (aka Bompensiero, Bomp, etc.) and Giselle's dancing. It was a welcome sight to see at the Rocket and inspire the dancers.

Michael and Valena: great infectious enthusiasm for the dance. Please come down to dance more often!!

Jeff and Kate: I saw you two pull off some great stuff in the prelims. You are always a great pair of dancers to watch!

Chris & Shana and Billie & Susan: maybe the judges weren't watching but I saw some great Lindy Hop amongst you four. Thanks for keeping the standard high on the dance floor!

And to the rest of the contestants (whose names are escaping this hurried typist): Thanks for making it a great contest to watch and enjoy! It takes a lot of bravery to get out and be judged and I could see you all take it in stride and enjoy the show.

By Ron on Wednesday, March 22, 2000 - 05:10 pm: Edit

Greg & Tertia, and Ernest & Amy L were also among the brave, to complete the list, I think...

By HopMichael on Wednesday, March 22, 2000 - 05:43 pm: Edit

Now that I have some more time to think about it: Luis and Laura D danced up a storm as well!

9 couples, right?

By Dancenow (Dancenow) (spider-wo032.proxy.aol.com - 205.188.200.32) on Wednesday, March 22, 2000 - 10:17 pm: Edit

Go Valena and Michael! You guys are so entertaining and funny! Your performance made me want to get up and dance. You should do this for a living!

By Peter (Peter) (1cust77.tnt37.lax3.da.uu.net - 63.30.170.77) on Friday, March 24, 2000 - 07:53 pm: Edit

Jake and Giselle Yea, Boooyyyeeeeeee
I'm sure alot of beginners watching got really inspired that night, such style such grace.....

and please do tell, air steps? slip outs? who was doing type of tricky moves?

By Valerie Yau on Saturday, March 25, 2000 - 03:51 pm: Edit

yeah...Jake & Giselle were awesome! very connected and very entertaining! :)

peter...no air steps in this contest - judging was mostly based on musicality, connection w/ your partner, technicality, etc. aerials didn't count.

By Michele4 (Michele4) (lsana010-1246.splitrock.net - 63.255.20.230) on Monday, March 27, 2000 - 09:24 pm: Edit

Luis, I don't know if you are the same Luis as Nestor knows, but I saw him on Sunday (along with Karen and Dave Dickenman, Scott Sullivan, who you might also know). They said they hadn't seen you in a while at c&c, and I told them that might be because the Firehouse is so popular on Thursday nights. hee,hee. I'm trying to talk Nestor into coming out sometime.

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