This will be the last in this particular series, and I hope it's been useful for someone.
My previous posts have discussed how a dancer might prepare for a competition debut. The information I've given here is only the beginning, of course: each individual dancer will find they have unique talents and challenges. A dancer may find that Standard or Smooth dancing comes more naturally than Latin or Rhythm; they may find that the partner they prefer to work with likes a different style than their first choice; they may find that they need to work with more than one teacher, or to change teachers, in order to achieve their goals. Partner dancing is a constant negotiation.
And competition dancing is a constant process of learning, un-learning, and re-learning. How you dance at the Bronze level will be very different from Silver, much less Gold, and once you progress into Open dancing you will find that the additional freedom presents even more new challenges.
One thing I haven't focused on is what not to do. I can't speak for other chapters, but our local chapter of USA Dance has never provided much information for competitors and indeed the national organization has somewhat walled-off competition information from the world of social dance. (This is a shame, because most social dancers would have an improved experience if they had a better technical foundation.) I think it would be useful to look at the restrictions that NDCA places on bronze dancers in American style in its rulebook.
First, why just American style? Well, because in International style, there is an extremely consistent method of teaching. Pretty much all Bronze students learn exactly the same figures in exactly the same way, and the various instructors' methods for putting figures together into a competition routine at the Bronze level is not strongly differentiated. (For example, you will often see a group of Bronze Standard dancers doing exactly the same sequence in a competition; and you will see a group of Bronze Latin dancers using exactly the same arm stylings.) Moreover, because International style has been consistently taught and codified for a very long time, there is a large body of teachers and past competitors who know how it "should" be done.
American style, by contrast, is a more free-and-easy style. It is the basis for "social" ballroom and as such is subject to a great deal of improvisation and to a great range of teaching methods. This provides an advantage: it's easy for a good social dancer to move into competition without a great deal of extra coaching. This is balanced by a disadvantage: it's easy for a social dancer to end up competing with material that will get them disqualified.
Note: USA Dance used to let you start competing any old place you wanted. You could enter a Championship event first time out, if you so chose. But they are pulling in the reins as they try to make DanceSport a more intelligible and consistent experience, and now someone entering as a first-timer in competition will need to enter Bronze. (You can still progress as fast as you want, but must move sequentially through the divisions.) This may be frustrating for long-time social dancers who are accustomed to doing continuity Smooth, for example, or for improvising or doing fancy picture lines. That said, it is never a bad thing to go back to basics. You may find you missed something important the first time around.
When Mr. P and I began our competitive journey, we had a terrible time - terrible! - trying to find out what we were allowed to do ... and, just as important, what we were not allowed to do. I asked USA Dance competition organizers, judges, officials, teachers ... and ultimately was directed to the ISTSD (International Society of Teachers of Dancing) syllabus, which included a Don't Do This section. Now this information is included in the NDCA rulebook, but I have a feeling many amateur competitors are not getting the data at a time that would be most useful to them. We sure didn't. So, here are the highlights.
In the American Smooth dances, a Bronze dancer:
must not completely separate from his/her partner. "Open work is limited to single or double hand holds, and may not last for more than eight (8) consecutive measures."
must not do foot changes or fakes resulting in the partners commencing a measure on the same foot.
must not do solo or shadow figures; fallaways; or multiple turns.
must not do consecutive pivots; only one pivot is allowed.
must not do picture lines: contra checks, oversways, lunges, dips, drops, etc.
In the American Rhythm dances, a Bronze dancer:
must not use shaded timing or syncopations, except in the Triple Cha-Cha.
must not completely separate for more than one measure of music except in the Chase Turns in Cha-Cha.
must not do foot changes or fakes, except in the parallel breaks/sweetheart/cuddle in Cha-Cha.
must keep both feet close to the floor at all times - this applies to Smooth, as well - which means no aerial ronde or developpe actions.
Additionally, of course, dancers must break on the *2* beat in Cha-Cha and Mambo. It is possible to be the only couple in your event and still place second if you break on the 1. The "break" is the forward rock step, so it *is* possible for a leader to start moving on 1 in Cha-Cha - but only with a side step.
Other Must-Do's
A competition couple should practice entering and exiting the floor in a way calculated to present themselves to the judges and audience with dignity and grace. The couple should walk on and off the floor arm in arm, with the outside arm extended upward as if to say "here we are!"
A competition couple should practice turning out and bowing at the end of each dance in the heat. A composed exit to the dance helps you transition to the next dance in the heat. No matter what just happened, this is your opportunity to push the re-set button and get in character for the next dance.
A competition couple should practice keeping their eyes up: always look for the room's horizon, not the floor. Keeping your eyes up helps keep your chin up, which helps your entire posture and top line.
A competition couple should practice conscious breathing while dancing. Breathing makes you relax and move more easily.
A competition couple should practice making eye contact and smiling at each other whenever possible during each dance in a heat. A couple that appears distant from each other does not present the sense of intimacy and connection that judges look for.
You can find more chat about dance technique in the "Strictly Ballroom" archives. Feel free to suggest topics for future posts, in the comments!
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