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new event for amateur competition

Those of us who are DanceSport Athlete members of USA Dance have already received notice of a new event for Nationals. Perhaps inspired by Dancing with the Stars, perhaps by the relatively new Show Dance competitions for professionals, Nationals will include a Freestyle-Showdance division for amateur couples.

The first Freestyle-Showdance competition was to be an invitational, meaning couples were invited to submit a video recording of the routine they proposed to perform and a committee would select up to six couples to compete. There were no qualified entrants in this division for 2011, but I hope some couples will put something together this year.

The biggest considerations for amateur dancers interested in preparing a routine are the following rules (more detail on which are in the USA Dance Rulebook, free download at www.usadance.org):

• Competitors from all four disciplines may enter: International Standard, International Latin, American Smooth, or American Rhythm; all will dance against each other in a single event (as on "America's Ballroom Challenge").
• The Freestyle event is considered a championship-level event, open to couples in the Youth division and above (not preteen or junior).
• Submitted routines must be between 3:30 and 4:00 in length, excluding entrance and exit, with a maximum of 30 seconds for entry prior to beginning the dance and a maximum of 30 seconds for exit after concluding the dance, with a brief coda of music permitted to underline the couple's exit.
• Each routine must, to be considered for competition, include sections of choreography representing at least three of the dances included in the couple's discipline. For example, a couple entering an American Rhythm routine must include some combination of Rumba, Cha-Cha, East Coast Swing, Bolero, and/or Mambo. It can't be three minutes of Charleston or West Coast Swing with a few East Coast Swing figures thrown in.
• At least 75% of each routine's choreography must represent the dances selected from the discipline. Thus, for the illustrative four-minute Rhythm routine, at least three minutes must represent the selected dances, while up to a minute may involve elements of other dances and dance forms.
• Props are not permitted - that is, nothing that must be carried on or off the floor and/or is not part of the performers' costume.
• Lifts are permitted - a maximum of three lifts per performance, but only in the transitional elements between dances, and not exceeding two measures of music or 15 seconds in duration each. A lift is defined as any movement in which a dancer has both feet off the floor at the same time with the assistance or support of his/her partner. (Anyone who watches DWTS will recognize Carrie Ann in this. Also, this helps make clear why it is not considered a "lift" if the partner is being assisted or supported, but at least one foot is on the floor. It's a trick, yes - but not a lift.)
• Thus, for the exemplary Rhythm routine, a couple might choreograph a 15-second passage of mambo or tango; transition with a 1st 15-second lift to one minute of cha-cha; then transition with a 2nd 15-second lift to one minute of rumba; then transition with a third and final 15-second lift to one minute of bolero for a total of four minutes.
• One important thing: all dance styles must be at the correct competition tempi. So music will need to be edited. This raises the sophistication level considerably, in terms of the amateur couple and the coach all needing to have some technical ability, or access to it.

It should be noted that many, if not most, of the couples interested in the Freestyle-Showdance event will be couples already well advanced as competitors; the technical work involved will be beyond the scope of most beginning dancers, and the challenge of putting together a long routine that segues between three dance styles is significant. However, anyone who has already prepared and performed any kind of show dance - even if partnered by a professional, as many of our local showcase dancers were - might want to give some thought to this possibility.

Our Los Angeles dancers were sadly under-represented at the USA Dance Nationals which occurred here in 2010. I don't expect many to make it to Baltimore this year - even Mr. P and I don't plan to go. But if this new event is successful, it will be repeated, and Nationals will be back here in 2013. You'd better believe I have my sights set on Freestyle!

how to do what's important FOR YOU ... and still be a team player

I would like to quote from Havi's Friday Chicken (check-in) at The Fluent Self:

“Setting boundaries.

One of the many useful, true and eternally frustrating things that
I have learned from being consciously alive is this:

Intentionally setting strong, healthy boundaries is the most
compassionate and important thing that you can do. And not just for you, but
for everyone in your world.

However, rigorous scientific study by me has shown that most
people don’t like it when you do it.

Even when it’s best for them and for the greater good and for
everyone involved.

So that can be uncomfortable and not fun, which makes it kind of
unappealing. Except that if you don’t do it, then everything gets even worse. ”

I am involved in a lot of different stuff, and as others before me have learned, the
more stuff you are involved with, the more stuff tends to stick to you.

And if you are good at organizing stuff, as I am, then oftentimes the other people
involved with that stuff will tend to assume that you are in charge.

I just want to say, to my friends and colleagues, I am not in charge. :-)

I am doing what I do because I enjoy it, not because it's my job or because I want that project to Belong To Me. I don't have much of a personal stake in anything I do that happens outside my own home.

So if I ask you a question, it's because I believe the information I am seeking is pertinent to the project that we share, and typically I ask when I ask because I need the information at that time. Not next week.

There is a certain level of seriousness that I expect my colleagues to share. Not to take ourselves seriously, and not to take our projects so seriously - we are not obliterating polio or world hunger. All we are doing is some mostly-recreational dance stuff. But we still have to approach it seriously, because each of us is giving up our own time to do this and all of us are worthy of respect.

Also, we are representing a larger organization. If we flake out on our team and don't show up and participate, that's a shadow on the organization and not just on our own personal reputations.

Each of us can only do what we can do. None of us should be expected to do more than we willingly volunteer to do. But once we have made a commitment, we need to follow through on it.

If there is part of a project that we cannot participate in for whatever reason, we need to be very clear about that. We don't need to apologize for it, but we have to let the others on the team know so that they can find someone to fill the hole. And if we possibly can, we need to help fill that hole before we bow out.

We are at a point where the team can't cover all the necessary tasks without some members doing more than they really want to.

There are three options at this point:

• cancel certain projects;
• recruit more people for the team; or
• suspend operations altogether until the absence of activity stimulates more people to volunteer.

Obviously option 3 is not desirable, but it wouldn't be the first time a chapter has had to resort to it.

Options 1 and 2 are not mutually exclusive. Ideally we recruit more people so that we don't have to cancel any projects, but it might prove more beneficial, in the long run, to cancel some projects so that we have breathing room to recruit and train more volunteers.

Our projects are not rocket science, but they do require a little bit of know-how about the organization (what it is and why it exists) and the local structure (what we've been doing and how we've been doing it).

The truth is, some tasks have been neglected for nearly the entire life of our chapter, because there just weren't enough people on the team. We're going to have to make some decisions - and some changes - very soon. My personal boundaries require it.

Showcase happened! and it was great!

Yesterday's USA Dance Showcase was truly great. And I say that as the Director, but also as a participant. This event could not have run so well without the contributions of those listed below.

• Thanks to all the 66 brilliant amateur and professional performers (see the listing at www.usadancela.org!) .
• Thanks to our sponsors: DanceVision and Worldtone and L.A. Dance Experience and the Holiday Ball!
• Thanks to Joy Rushing, who opened each act with a couple of lovely songs to settle the room down and get people ready for The Show.
• Thanks to Christina Hutson, who provided the closed-circuit monitor backstage so our dancers wouldn't freak out about the status of the program.
• Thanks to Jerry and James and Herb, who were there early for setup and to manage the backdrop installation.
• Thanks again to Jerry for running the camera!
• Thanks to Mr. P, who helped ready the dressing rooms and tweak the main-floor arrangements.
• Thanks again to James for his stellar work as DJ!
• Thanks to Kent, for his excellent work as MC!
• Thanks to Livia, who helped Jerry, Kent, and James keep the show running right on time.
• Thanks again to Herb, who brought water, moved furniture, helped with the transition, was there till closing, and ran the raffle and silent auction so we could raise even more money for the operating fund.
• Thanks to Marilyn, who helped set up the tables and sell raffle tickets.
• Thanks to Laura, who in addition to performing (twice!) also helped sell raffle tickets.
• Thanks to Priscila and Debbie and Yasmin and Leslie, who helped with checking-in, selling admissions, managing questions, and generally keeping track of our attendees.
• Thanks to Nancy and Edna and Julie and Charles for managing the transition to the evening dance.
• Thanks to Dave for bringing the Outreach poster and more water for the evening dance.
• Thanks to Party Unlimited, for furnishing our backdrop and the crew to get it set up and taken down quickly and safely.

Nearly all the professionals involved made a point of saying "Thank you for doing this." I think it's an important part of our mission at USA Dance and look forward to an even better event next year. September 23, 2012. Mark your calendars!

whee!

Courtesy of chapter Board member Charles Edelsohn, here is a photo of me and Mr. P at the 2010 showcase. We look serious, don't we? This ballroom business is no joke! Here, we are captured in an aerial assisted flick.

You can find videos from the 2010 USA Dance Showcase on the chapter's YouTube channel. Visit www.usadancela.org and follow the links!

link of the week: usa dance

http://usadancela.org/sponsor-or-advertise-in-our-2011-showcase-program/

On September 25, our local chapter of USA Dance is having its annual fundraiser showcase.  I'm the show director and registrar, and Mr. P & I will also be performing. 

What is USA Dance anyway and why do we need a fundraiser?

USA Dance, Inc. is an all-amateur non-profit (501(c)3), the governing body for amateur DanceSport in the U.S., a member of the International Olympic Committee, and the organizer of the National Championships that send DanceSport Athletes to international competitions including the World Games.  (Where, I would like to point out, DanceSport events were completely sold out, standing room only.)  It's kind of a big deal.

The all-amateur part is where chapters tend to stick.  Because it's also all volunteers.  Typically what happens is ten to twenty very dedicated people end up working a lot of hours and putting up a good bit of their own money to make dance events happen for a local population of dancers.  The money we make at dance events has to cover all our operating costs with, we hope, a little left over for scholarships, etc., and/or to build future events on a larger scale.

For the curious or skeptical ("how expensive can it be to run a dance?"), well, here in Los Angeles the best venue we've found - given that we attract from 150-200 dancers, which for ballroom takes a lot of space - costs us two thousand dollars to rent.  The total budget for one of our dances averages $2600.

But that's small potatoes.  A sister chapter contributes to organizing a three-day competitive event.  Their budget for 2012 is $30,000.  That's thirty thousand dollars.

The budget for our showcase is not nearly that bad.  It's still money out of pocket, though.  Profits from our events go to pay the chapter's operating costs, including internet, insurance, permits, bank fees, etc. They also go to support a program we've been running teaching ballroom dance in local public-school classrooms.

Membership dues paid by USA Dance members do not go to the local chapter.  We get a little bit kicked back from National, but most of the dues go into the National coffers to fund the National programs.  So that's why we need a fundraiser, and that's why I hope a few people will bounce over and drop us a dime, a dollar, or a sponsorship.

And by all means ... come to the show!

Download USAD_Sept2011_flyer

USA Dance showcase today! credit roll

Well, it has been quite the run-up.  We had to do a lot of work in a short period of time to get this Spring Showcase rolling!  We have over an hour of performances, including a whole block of dances from the fifth-graders at 49th Street School, coached by Rudy Hernandez.  Click here for a pdf of the schedule! Download Spring Showcase Performance Schedule

I would like to thank - in advance - the chapter members and others who are contributing their time, ingenuity, and money!

Herb McGurk - Jerry Hernandez - Dave Pierce - Kent Lowell - James Woo - Livia Squires - Winnie Carnegie - Tadelle Yoseph - Anna Treyzon - Robyn Emus - Annette Grace - Debbie Bloom - Marilyn Tucker - and professionals Samantha Safir, Leonid Proskurov, and Mark Mendez, who along with Rudy are bringing their students to dance for us.

I also have to say thanks to Kevin Damji at Party Unlimited Rental (www.partyunlimitedrental.com), for courtesy, professionalism, and generally just being easy to work with.  Flexibility is just as important in a vendor as it is in a dancer!

Don't forget we have our regularly-scheduled chapter dance starting at 7:00, and we will have a few more performances for you, including junior superstars Aaron and Rashell.  Join us!

from sport to show: adapting a dance routine

Let's say that you are a competition dancer - a DanceSport Athlete - and your coach is suggesting you take a competition routine and dance it in a showcase.  How might this work?

First, you can throw out some - or all - of the rules.  You do not have to stick to a syllabus, you get to choose your own music, you can choreograph an entrance and exit or a final pose for the cameras.  But you'll want to really understand how your competition routine looks to a spectator before you can start making adaptations.  And:

because a show is much more about you-the-person than a competition, where it is about you-the-ballroom-dancer, you'll get the most out of it if you get involved in the preparation and don't leave everything to your coach.

Here's an example.  If you like your International Rumba routine the best, but you don't know how it "reads" as a show dance, get it on video first and study it.  Important: Don't focus on your execution of the routine right now: look at the shape of it instead.  This is not about judging your dancing, you're just evaluating the routine.

Where is it maybe a little slow, a little static, or a little repetitive?  Could it travel more around the floor?  Remember, you're going to be the only couple out there; you can't assume a slow moment will go unnoticed.  Could you use elements from a different dance to charge things up?  How about throwing in some tango, some cha-cha, or even paso doble?  Where would it make sense to add a trick or a picture line?

Now that you have analyzed the routine, go through your music collection(s).  Tell your coach if you want to use a competition-style Rumba track, or if you want to try something a little more experimental.  Make sure you are clear about just how far outside the lines you want to go.  Treat this experience as a way to elevate your performance level, and not just a place to practice your regular moves.  Let the music dictate where and when you may bring in pieces of different dance styles.

A showcase routine can be longer than a competition routine, for which you usually have 90 seconds of music; for the USA Dance showcase, for example, you can go up to three whole minutes.  Most performers hang out around the 2:00 to 2:15 mark - it's longer than it seems.  The structure of your routine should go something like this.

• entrance - begin moving onto the floor and into position.  Decide whether you want to be in dance position when the music starts, or whether you want to walk on, start with a trick, or start in some kind of a pose.
• setting the mood - begin your dance with 30-40 seconds of choreography that is true to your basic style.  Make sure it fits the music as perfectly as possible; if there are "breaks" or accents in the track (and there should be), plan to strike a pose, hit a check, or otherwise call attention to that musical accent.
• breaking away - after an accent move, change the conversation a little; for the next 30-40 seconds, bring in elements of a different dance, use traveling actions, break out of closed hold, change your dance position - do something that will make people want to continue watching.
• explain it all - come back together with your partner in an amplified expression of the original dance.  This is not a bad place to take 30-40 seconds to repeat a couple of your original moves, but with some variations that intensify the message of the music.
• synthesis - conclude your dance with a combination of moves that do two things: deliver the ending to the story you've been telling; and reinforce the overall theme of the dance style and the music.

There's a lot more to be said about how to prepare a show dance, and you can read the archives here for a few ideas on that.  The main thing to remember is this:

You can deliver an excellent and enjoyable show dance no matter what style you dance, no matter what age you are, no matter what your proficiency level is.  Show dancing is more about connecting with the music and communicating that connection to your audience, than it is about doing things "right."

What is DanceSport?

Oh, I'm so glad you asked!!

DanceSport is the official name for competitive ballroom dancing.  It's the sport regulated by USA Dance, Inc., a national non-profit, which is a member of the U.S. Olympic Committee.

DanceSport isn't yet on the Olympic roster.  It was featured in the opening ceremonies of the Sydney Games, and is a medal sport in the World Games.  In addition, DanceSport has been part of various states' Senior Games, and is regularly featured in the Amateur Athletic Union's Junior Olympics.

DanceSport refers most particularly to amateur competitions within the ballroom dance world.  There are four divisions:

• International Standard - including waltz, foxtrot, quickstep, tango, and Viennese Waltz;
• International Latin - including cha-cha, rumba, samba, jive, and paso doble;
• American Smooth - including waltz, foxtrot, tango, and Viennese Waltz; and
• American Rhythm - including cha-cha, rumba, East Coast Swing, mambo, and bolero.

You can read more about the various divisions, the differences between International and American style dances, and even about what step patterns ("figures") are taught to competitors in the USA Dance rulebook, which can be downloaded for free from the National website at www.usadance.org.

DanceSport also includes two other categories of ballroom dancing: professional competitions, and "pro-am" competitions in which a student dances with a teacher and only the student is judged.  Additionally, the Junior Olympics include events outside the "strictly ballroom," offering competitions for dance styles ranging from hip-hop to ballet.

One major advantage that DanceSport offers to prospective athletes is the syllabus system.  Within DanceSport, there are Bronze, Silver, and Gold syllabi comprising lists of figures.  A couple competing in Bronze can only do Bronze figures; a couple competing in Gold can use figures from all three syllabi.  This means, in practice, that couples can start out in the simplest category and be assured that they will be competing only against other couples of similar proficiency.

The second major advantage of DanceSport is that athletes compete within age divisions.  The Adult Athlete is in the 19-35 age range.   Three Senior divisions follow.  Adult athletes may not compete up into the Senior divisions, though Senior I athletes may compete down into Adult or Senior II athletes down into Senior I.

What this all means is that students can begin competing while they are still learning, and can be assured that they are competing against others at a similar level of training and a similar physical age.  It really helps level the playing field - a DanceSport Athlete couple in the Senior II Bronze division never has to worry that they will be judged against an Adult Championship couple.

This also means that when you watch a Championship event, you are seeing competitors who have trained for years to master forty (or more) figures in each of the dances they do.  An International 10-Dance couple will be doing ten dances (obviously), so they very likely have studied over 400 figures, in addition to learning different choreography for each competition season, studying techniques that are different for each dance, doing challenging workouts in the gym, perhaps taking ballet or Pilates as well as their dance lessons so that they can have the best possible chance of winning.

DanceSport is serious business.  If you'd like to see DanceSport Athletes in action, check out the competition calendar at www.usadancela.org and make plans to attend as a spectator.  You will be amazed - and probably thrilled.

social dance etiquette: what to do with your hands

The best leading and following comes from hand-to-hand tone, visual cues, and the body's movement within the frame, never from pulling or pushing. Control of the frame and individual dance space is largely accomplished through the arms and hands.

Following the guidelines below should help you to be more comfortable as a social dancer.

In closed dance position, the gentleman's right hand should be on the lady's back, with the fingers closed and straight. Place the hand directly below the end of her left shoulder blade, with only your fingers touching her body. The heel of the hand should not contact the lady's side, as it may come too close to the breast for her comfort.

A lady's left hand should be placed comfortably on the outside of the gentleman's shoulder, with the arm floating lightly along his. Give a little tone - light pressure against his shoulder - into that hand to close the frame. Don't drape the full weight of your arm on his; try not to clutch his shoulder.

For smooth or standard dances, a gentleman's left hand should be held at the lady's eye level and both elbows should be kept just in front of the body. In rhythm or latin dances, the frame is more rounded and the left hand may be held higher to keep it in a vertical orientation to the frame. Always support your own arms.

A lady's right hand should not push out against the gentleman's. Give a little tone, but do not force your arm out straight; also do not let your elbow collapse behind your back when he gives you tone in return. Your first duty in following is to hold the frame. Always support your own arms.

When leading a two-handed open pattern, such as swivels, an open check, a developing kick, or the like, the gentleman's hands should be turned palm to palm with the lady's, approximately at the lady's chest level. A lady can give and receive good tone for such patterns this way. Your lead will be more clear and the lady's position better balanced.

When leading a one-handed open pattern, such as a cross-body lead, crossover break, or the like, the gentleman's hands should be underneath the lady's. Try not to lead such patterns by gripping the back of the lady's hand; ladies cannot give good tone by pressing up through the back of their hand.

Ladies, in open patterns, present your hands to the gentleman at waist height, palm-down. His hand should be ready for you, palm up. Do not grab for his hands; it's his job to connect with you, your job to be in position and ready.

Arm stylings for social dancing should always be kept within the dance space defined by the partnership.  That is, do not throw your arms out to the sides or back behind you; go up, rather than out.  Keep all your actions inside your own space.

A shadow position, for social dancing, requires the gentleman's right hand on the lady's back.  The best hand positions are: on the back of the lady's right shoulder; on the back of her right ribs; or on the outside of her right hip, at the crest of the hip bone.  (Picture her pelvis as a clock; your hand should be between four and five o'clock.  Don't grab her by the front of the hip, and don't put your hand on her derriere!)  The reason you are in shadow is to move her forward in front of you, so place your hand where you can best control her forward movement and communicate your own action.

Ladies, in a shadow position you must be very attentive to not collapsing your left arm.  Your partner is going to try to give you direction, speed, and turn cues; if your arm is a wet noodle, he's got nothing to work with.  Keep your left elbow in front of your left ribs and your back into his right hand.

Gentlemen should not, generally speaking, touch a lady on the front of the torso.  There are no ballroom or latin social leads which require this.  If you know a particular partner well and you have danced together often, use your own judgement; but never assume this is okay when you are with a new partner.  Leads that are common in salsa and West Coast Swing can be alarming to a ballroom follower.  Try to use only her hands and her forearms to generate the movement you want - and remember, if you are not moving your own body intelligibly, no amount of pulling or pushing will help you.

social dance etiquette: basic appreciation

One of my very least favorite things about the social dance world is that a lot of people seem to take the dance organizers very much for granted.  I have heard so many complaints over the years!

Sometimes it's complaints about the weather, or the traffic, or the parking - like the organizers could control that.  Sometimes it's complaints about the food that's provided (or not) - like the organizers have some kind of duty to feed you as well as providing a place for you to dance.  (Hint: unless a venue has a restaurant, it's perfectly okay to bring your own snacks.)  Sometimes it's complaints about the dance that's being taught; or about the performers; or about the lack of partners; or about the music that's played; or that it's too hot/cold in the venue.

But here's the deal, folks: there is always going to be something to complain about, if what you want to do is complain. If what you want is to have a good time, you need to appreciate what you're being given - on its own terms.

If someone is providing you with a place to dance, here is what they are responsible for:

• scheduling the rental, or blocking out the time
• arranging the venue rental rate and paying the owner (if not a studio)
• securing insurance (if not a studio)
• getting a DJ (or, in some cases, a band)
• setting up seating (and, in some cases, tables)
• setting up basic snacks/beverages (almost everywhere)
• getting an instructor to provide a lesson (almost everywhere)
• keeping the restroom(s) clean and stocked (everywhere)
• getting helpers to take your money, make change, and set up promotional items they receive from instructors, studios, or other event organizers (everywhere)


In 99.9 percent of cases, the people who organize your social dances do not make ANY money from them. 

If the social dances you attend are in a studio, you need to recognize that the time it takes to put on that dance is time that could more profitably be spent filling the studio with private lessons.  The studio owner/manager is giving away that time so that you have a place to practice, meet your friends, make new friends, and otherwise build your skills and your community.

If the social dances you attend are NOT in a studio, you need to recognize that the people setting up the dance are giving away their time and putting up their own money in order to give you a place to dance.  And these people probably do not make their living from dance, so they get no professional benefit from helping you build your skills and your community.

I guarantee you, wherever it is that you usually dance, putting on that dance event costs more in absolute terms than the organizers ever see in return.  USA Dance makes a "profit" on its social dances only because almost everyone working on the dances is a volunteer.  If they had to pay all the people who help set up, man the front desk, and help break down/clean up?  Forget it! ...  Studios also get volunteers to man the desk, to teach, to help set up and clean up.  Ballroom by the Bay is 100% volunteer and everything provided comes out of the organizers' own pocket.

In short: a good social dancer is one who appreciates the gift of a nice, safe place to dance.