SwingOrama Forum

SwingOrama Forum: Lindy Hop: Another Dance Contest ... Unique!!!

By Regina on Tuesday, July 06, 1999 - 11:42 am: Edit

You know, I know that this isn't a San Diego event but it sounded like lots and lots of fun. It's at a really cool place and it may be funny to just go and watch. All the cities should be so lucky to have an event like this to lighten us up every once and a while. Maybe we can, shall I dare say, steal this idea .... Regina

THE CATS CORNER IS BACK...

...FOR A ONE-NIGHT-ONLY REUNION...

...THIS SATURDAY, JULY 10TH...

and for this special occasion, we'll be featuring LA's first

****** BAD DANCING CONTEST ******

with a

$100 CASH PRIZE!!!

That's right! Forget all those silly contests where the *best* couple wins!
Ho hum ... yawn ... we've seen that all before!

Now it's time to throw all your dancing skills into reverse, 'cause after
Saturday night, only one lucky couple will officially be able to call
themselves...

THE WORST DANCERS IN L.A.!!!!

Think of the fame! The glory! The bragging rights! The cash!

Judges will include Karen 'Two Left Feet' Wilson and Lisa 'Spaghetti Arms'
Blinkenberg! Third judge to be announced (depends on how the parole hearing
goes).

Contest rules are below...as for the rest of the night, doors will open at 8
PM and there will be a beginner's east coast swing lesson 'til 9, followed by
dancing and THE CONTEST 'til midnight. Admission is $7 and the club, of
course, is ALL AGES!!! Free water and soda and DJ'd music.

The Cats Corner is held at the Hollywood Dance Center, 817 North Highland
Avenue in Hollywood. GET THERE BEFORE 9 FOR TONS OF CONVENIENT STREET
PARKING! For driving directions, go to http://www.mapquest.com/ and click on
'Driving Directions.'

And now, the...

*** BAD DANCING CONTEST RULES ***

1. This is a contest for couples -- you must enter with a partner.
2. This is a bad *swing* dancing contest. You must dance either lindy hop,
east coast swing, shag or balboa.
3. NO AERIALS, period. No endangering yourselves or other dancers on the
floor. Violators will be instantly disqualified!!!
4. Judging will be primarily on the basis of DISconnection. Are you
disconnected from your partner? Are you disconnected from the music you're
dancing to (assuming that you are, in fact, dancing to the music)?
5. Other important judging criteria are general style, poor selection of
moves and lack of dance floor etiquette.
6. The winning couple will be chosen by a panel of judges. The judges'
decision will be final.
7. Registration will begin at 8:45 PM. The contest will begin at 10 PM.
8. Due to the experimental nature of this contest, we reserve the right to
change the rules without notice.
9. Finally...it's easy to be *bad* dancer, but what makes you the *worst*
dancer? Beyond the rules mentioned above, the x-factor, the je ne sais qua,
that certain something that you bring to your bad dancing will be of
paramount importance. This is where your creativity comes in -- what makes
you a *uniquely* bad dancer?

NOTE: My guess is, this contest will not be won by amateurs...getting out on
the dance floor and just flopping around is *not* going to do it!

By Shawn Hanna on Monday, November 22, 1999 - 02:00 pm: Edit

This seemed like as good a place to put this remarkable leter from Lindy Bill
-----------------
Bill Millan wrote:
I attended the dances at Harvest Moon this
weekend, and my Grandchildren took the courses. The Kids had a great time, and watching my grand
daughter, Heather, dance a full number with
Frankie was a real delight. (Eat your heart out ladies!) :0)

You know, going in, at a PBDA event, that:
The event will be well run.
The Instruction will be first rate.
The bands will be danceable.
The contest, as printed in the brochure, was
labeled "Lindy Hop", without any qualifiers. PBDA teaches "Smooth Lindy". When Tip told me that he and Holly were going to show up and compete, along with other "Hollywood" style dancers, I knew it would probably be controversial.

When Erin announced at the start of the contest,
that only "African Based" lindy hop would be accepted in the contest, I was shocked. I had
mentioned to Scott, on Friday, that one of the
judges at the WLHC had stated that he would only accept African based Lindy as Lindy Hop, and
Scott's comment, to me, as I recall it, was that
"It was all Lindy," and that he, "did not know what African based Lindy was."

I felt that three of the Hollywood style
couples, in an open competition, would have made the finals, and the two of them should have
been in the top 5 finalists.

This contest has really "torn a hole" in any
attempt to have a good relationship in LA between the schools teaching the different styles. I
have watched with regret, the division that has
built up out here over the last three years in our dance community because of the style differences, and I guess the acrimony is only
going to continue.

I have not seen, on the dance floors around the
country, any problem between the dancers. There has been a lot of comment on various boards
about people refusing to dance with someone who
does a different style. Hey, I have had ladies turn me down, but I never thought it was for my
style, I always figure that they just don't like
me! :0)

I heard a comment from one of the people
attending that the Hollywood people should have known not to attend and compete in a Savoy event.
My response to this is that is was not advertised as a Savoy event, but, since that is the way it was judged, it should have been.

---------------------

By Ian (Ian) on Monday, November 22, 1999 - 02:33 pm: Edit

Considering that Lindy was based on European dances...

By Shawn Hanna on Tuesday, November 23, 1999 - 10:57 am: Edit

A couple more from LA:

Doug Kihn wrote:

I only attended the Saturday night dance at
Harvest Moon. I hadn't heard about the "African" dance contest. But I saw a remarkable sight
that night. I saw with my own eyes Peter Loggins
dancing with Erin Stevens, and they looked GREAT together. Erin had that nice L.A. style posture and a big smile on her face, and Peter
was looking cool and suave as usual.

Afterward in private conversation, Peter had nothing but high praise for Erin.

Go figure! :-O
*************************************
And more.....
*************************************
salvarado@tribune.com wrote:

I agree with Lindy Bill. I think it was a
disgrace for them not to acknowledge quality dancing, no matter what style.

The way I recall Erin's speech at the beginning
of the contest... it went something like this: though we welcome all styles to the competition, this weekend event focuses on African American style lindy. But as we saw, this was a farce, they obviously didn't welcome all styles to their competition.

I, for one, am not sure if I ever want to support any of their events again. It was very unpleasant to witness what went on last night.

By Swiveler on Tuesday, November 23, 1999 - 10:57 am: Edit

Wow! I've been wanting to comment on this, but my brain is still reeling from the concept.

First of all I would like to verify if this was really said or if it is exaggerated?????

I barely know where to begin with this. "African based?" Isn't lindy hop American based? Indiginous to the US? I don't recall reading anything about how Lindy Hop was the rage in Africa in the 30's and 40's. Do you?

So, if we had a Balboa contest (Balboa being Califorinia-based) does that mean that some fella born in New York or Dallas would not be recognized as a Balboa dancer? It's the most ludicrious thing I've hear yet. I can only hope that this is a misquote.

I will go in search of more info on this ridiculous piece of gossip. I'm interested in debating or talking about this issue though...

By Swiveler on Tuesday, November 23, 1999 - 11:59 am: Edit

I personally applaud the people who went to "represent" and feel it took tremendous guts. Never in my wildest, most paranoid dreams would I have guessed things would have turned out the way they did. Wow. It certainly is a bad day for lindy when contests start getting segregated by style. Any competant judge should have no problem at all judging dancers just by ability - I remember when I asked Sylvia Sykes to judge the CH contest this year (which she couldn't do because of a prior obligation), she said, "let me just warn you, I don't judge based on style preferences, I pick who I think are the best dancers." Which is to me the correct attitude for a judge!

The above is a quote from Hilary. I thought it was well put.

I did go on LHHP and saw many posts from people that were there. I think I would like to call them (the Steven's) and get their opinion for myself. Ummmmmmmmm

By Ian (Ian) on Tuesday, November 23, 1999 - 12:42 pm: Edit

As far as African style, Lisa should tell the story about the fellow doing all sorts of "LA/HW" moves. After dancing with him, she asked where he learned to Dance. If I remember correctly his response was the Roseland Ballroom...of Harlem!

Day at the races makes the same point, African-Americans doing Slipouts and dancing very similar to Peter L.

By Chris Bowling on Tuesday, November 23, 1999 - 02:54 pm: Edit

Tammy,
I'm not trying to attack you, this is just a little clarification.

Yes, Africans probably didn't do Lindy Hop in Africa, but I think what is being refered here is that African-Americans brought a lot of their tribal characteristics over with them, and when they danced they incorporated those charcteristics. Just as Norma Miller says in her book, the Lindy was influenced from African roots. The dance itself is definitley American, but its roots go back to the "black bottom," which African-American females danced in clubs as they were on stage; and many other African-American dances that occurred during the turn of the century. Again, I think that the Lindy was created by the African-Americans who have roots (history) in Africa and it is American.

Overall, that sucks, I can't believe that that competition was segregated!!! It is all Lindy and Frankie said that himself, and I second that opinion.

By Swiveler on Tuesday, November 23, 1999 - 03:20 pm: Edit

Chris, I don't feel attacked at all. I was mistaken in my first look at what was said, African-American vs. African. Although I do agree with Norma, I would like to know just what makes a move "African-based." Case in point:

Didn't Shorty evolve and orginate a lot of the first lindy hops moves? Wasn't Shorty George an African-American? Didn't Shorty dance very upright? Didn't Frankie re-act to that by dancing bent over? So who is more African-based in his movements.

I am just thinking out loud and not specifically directing this to you (Chris). It just seems so ridiculous and the Steven's siters actions unacceptable.

By Chris Bowling on Tuesday, November 23, 1999 - 03:31 pm: Edit

Your right about the upright posture of Shorty George. I think that is a personal style, but the dance in general has large influences from the African-Americans. Whether your bent over, upright, piked, bouncy, smooth, etc. that's all personal style, and makes the dance personal by who is doing it how they do it. The basis/structure and evolution of the dance is all derived from African characteristics that the African-Americans brought over with them. As I know you will agree - Lindy is Lindy - how you stylize it is up to you.

By Chris Bowling on Tuesday, November 23, 1999 - 03:39 pm: Edit

Maybe, one could argue that since the African-Americans were being and have been oppressed that their only freedom was through song and dance. Maybe, that is why jazz music is improv based and jazz dance is the same. It could even be related to the Argentine Tango which was also created out of the oppression from the Government. People seem to want to put boundaries on things, why I don't know. Most of us work 8 hours a day 5 days a week in the same office/chair/desk/around the same people. How STALE!! Lindy is not like the strictness of ballroom or ballet, it's about fun, socializing and creating. Something the African-Americans had very little of since they have been in America (from the beginning). I think Lindy Hop is all about that freedom and creativeness that the African-Americans were trying and did capture!!

By Ian (Ian) on Tuesday, November 23, 1999 - 06:26 pm: Edit

Maybe it should have been stated that people who dance with tension were ineligible. Or maybe it should have been stated that anyone who did not learn from the PBDA (or their prodigee) are ineligible.

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