Online Dance Trends Newsletter

PART 2
Wow, what a month! The first part of January I had the opportunity to officiate at a USA dance event in Daytona Beach, Florida. It was a total treat to sneak away from the cold, cloudy, snowy days of the new year and feel the warmth of the sun again!

So much has happened in this one month that I feel compelled to write several "mini articles" in this issue of "Trends" to bring you all up to date and, of course, to share my ever-so-humble opinion on some of the issues facing our industry now and in the future.

I enjoyed all of the comments and letters received from the last issue regarding the similarities and differences between Dancesport and Ice Dance. My thought was that skating has an advantage over us because they have trained the viewers; teaching us specific, required elements that we can watch and expect to see. One reader wrote in (See article from reader below) that the main difference was the ice. When a skater makes a mistake they are falling on a hard, icy surface which makes that part of the exciting factor for the viewers. I couldn't agree more, which is why, in our own sport, the Theatre Arts category can be one of our most thrilling events. It's a long way down for the woman when she is in a full back bend extension over the man's head rotating at a very fast speed. Many readers felt that there should be basic elements required in professional events so the judges could compare. Another reader brought up a good point that the judges are already aware that the couples are doing these elements (which is true) but I personally still don't think the judge's knowledge of the patterns is enough to stimulate or satisfy a spectator. So should these required elements include some difficult maneuvers that have a higher degree of difficulty or should it just be about demonstrating basic figures for the dance? Why not add a pot-stir where the lady is required to spin on one leg for a certain number of turns or maybe a shot drop from a double telespin? There are many difficult moves that could be created without having to do a lift in the air. Each couple would have to be able to demonstrate these moves within their routine. The viewers would start to become familiar with the required patterns and would feel more a part of the event. It's always more fun to watch an event if you have some idea of what someone is going to do and if they are going to nail that move to solidify their placement. It adds to the possibility that "anything can happen" on that particular night.

ADAM & EVE or... ADAM & STEVE!

While working at the Dance USA event in Daytona an interesting question was presented to the judges. One of the categories at the event was a same sex event. Several couples entered the event in different dances and were allowed to compete against opposite sex partnerships. At these events, there is a small block of time for the competitors and judges to have a question and answer session. The competitors like it because it gives them an opportunity to ask the judges specific questions regarding their likes and dislikes. One of the questions was "do the judges have a problem with judging same sex competitions and what is their overall thought on this?"

Here is my opinion: Picture it, New York, 1964. You're at the theatre watching the production of "West Side Story." Tony is yelling up to Maria's apartment window for her to come out so he can sing a duet with her (I think it was "Tonight") All of a sudden out on the balcony comes Bernardo, Maria's brother. Tony thinks...Oh what the heck and starts his swooning. Bernardo swoons back and pretty soon they are breaking the news to Maria and off they go to open a night club in Manhattan. And that, my friends, is how Disco was born! But, as I am watching this I am thinking WAIT A MINUTE! I came to see a love story between a man and a woman, a soprano and a baritone, not a couple of tenors!

Now wait, I know your saying "Hey, Dinosaur Dan, this is 2006 buddy not 1964 and if two people of the same sex want to dance together, why not?" I do believe that ballroom dancing (a visual art) is most effective when there is feminine/masculine team. How many times have we heard that when you ballroom dance, "The lady is the picture and the man is the frame?" This is true, true true! So, here is my point: If you choose to do the ladies part in ballroom dancing, you need to dress, look and be the lady and if you are going to dance the man's part you must dress, look and be the man. That is how the two parts were designed and, in my opinion, that is what looks best. Our sexual preferences and lifestyles off the floor should be of no concern to anyone. On the floor, we need to see the feminine/masculine role, female/male, leader/follower, however you want to say. What bothered me was that several of the couples danced in more of a joking way and, to me, that is disrespectful of our sport and of same sex couples who truly want to enjoy ballroom dancing.

Ballroom Boot Camp gets the boot!

Despite the good ratings and rising popularity of ballroom dancing, "Ballroom Boot Camp" will not be back for a second season. Personally, I am bummed. I liked this show. Granted, it did not have the highest quality of dancing and experienced teachers and students can easily be critical of some of the teaching techniques introduced on the show. I mean, I guess maybe every now and then I wanted to throw a shoe at my student but would I actually do it?! It made for great TV. That, to me, was a small part of what the show was all about. I enjoyed watching your average Joe and Jane learning and appreciating all of the benefits of learning ballroom dancing. Sometimes we forget what we have gotten from learning how to dance. Was it a career? Better physical condition? Improved social life? Whatever it is, this is what I think Ballroom Bootcamp brought to the table. To be honest, the only thing I didn't like about Ballroom Bootcamp was that UGLY TROPHY! Becky (the wife) had a fit every time she saw it. What were they thinking? How could such a beautiful sport award such an ugly trophy? If you would like to write the Learning Channel to voice your opinion here is where to go...
This link is to TLC Viewer Relations. http://extweb.discovery.com/ViewerRelations.

CREATING THE WORLD PRO/AM
Organizing and creating a World Pro/Am event was one of the major topics of discussion at the NDCA meeting held in Miami in January. It is pretty much the consensus, when talking to most professionals in the business, that we need to run this. With the interest in Pro/Am starting to take hold in other countries (who at one time felt they were above such practice), we need to own it and run it because this is about as American as you can get. Pro/Am started in the U.S. and has been brought to a high level thanks to coaches and teachers who, over the years, took a lot of pride in this particular division. So, the question is not should we run a World Pro/Am, the questions are: Where should it be held? When should it be held? Who should run it? These are some big questions and not all that easy to answer!

1.) Similar to the Olympics, an organizer can bid for the right to host the World Pro/Am at their event. This idea has a lot of possibility, the first being that the NDCA does not have to create a new event with a new date in an already saturated market of competitions. The big question here is, how much is an organizer willing to spend to host the event? Would the organizer simply rename already existing events or would he/she invest in making these events their own really big deal?

2.) Any organizer would have the opportunity to buy a part of the World Pro/Am event which would be held as an event on it's own. Not a bad idea either but once again, we have to establish how much the shares are worth and where and when the event will be held.

What about giving the opportunity for every professional NDCA member/registrant (or whatever they call us) to invest in and own a part of the World Pro/Am? With the moratorium being placed on competitions, this would allow professionals who are not currently organizers to become a part of what has the potential of becoming a world renowned event. I think the more people that are included in this venture, the better. A committee comprised of a mix of people (pro/am teachers, organizers, judges, coaches, vendors...) from our industry would be helpful too. I think it would be a travesty for the benefit of this to fall to only a group of wealthy or well connected persons. An even bigger mistake would be for the NDCA to sell the rights of this event to a private individual who could own it simply because they can afford it. I hope the NDCA doesn't rush into any quick decisions on this matter. It's way too important and it is a great opportunity for all of us to feel like we are part of something big!

NEXT COLUMN: Are those real or fake? No, it's not what you think! We're talking about the results from dancing with the stars and if maybe we are sending the TV viewers the wrong message!

►Hi Dan! Another interesting column this month!

I like your idea of required elements for the pros, but I am wondering how you propose they would be
worked into the competitive event. If they are meant to be part of the regular group event, that
won't work at all because there's no way the judges can watch everyone to make sure their elements are even executed, let alone how they are executed. I'm guessing you are thinking they should be part of the "dance on" solos that are done during the finals of events. That makes a lot more sense, although the dance ons haven't always been judged in the past. Working with that doesn't seem like it would be much of a logistics problem.

Still, I don't think required elements are the actual key ingredient in the dancesport versus figure skating question. The key ingredient is the ice! Everyone knows how slippery ice is to walk on, let alone skate on, and let's not even talk about trying to skate backwards. Jumps and spins? Incomprehensible. Ice is cold, hard, slippery, and dangerous. Skaters wear sharp blades that can hurt themselves or their partner. These ever-present "danger" factors really help to grab and hold people's interest. The adrenaline rush that makes you "root" for someone partly comes from knowing that at any second they could make a huge mistake. That is just not present in competitive ballroom dancing. No one looks like they are risking bodily harm by simply stepping on to the competition floor.

So, without ice, we need something else. See, for ages the only competitions people saw on TV were
by elite-level IDSF-elegible (I refuse to use the word "amateur," because they're not any more at
that point, but that's another topic) dancers and the top professionals. These people don't make mistakes that the average social dancer, not to mention non-dancer, can see, so the whole thing comes across as looking easy. It also comes across as something of a beauty contest, because the only thing people who aren't clued in to the nuances of high-level dancing see are the competitor's
costumes and grooming. Fortunately, shows like "Ballroom Boot Camp" and "Dancing With the Stars" are showing something else: how difficult the training really is and that there are intermediate stages between not knowing how to dance at all and dancing like a top champion. I've run into so many people who have no idea that there are amateur competitive dancers, that people of all ages
and abilities can compete for fun and enjoyment! They really only thought it was something that only
professionals did, and other than to appreciate their beauty people couldn't relate. Now that people know that competition is more accessible, then they can look at a lower-level competition and actually see people mess up, or bump into each other, or trip, or go off time, or get stuck in a corner, and so on. It's a little more interesting to the average person.

Figure skating on US TV has done a lot to educate the viewers about what is going on. You'll see little features during the broadcast that explains what makes a lutz different from a flip, and what it means when a spin "travels" and why that is bad, and how required lifts work, and so on. They also have commentators, especially the fabulous Mr. Dick Button, who tell people why something is well done or when something is done poorly. They have instant replay, too, that shows the good and the bad. Ballroom Boot Camp and Dancing with the Stars do these things a tiny bit, I hope that when
the Ohio Star Ball comes back to TV that this is expanded upon. If people know what they are looking at and what makes something good or bad, they'll get more out of watching the competition and will have the fun of picking their own winners. Keep up the good work!

Laura La Gassa
San Francisco
Dan Writes Back:
You bring up several very good points. Thanks for a great letter!

►Hi Dan: Well, I watched Dancing With The Stars for the first time ever tonight. There are questions I must pose. Does this show and others like it give a false hope to dancers and those aspiring to be dancers? The routines that were on the show were considered open material, some Silver and Gold. They only practiced for several days for the routines - what - several days for someone to learn routines like I saw on TV for people who have not danced before? What happens when someone new walks into a studio wanting to do what they saw on TV, only to find out it will take their teacher at least six months to a year just to get them through some of the Bronze patterns?

So, do you mean to tell me that teachers are going to start teaching their students and those coming in open routines like that in several days? Do you mean to tell me that if I went to Tony Dovolani's studio on February 20th and told him to teach me the Tango routine he did on TV that he would do that and enter me into the Indiana Challenge on February 27th? Is it really that simple? If so, then why haven't teachers been teaching like that all along? Why has it taken teachers years to teach their students something that can be learned in several days? Either what I saw on TV was a lie or what we've been sold as students is a lie. Which is it? Or, is it a combination of both?

I would really like to know teachers' thoughts on this one. Could you put this in your next article?

Have a great day!/ Faye

Dan Writes Back:
Faye, I'll do one better and make this the next article. I am going to hold off on my comments and let some of the other Professionals respond. OK Teachers! Let's here what you have to say!

►Dan, Very good issue. I forwarded it to a lot of people. Why isn't Charlotta back on Dancing With The Stars? (Inquiring minds want to know!)

Dan Writes Back:
Well, I think it's called "Riding the Wave"! John Ohearly and Charlotta Jorgenson are currently making and have for sale, dance instruction videos!

►Dan, How does a person or celebrity get on the show? What do you think of Len Goodman's comments about Waltz?? Should someone explain to him the American Style Ballroom?? Or should the contestants put an element of closed Standard in their routines?
Dan Writes Back:

I believe that auditions were held for the selection of professionals and the judges. Why a director chooses a certain person over another to be on the show, I simply can't answer. Yes as dancers we can question what the three judges have for qualifications for this particular style of dance. I don't think anyone needs to explain to Len Goodman what American Style is because the show is pretty much allowing the Pro's to voice their opinions to the judges! Maybe that is why these judges were selected. Can you imagine having to stand in front of a judge that you know you will be competing in front of throughout the year! I don't know if the comments between the Dancing with the stars judges and the Pro dancers would have the same free flowing comments that adds interest to the show!

►Dan, Check out this movie trailer....looks very cool. Especially with Antonio Banderas as the ballroom teacher. It's now got a release date for April. http://www.theleadmovie.com

~ George Hamilton (Movie Star) commenting on the first outfit they gave him to wear on “Dancing with the Stars”. ~

Here's The Question:
Should we have same sex competitions at our NDCA events?

The Last Survey's Results

The question was: Should we have required elements in our Professional events?

► It's the only way people will be able to follow ballroom dancing

►It's like playground basketball vs. pro basketball, social ballroom dancing vs. ballroom competition. Required elements in pro divisions are needed to identify the levels of skill difficulties and to demand competency from the dancers. Since dance is art, there should be a score range for artistic presentation too. Kim, Walnut/California

►I believe that ballroom dance should have both required elements and free dance in professional competitions. Even in many amateur competitions, some closed entries are required before the open entries are allowed.
T Barnum, Milwaukee

►Professional Basics!

►YES!!!!!! I will always remember the first time I ever saw a professional competion - it was Ohio Star Ball. I could not recognize one single pattern, it seemed that the dancers went from line to line with no connecting step. I always watch the professional basic competions. I canrelate to those, and appreciate the expertise. Time is a factor in planning these events - but they are great.

►I've always found scoring confusing. It's all so subjective. I think adding elements would add something more concrete and valid to scoring. It would take away some of the real or perceived politics from competitions. Personally I would not only have required elements for the professional division. I think it would help in Pro/Am competitions also.

►This will add to the education and appreciation to Dancesport. So they can see it not just bunch of steps that we put on the floor to figure out!!!

►I think it gives the general public at least a way of understanding what is being judged. Also a truer picture of the skill of the dancer is more apparent than all of the "tricks". Years ago I saw Sammy Stopford and his Partner (??Shirley) win at Blackpool in Rumba with just basics. I have since witnessed this with a top couple in the US (English Couple). It is worth consideration if one is to connect with the general public. So much of the Latin is at times a bit out of hand.
W. Falmouth, MA

►I think there is so much "choreography" nowadays in the professional competitions, that it is sometimes hard to see any elements of the original dance. Required elements would make it a more level playing field. If everyone had to do the same figures, then there would be objective criteria to judge on, not just who has the coolest moves.:)

►I believe that the required elements would allow both the judges and the audience to compare the skills of the couples in a more precise way. And those who can present them more cleanly and artistically would clearly be the winners....Pamela McCombs

►Yes because if you want the dance to flurish you need some for the novice to relate to in the dance. Most youngster can relate to the feel of picking a ball and the thrill of a pass completed or kicking or hitting a memorable goal or run or basket. Same with swimming strokes, bowling,skating and etc.With dancing if you see a basic element and know how to do it the average dancer says" Oh,I can do that" and immediately creates a bond. Why do you think the games shows like Jeopardy, Price is right and Wheel of Fortune are so successful the bond and participation factor is there to keep the audience glued to the program.

►Too often I see dancers who can only do the routines they have been taught. A thorough understanding of the basics, including the ability to lead and follow are crucial to becoming a successfull competitive dancer. There have been many occassions when for any number of reasons, my instructor had to deviate from our routines. I believe that my ability to follow has saved me from total panic.

►A qualified Yes. I think Dan has presented good points above as to why figure skating 'has its act together' and ballroom dance does not (and having some required moves is a good step in this direction). On the other hand, we do need to allow some creativity as otherwise we will be as boring and predicitable as skating. In other words, do not put in so many 'required' moves such that it fills ones' entire routine and of course allow the dancers to be creative in how we get into the required moves.
Craig
St Paul

►Figure skating is not ballroom dancing! Other than costuming and the shape of the preformance floor, why even try to relate the two? We expect our high level dance professionals to know their syllibus patterns in that they do not need to prove it with what would essentially be a closed category competition. (That is what standardized testing is for.) The important elements are executing the proper technique in the patterns that each couple feels that they can properly characterize each dance.

Given the right announcer, he/she can make ballroom dancing more exciting by delivering good commentary and witty responses to what the dancers are doing at any given time. The figure skater announcer can very well tell us what the skater will do next, but I still cannot tell the difference between an axel, a toe loop, or a lutz. And it is still the judge's opinion on who did the best triple lutz anyway. (How may times has the eastern bloc judge given the U.S. skater a lower score than all the other judges?) The nondancer watching a ballroom competition will still have their favorite couple to cheer and will still be happy/mad with the judges for a good/poor placing no matter if they know what pattern comes next or not.

True, figure skating has their act together but not because they have required elements. They have GREAT MARKETING! Disney is on the lookout for who they can crown their new ice princess every four years and put in their world on ice show. If ballroom dancing had such a sponsor then we dancers will have the recognition that the figure skaters have.

Music for Movement...

Wow! That's all I can say about the overwhelming response to my little, yet, humble "music" article! A whole one (1) of you wrote back to give some great comments and points of view! I don't know if I can handle this kind of pressure...PEOPLE!...This is your music we're talking about! You know, the stuff that's coming through the speakers, making your body move in ways that you never thought possible?! Ok, enough sarcasm, for now.

My ONE reader that responded had some great comments and insight for what makes "her" move and enjoy dancing so much. Let's recap some great comments, she writes:

In relationship to your article, WOW what an interesting one. <Thank you...I think?>Hmmm - what can I say? Whether a song is 31 beats or 29 beats to a measure really does not matter.<It doesn't really, unless you're at a Dancesport event and in one corner you have 'lil old miss Moffat who's been dancing/practicing rumba on her toffett at 30 mpm and in the other corner you have mr. music director (that would be me) playing music at it's "regulated" speed (thank you NDCA) of 32 mpm. Meanwhile, Miss Moffat is physically approaching the words, "Clear!" and two electrified paddles coming out of nowhere because she can't move that fast!, and she's giving me the evil eye as she's approaching deaths door...Well, that's the way it felt at the time>

Musicians may not have had dancers in mind when writing, but that is OK. My theory is this: Dancing is communication,<Can I have a Halleluiah in the house?!> and music/songs determine whether or not I want to get up and communicate and/or the effectiveness of my communication. Some songs are "dead beat" have no life in them. Who wants to dance (communicate) to that crap?<Let's focus on a key word here: Crap...Now, let's remember, "crap" to one ear, may be another's "budding rose".>

Sometimes when I dance at comps, for some songs, I wish they turn the music off and just let us dance to nothing. Some of the songs are horrible - they give me no inspiration to dance. Sometimes I feel like going to sit down - simply just walk off the floor during the heat.<YES! Been there, done that! However, how great a performance could be if the music was so bad you wanted to take an ice-pick to your inner ear, however, the dancer was soooo good, the music resolves to become a mere portal for viewing great dancing?>

...I would like to thank my ONE and ONLY responder Faye from Illinois to our first little music forum (is the guilt-trip working?). I feel so special and loved by the masses, it just personalizes it to the heart...jk...(for those over 30, that means "just kidding") People, please...I'm out there every weekend, listening to comments after comments of, "Music should be this and that" and "That's not a cha-cha" (really? I see people doing the cha cha, could one person have that much power?)...But now, I put some words up here for this newsletter and all of the sudden, everyone has laryngitis of the fingers?

Ok, I'm over it, back to the discussion...

This brings me to the next issue; We as Americans are simply spoiled when it comes to having great music to dance to. There are no butts, thighs or wings about it (I think I'm hungry)! Anyone who has been danced on the other side of the globe (yes, there is another side) will give me a solid salute and back slap for this. I remember when I was teaching in New Jersey. The school was "Rogers Dancesport Center" and the owners are Gary & Diana McDonald. Back then, when they would prepare for the Blackpool event, they would put on the old orchestra CD's with music that made barf more appealing as a cocktail than listening to that dribble. I inquired as to why they would choose to rehearse to such painful sounds. Their response, "We need to prepare for the worst so our best will be seen". And I say, jolly-good blimey!

My company (m4m records) recently merged with a similar company from Holland. While over there I asked to hear their biggest selling CD...I can't even begin to describe the horror! I still can't think about it without needing some Dramamine. Do you think those who live overseas know? I'm not sure, but one thing I know, there are some serious world champions that have come from that side of the world and they didn't have it, musically speaking, near as good as we do. So, you figure it out. Your dancing and what's expressed is purely achieved by what you believe yourself to be portraying. Granted, sometimes a great song comes along and we are a little more undaunted to dancing in public. Perhaps we should look at it this way, we move because we want to move. Period. Movement is the oldest form of communication. Do you think mankind would have made it this far if the first caveman waited for a good song before he batted his lady over the head and made her his own? I ask you, where would we be! :)

Go Huge...Always move...In silence if you must! :) ~ BRENT

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