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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!

fundraiser for High Desert! January 8

In addition to my series at Ballroom by the Bay, I'll be participating in a "boot camp" fundraiser for the High Desert Dance Classic and Dancing Feet (a program that brings ballroom dance instruction to 5th through 8th grade classrooms throughout the Antelope Valley, and now in Los Angeles!). Attached is a flyer! Download HDDC_Fundraiser_2012

$30 for three hours of instruction - hard to beat, even if it's a little ways out of town.

variations on a Foxtrot theme

Last night at Ballroom by the Bay we covered three variations of a combination using the twinkle and twist in Foxtrot. As I mentioned not long ago, the twinkle is a foundation element in ballroom dancing, and perhaps especially in Foxtrot - where it can be forward, back, open, closed, linked, alternating, or parallel.

It is well suited to the "slow-quick-quick" timing of advanced foxtrot and is a great tool for changing alignment or dance position - usually both. In this series, we are using the twinkle to change alignment from diagonal wall to diagonal center and back to line of dance.

The three variations we explored were:

1. twinkle and twist to open left box;
2. twinkle and twist to forward chassé into back twinkle;
3. twinkle and twist to 8-count grapevine. And, just for fun, we added a check at the end of the grapevine for the leader to give the lady a chance to do a styling. We'll play around some more with that next week!

The keys and essentials to the twinkle and twist, from the leader's side, are:

• begin diagonal wall, use the twinkle to change from closed position to promenade position*; and
• check through on the inside (right) foot and hold foot position, turning the frame to the left to lead the lady forward around you;
• then finish with a slight compression of the frame to change the lady from her promenade walk position back to closed position.

This sets the partners up with the leader facing diagonal center, and ready to move to the right down the line of dance. Which all of the above variations conveniently do.

The foot positions for the open left box, from the leader's side, are:

1. step one is straight forward on the left foot;
2. step two is to the side and slightly forward on the right foot;
3. step three is back on the left foot;
4. step four is back on the right foot;
5. step five is to the side and slightly forward on the left foot;
6. step six is forward in contra-body position on the right foot.

The keys and essentials of this figure are: the figure turns to the left between steps 1-3 and between steps 4-6.

That is, step 1 is directly forward but the frame begins to turn at the end of step 1. The entire apparatus turns on step 2 and the turn is complete at the beginning of step 3.

Then, step 4 is directly back, but the frame begins to turn at the end of step 4. The entire apparatus turns on step 5 and the turn is complete at the beginning of step 6.

Turning the frame continuously even when the feet have been placed helps ensure the smooth movement that is characteristic of good foxtrot.

Another key to the success of this figure is that step 2 must go slightly forward, and not simply to the side, in order to cross the follower's line of movement and bring her into closed position on the new line. The leader is on the outside of the turn, so he has to go around the lady.

Likewise, step 5 is slightly forward, and not directly to the side, to change the direction of movement from straight down the line to diagonally toward the wall. The leader is now on the inside of the turn, but he does not want the lady to go all the way around him; he wants her to come only so far around as to stay in position at his right shoulder. Moving into step 5 on the diagonal also assists the leader in completing step 6 in an outside partner, or contra-body, position. Furthermore, step 5 must be relatively small or the lady will be left behind.

The open left box is the most technically difficult, for the leader, of these variations. However, when it's mastered it becomes an extremely useful figure that travels well, is easy to follow, and works in nearly all ballroom dances up to and including samba and tango.

*A final note: it's important for leaders to understand that in leading to promenade position, the leader's frame does not change. What changes is the relationship of the frame - the rib cage, shoulders and arms - to the hips and feet.

In leading to promenade, gentlemen, what you are trying to achieve is changing the lady's position so that instead of traveling backward while facing you, she is traveling forward in the same direction as you - while still maintaining a beautiful, closed ballroom hold. So don't think about promenade as something you do. Think of it as something the lady does.

twinkles and grapevines

No, I'm not discussing holiday decor today. I am discussing FOXTROT. I am teaching a series at Ballroom by the Bay, and twinkles and grapevines will comprise a substantial part of my curriculum. Why, you ask? Because they are important and useful figures.

So. What is a twinkle? A twinkle is a figure involving:

• a first step forward (or back);
• a second step to the side; and
• a third step, either closing the feet or (more advanced) brushing through closed to forward, diagonally forward, side and slightly forward, or forward and slightly side.

Well that was simple, now wasn't it??

Clearly not. There are a lot of options there, and things get even more complicated when you add the upper body (and the partner) to the mix.

What is the purpose of a twinkle? It is to A) change the alignment; and/or B) change the dance position. Usually it is BOTH. Alignment refers to the direction of movement, from the leader's perspective.

A basic twinkle begins with the partners in closed position, leader facing diagonally toward the nearest wall and preparing to move down the line of dance. The first three steps (in foxtrot, this is in S-Q-Q timing) will end with the partners both facing down the line of dance in promenade position. The next three steps are a step through in promenade, a step to the side, and closing the feet; the partners end back in closed position but now squarely facing wall.

There are several important changes that occur during the basic twinkle. The lead to promenade happens between steps 2 and 3; this is a change of dance position. Step 4, coming through in promenade, stays in that position, but between steps 4 and 5 comes the lead to closed position. Then there are the changes in alignment. The basic twinkle begins diagonal wall, goes into promenade facing line of dance, and finishes facing wall. Understanding the differences between the positions and the alignments is a big benefit for the social dancer.

Why is it called a twinkle? It's a mystery.

The grapevine, however, is a little easier to account for. The grapevine is a pattern in which the dancers' feet move side - across forward - side - across back. Generally this is done with the partners' feet parallel: that is, if the leader's foot is coming across forward, the follower's foot is going across back. The result is a light, floating action with a distinct weaving quality suggesting a twining vine.

In foxtrot, all grapevine steps are "quick." The grapevine is usually done in four or eight steps to stay on phrase with the music. Advanced dancers can split a measure and do six steps of grapevine to transition into a different figure, but I don't recommend splitting measures in the social dancing context; it's hard to follow.

Grapevine actions are used in all ballroom dances, from jive and samba to tango and waltz. There's a variation I'd call an "in and out" grapevine, in which partners go across forward or across back at the same time. This allows their shoulders to open away from each other, whereas in the parallel grapevine, the shoulders stay parallel.

Because of this, an "in and out" grapevine is commonly done in a double hand hold, or alternating hands, rather than in closed dance position. The parallel grapevine can be done in closed position. "In and out" is a more difficult grapevine to execute because partners tend 1) to bend in toward each other and 2) to go pigeon-toed.* They also tend to open too far away from each other and lose connection.

This series will be a real test of my ability to convey the essentials without preaching technique too much. The fact is, most social dancers do twinkles incorrectly. I always want to fix things, but ultimately I'll be happy if the series ends with our dancers doing their twinkles a little less incorrectly. We'll see!

 

*In the smooth dances, the dancers' feet should be substantially parallel rather than turned out; however, the feet should never turn IN except when taking a backward step that is commencing to turn.

the brutal body mechanics of tango

I've had a stiff neck for the last two weeks.

Mr. P and I are working on competition choreography for a planned outing to the February 4 Southwest Regional Championships. We're intending to compete in American Smooth at the Gold & Novice Level, so we're preparing a waltz, foxtrot, tango, and Viennese waltz.

Just to complicate matters, we're performing ... tomorrow ... in a chapter Outreach at the V.A. This means we have been putting extra work into our tango for the show.

Here is what is brutal about tango - just from the follower's (e.g. my) point of view:

• The left side is not only lifted as in the other smooth dances, it's slightly curved around the leader's right side
• The entire upper body is slightly off plane, rotated to the right to maintain the tango's contra body dance position
• The legs are compressed throughout the dance, with knees slightly soft and with an inward energy at all times (think keeping the thighs together while the feet still have to have space between them for the leader's foot to come through)
• The poise of the head is strongly left and up
• The rib cage is strongly lifted, with the lower sternum connected to the leader's right chest and the T-spine moving away from the leader
• The left elbow is lifted and the left hand lowered to behind the leader's shoulder, connecting at the base of the thumb with the bottom of the leader's arm
• The right elbow is draped without apparent tension, but still strongly connected from the palm through the right shoulder blade, which in turn is strongly connected to the lumbar spine

In practice, what all this means is that the body is always a little bit twisted, and because the arms are in different orientations the shoulders are unevenly absorbing a lot of forces. The lower ribs and the upper pelvis are connected to the leader, which means in order to open the top line the entire rib cage is lifted up and out, with all the head weight carried back, behind the ... well, behind the hindquarters.

It is a serious physical effort to do all this with even a small degree of correctness. Which is why most "social" tango displays none of these characteristics. It's hard work.

Just to add to the challenge, tango is fast; it has a lot of timing changes; and it has a lot of rotation. No wonder my IT bands were so tight this morning that both knees were whimpering.

We suffer for our art!

DWTS 13: the finals, part I

I refer you to Kim at TelevisionWithoutPity for a recap; she and I have had a mind-meld, or something, because I find myself just nodding along going "yup ... yup ... so right!"

What I'd like to add is this. I understand that competitors want to bring something new and fresh to the mirrorball universe, BUT. I have two real problems with lifts and tricks that are working their way into the ballroom from the worlds of salsa and Lindy Hop. Those problems are, first: these tricks are really, seriously dangerous; and second; most of them are really, seriously ugly.

Salsa - and I speak here of the extreme salsa practiced in competitions, not social salsa - is producing some moves that are grimy, skanky, Coyote Ugly pole-dancing rubbish. And Lindy Hop (also as practiced in competition, up to and including the World Rock & Roll championships) is famous for moves that are best performed in sneakers - not ballroom shoes. I don't, frankly, want either of these in my ballroom.

DWTS is still, after all, nominally about ballroom dancing. And one of the things ballroom aficionados love about it is that even in the sexy dances - and they are sexy! - there is still an attempt to maintain a veneer of elegance.

I may be showing my age here, or it just may be that I am a ballroom girl through and through, but I don't find the extreme tricks appealing in any way. As a ballroom booster, I don't want the general public to think that's what we do.

And I don't think it's a great thing, on a family show, to demonstrate moves like that jump-on-her-face trick. I don't want kids who are interested in dance to see something like that and think it's a great idea. It's a terrible idea! And it looks awful!

Look, I love J.R. and I have enormous respect for Karina, but I frankly liked Rob's freestyle a lot better. There was more partner dancing in it and the tricks were consistent with ballroom dancing.

J.R. owned the rumba and samba ... a routine based on those could have been great, with plenty of Latin action and plenty of room for tricks ... and maybe even a built-in reference to his military experience to work those voters.

I don't necessarily agree that the show is won by the best freestyle. But I sure hope J.R. doesn't lose it because of his.

 

Updated to add: well, that's a relief!

Also, sharing Kim's commentary:

"... I've got a complaint to register about this season. The camerawork, or rather the shots that the producers choose. More than I've ever noticed before, the producer chooses to vary the shots a lot during the routines. The problem is that the person choosing the shots doesn't seem to know much about dancing, so they will cut away from their feet right at an important footwork part or cut away from a full body shot during a part where a full body shot is important. I've never noticed it before this season so I have to assume there's a new producer or something. It sucks. Stop doing that. I'll be watching a routine and just about to figure out why, for example, Rob's steps look weird and they'll cut to a shot of just his face. STOP THAT! Thank you."

Yes. What she said. Anyone who does not know how important full-body, uninterrupted camera frames are to the proper communication of a televised or filmed dance routine should immediately go and watch five or six Fred Astaire movies. Well, you should anyway, but just imagine what those would look like if the cameras were cutting all over the place. Would he have been a superstar? I don't think so.

link of the week: the fluent self

http://www.fluentself.com/blog/biggification/we-interrupt-our-scheduled-programming/

This post is not about ballroom dancing, so why am I tagging it to the Strictly Ballroom file?

Because when I read it, I thought about group classes. I thought about how transformative the experience can be of learning something new at the same time as a bunch of other people.

And also how inspiring it can be to watch the lightbulb go on for someone else. Because, you know, we all learn at a different pace and in our own unique way.

Some of us get certain things really quickly and some of us don't. Some of us need to repeat material again and again before that switch flips. When you do this in a private-lesson format (or especially, by trial and error alone in your living room) not only do you not get the benefit of watching other people learn: you probably end up hitting the same problems over and over again because you just don't know where you are tripping up.

A private lesson is, I'd say, the BEST way to do these things:

• learn a set of new basic figures;
• identify your specific technical challenges;
• assemble choreography; and
• work on aspects of performance.

But a group lesson is, I'd say, the BEST way to do these other things:

• learn a social combination;
• learn lead and follow;
• learn by example - listening and watch as others learn; and of course
• learn what's fun about dancing.

Private lessons, whether for basics or a wedding dance or for competition, are WORK. You may have revelations, but they are often the sort that are pulled out of you by force.

Group classes, on the other hand, can set you down in the middle of that buzzy force field Havi is talking about, as at some point the entire group gets it and all of a sudden you are all dancing together and it is awesome.

DWTS 13: not completely unexpected

Last night's semifinal performances went about as I would have predicted, with the exception of J.R.'s. On the one hand, the sprain can't be too severe or he wouldn't be able to dance at all. On the other, just because a sprain doesn't fully compromise joint stability doesn't mean it isn't painful as hell. As we could all pretty clearly see. His tango was still awfully good, but the injury definitely showed up in his paso and cha-cha.

The good thing is that he should be feeling much better by next week (at least if it's just the ankle, and not also his back as some of his action suggests), and I have no doubt that he will be in the final. There is no way the world is going to put Hope ahead of him. Right, world??

I had the cha-cha relay results pegged. And I identified two things that bug me about Ricki's dancing. One - which Kim at TVWoPity also noted - the closed-mouth smile and lifted chin, which do not exactly convey "fun!" And two - her legs are super tight! I mean, you could drive a Big Wheel between Hope's legs at any given moment, but Ricki's are the opposite extreme. There is not room for a dime between those shapely thighs.

I would have loved to be a fly on the wall for that Skype session with Denise Wall. Wonder what the tips were re: keeping the shoulders down? The tendency in novice dancers is to lift the frame from above - which naturally brings the shoulders up and constricts the neck and chest - exactly the wrong way to achieve an open, outwardly-poised posture that is still accessible to strong connection with a partner. The way I learned to do it was to support the frame from below, using the muscles of the mid-back. It's a great technique that every dancer should work on.

Things I liked (overall) about this episode: I liked having all contestants do an Argentine Tango on the same night. And I liked the cha-cha relay concept. I think it's helpful to the audience to see everyone do things in parallel. Even though we have leaders and followers among the contestants, putting them side by side does let a person see how an amateur leader stacks up to a pro, as well as to his competitor - and obviously, the same goes for the followers.

Things I didn't like: more excessive costuming and props. A float?! Really? And the whole Zorro hat/mask thing for J.R. didn't work for me. I love that music and I know his performance would have been completely different if an injury weren't in play, but the costume was too much.

Random note: If I were Cheryl, I would be encouraging Rob to take a crack at genuine pro-am competition. He's really got potential as a dancer and since he hasn't yet settled on a path in life, why not do something that is mentally and physically challenging, that he has demonstrated an aptitude for, that would take him out of the estrogenated hothouse that apparently is his family life, and that would give him a path to achievement in a field that actually takes talent and hard work. Unlike being filmed while shopping. Meow.

Updated to add (this is stolen directly from Kim at www.televisionwithoutpity.com ):

"So now it's down to JR and Karina or Hope and Maks. If Hope and Maks make it to the finals, I am going to riot. Seriously, call 911 because I am going to Occupy My Living Room. It will be tent city up in here. Ain't no court orders going to evict me. Get to it, Bergeron. My blood pressure is rising."

I know a lot of people who felt this way ... including me. Let's bring back Tristan and that Australian guy, shall we? and have season 14 without Mark or Maks? Srsly.

see the REAL stars of dance

The competition season is in full swing. Thanks to the popularity of "Dancing with the Stars" and other dance-related entertainment, participation in professional and amateur DanceSport events has surged. Some of this year's big competitions were the biggest they have ever been.

I am a competitor. I think DanceSport is a great sport for all ages. I appreciate that there are so many different ways we can experience DanceSport! From the Junior Olympics, to the Special Olympics, to the Senior Olympics, to the World Games - competitive ballroom dancing is the real deal, with thousands of active competitors worldwide in amateur/amateur, pro/am, and professional events.

Mr. P and I haven't been to a big competition for a while. We're going to fix that at the end of the month by attending the California Star Ball, where we can see not only our peers (amateur couples) but professional couples competing in our styles, American Smooth and Rhythm.

If anyone who stumbles across this is a fan of "Dancing with the Stars" and wants to see what REAL competitive dancing is like, I recommend attending an event like this. You can find a calendar of professional-oriented competitions at NDCA, and a calendar of amateur-oriented competitions at USA Dance (links at right). There is something going on almost every weekend, somewhere in the country - meaning that within any given two-month period, there is bound to be something in your area.

For me, attending a competition serves at least three purposes:

• It revs me back up, because I am so jealous of the dancers out there competing when I'm not;
• It educates me, about what's now current on the competitive dance floor; and
• it inspires me, because I'll see things I never expected, things that are new, things I can steal and take home and play with - and I don't mean the sparkly things in the vendors' gallery.

I mean, of course, the arm styling or the transition or the pose or the trick that I've never seen before or that I saw once and forgot or that I always meant to try. Viewing a competitive event is an education, and when you can combine great entertainment with education ... why wouldn't you?

DWTS 13: week 8, imperfection rewarded

I'm only going to write about one competitor this week.

It is, of course, next to impossible that a non-professional dancer will turn out a performance that is technically, objectively perfect. Two important things to remember about that:

NO performance is perfect (any non-delusional dancer will attest to this); and: perfection is subjective. In the context of DWTS, J.R. Martinez fully deserved his two perfect scores last night.

If, in my J.R.-loving heart of hearts, I thought "they gave him extra points on the jive to make up for underscoring him the first time he did it" that is perhaps just my jaundiced view of the nature of the show coloring my reaction. And I'll make a point of emphasizing that J.R. is my favorite contestant and I want him to win and I will happily cheer every extra point he has gotten, if he ends up with that mirrorball.

What would make a jive perfect?

• Foot speed
• clean foot placement (no shuffling)
• high knee action
• plenty of bounce through the feet and legs
• pointed (and turned-out) toes
• elevated kicks and flicks
• upright and still body posture
• fast and clean arm actions ending in well-defined lines
• excellent rhythm and clean syncopations

So, how much of this (objectively) did J.R. display? Not all of it. But we don't really care, do we? Was it the best jive of the night? Well, of course.

Let's take a teaching moment and relate the jive to the quickstep. What would make a quickstep perfect? A lot of the same things, but look for the differences:

• Foot speed
• clean foot placement (no shuffling)
• smooth action (achieved by moving through the entire sole of the foot to maintain connection to the floor)
• complete absence of bounce except in Charleston elements
• pointed toes in extension, kicks, or flicks
• upright and still body posture
• smooth arm actions ending in well-defined lines
• a frame that appears to float and that lifts from the ribcage
• excellent rhythm and clean syncopations
• body shaping to change direction

And there you have it. Or not. Because one, after all, is an International Standard dance and the other is an International Latin dance. And there are a LOT of other differences between them, as well. Most obviously, the Quickstep travels around the floor much more than the Jive, and most of it is done in a closed dance hold.

You might think that it would be easier to learn a jive and a quickstep in the same week, versus a jive and a slow waltz, because so many elements are the same. I think the reverse: the closer two dance forms are, the more difficult it can be to define their differences. And the differences are what make each dance distinct. Just ask anyone who knows the differences between salsa and mambo.

So J.R. had an advantage in that his rehearsed dance was a waltz. And what was good about his waltz? Just about everything. He's probably received about 20,000 Internet marriage proposals during the season, and a bunch of those proposers will probably be perma-linking the YouTube video of that waltz, imagining they can learn it for the wedding.

What I particularly liked about it was Karina's use of syncopations and position changes. That was some inventive choreography by a person who knows that slow waltz can be a bit of a snooze in the show-dance context. This waltz, my friends, was no snooze.

And I'll tell you one more thing: the fact that we could see and notice the syncopations and position changes was due to J.R.'s quality of movement. If he were just walking through it, like some other competitors would have, even if every step were "correct" would it have been so thrilling? Of course not. That's technique. The guy has talent, but he's using technique to make these dances look good.

Technique is what we learn about dancing; talent is just what we bring to it. You don't make a champion - even on DWTS - without both.