AM Comp in Miami

[ChelD]

As some of you know, I work for one of the video vendors. Despite the hurricane damage, we flew into Miami for the Arthur Murray Superama which started this morning.

I am amazed to report that despite the many problems outside the hotel, inside The Fontainebleau everything is fine and the competition is proceeding as normal.

We don't seem to be missing many dancers. There are lots of people here. There have been semifinals and quarterfinals in many heats and much of the day the dance floor has been split into three ballrooms for the final heats.

That being said, the power is still out in much of the area and water still has to be boiled before it can be consumed. There is also an 8:00 curfew in place and one of my coworkers was stopped by the police last night as her taxi was bringing her here from the airport. Fortunately, once they found out she what she was doing they let her continue without a problem. We'll see what happens tonight. We are staying in a hotel about 1 block away and have to walk there tonight after the evening session ends.

The awards break just ended! Back to work!

Chel

[lynn]

Is Superama the major comp in the AM world?? i think things are a bit different up north....we have something called dancesport week or something similar??

[Angelo]

Do you have any results? I'd be interested in the Pro Latin results

[sunderi]

Yes, Superama is the major comp in the AM world.

My husband is there with a few of his students. He also reports that all is well at the hotel and the comp is going well.

I *think* the pro comp doesn't start until tomorrow.

[ChelD]

Yes, pro heats are tomorrow.

I can't speak definitively, but in my experience videotaping them the last few years, the Arthur Murray World-a-Rama is even larger than the Superama.

The Superama that we tape is held once a year and alternates between Manhattan, New Orleans and Miami. The World-a-Rama was in Las Vegas last year (and some other years) but I'm not sure if it is there every year or not.

[ChelD]

Here are the pro results. There were a few couples who were not in the program and I didn't get their names. Sorry!

Open Pro Smooth (from a quarter-final)
1 Nick & Lena Kosovich
2 Troy Baeten & Irina Shaklevich
3 Joe Howard & Leisa Douglas
4 Eric & Christine Erickson
5 Marc Bertrand & Laura Mailander
6 Lance Oliver & Amy Wohleb

Open Pro Rhythm (from a quarter-final)
1 Juan de Dios Garcia & Cari Jo Melgoza-Garcia
2 Michael & Susan Mitsui
3 Joe Hooward & Leisa Douglas
4 Chris Lynam & Daisey Aydelott
5 Quinton MacAdam & Jill DeMarlo
6 Taras & Wendy Denysenko

Open Pro Standard
1 Douglas Cason & Britt Evans

Open Pro Latin
1 Rosta Liduch & Petra Chovancova

Rising Star Ballroom (Smooth - from semi-final)
1 Eric & Christine Ericson
2 Marc Bertrand & Laura Mailander
3 Lance Oliver & Amy Wohleb
4 David Lopez & Veronica Cavazos
5 Kenny & Karen Degan
6 James Dutton & Kelly Lakomy

Rising Star Rhythm (from quarter-final)
1 Taras & Wendy Denysenko
2 Luis Detting & Sara Watkins
3 Tommy Belmontez & Unique Platt
4 David Estrada & Jessica Richardson
5 Adrian Persad & ZanetaTomposova
6 Tavio Morales & Katrina Mahoney

Future Champions Rhythm
1 Seweryn Szapiaczan & Rebecca Mitchell
2 Ben Blekfield & Amy Novotny
3 Bradley & Vanessa Montoya
4 David Dowers(?) & Melania ___________? write in - from Florida
5 Ned Vassilev & Annie Turner
6 Daniel Dellucci & Leah Dantes
7 # 197 Pedro ? & ? - write in from Texas
8 # 189 Daniel ? & ? - write in from Italy

Future Champions Ballroom (Smooth)
1 Bradley and Vanessa Montoya

Open West Coast Swing
1 Tommy Belmontez & Unique Platt
2 David Estrada & Jessica Richardson
3 Tavio Morales & Katrina Mahoney
4 Derek Cronin & Emi Bury

[SDsalsaguy]

Thanks Chel!

So, how was the event overall?

[mr bixx]

it was great event. it was my first time at a AM comp. i danced open rhythm and rising star rhythm. we were in the semi final in rising star and should havf benn in the final but we got stuck in corners and didnt get noticed. we were a few marks from making the final. its ok since me and my partner started dancign together 3 weeks prior.

[ChelD]

I agree. It was a good event. There were a lot of entries and it was clear that people were having a good time. There was a lot of energy in the room all weekend and lots of cheering. Last night there was a live band that played during the general dancing that started the evening and then followed each heat. The floor was packed during the general dances.

It ran a little late sometimes, but not very. This seemed to mostly be due to the fact that there were so many entries that the (very large) dancefloor was split into two, and sometimes three, ballrooms and the dancers didn't always go to the correct section at first so the numbers would have to be called again.

[alemana]

holy moley, that's a ton of entries for "future champions" rhythm... at another comp recently not a single couple registered in rhythm at that level. i'm glad there appear to be lots of couples on the horizon in that style. the pro open field was fairly weak, though, judging from the results.... the top local couple, Wilson/Neil, didn't even attend a comp ostensibly in their backyard?

[SDsalsaguy]

Wilson/Neil
Are they AM?

[ChelD]

Well, it's an Arthur Murray Competition, so if Wilson/Neil are not affiliated with Arthur Murray, they wouldn't be eligible to compete.

[SDsalsaguy]

Exactly the point of my question Chel, but thanks for spelling it out better! :)

[sunderi]

What are the paramaters for the Future Champ competitions? I've seen it a couple of places, but I have to say it's fairly . . . . unimpressive? Is that generally true, or is it maybe just the few Future Champ comps I've seen?

[alemana]

when it was introduced at Empire earlier this year, the organizer explained to me that it's a comp for "brand new" professionals.

[Joe]

Is that code for "six-week-wonders?"

[alemana]

hm, dunno.

[Larinda McRaven]

Actually I think it is a "less than two years" wonder.

It is a competition that the franchises have enjoyed for many many years. Often quite full of young and eager teachers wanting to get their first taste at competition.

[SDsalsaguy]

Actually I think it is a "less than two years" wonder.
Yes, that's the number that I have heard as well.

[sunderi]

Maybe I'm just over-eager, but if I was going to do it (i.e., if I had a partner) I'd rather just go ahead & do Rising Star, even if I knew I was going to be obliterated. :) When I've seen Future Champ, it's only 2 dances per style, right? I'd rather to them all. :-D ;)

[alemana]

if it's closely affiliated with franchise studios, it makes sense i guess why it was a bomb at Empire.

[SDsalsaguy]

if it's closely affiliated with franchise studios, it makes sense i guess why it was a bomb at Empire.
Truth be told, I'd never actually heard of them being done outside the franchise sector before. (Note: as far as I know FADS has a different name for this category than AMI does.)