Triangle Invitational 2004

[etchuck]

In case anyone in the area is interested (or anyone wants to come visit):

http://www.ncsu.edu/stud_orgs/soc_dance/ti/ti2004/index.html .

[pygmalion]

Darn! I'm compiling a list of stuff to do next year, and this will be on my list. Durham is a beautiful place, and I came within an inch of going to Duke for that reason. I'd love to come for a visit, but this year won't won't work. Bummer.

[jon]

Durham is a beautiful place, and I came within an inch of going to Duke for that reason.

I miss the dogwoods. California in spring and fall is pretty boring in comparison to Carolina (but the summers aren't miserably hot and drippy).

[pygmalion]

My parents still live in SC, and I've considered moving to the Carolinas many times. The pace of life is ... a little slower than where I am, but measured and beautiful in its way. There are discernable seasons. People are sociable. There's a lot to be said for living in the Carolinas.

[jon]

There's a lot to be said for living in the Carolinas.

House prices :-) Though I can see the day coming when Chapel Hill - Durham - Raleigh is one big urban area with big traffic problems. Durham and Chapel Hill are already close to being a continuous city.

One big disadvantage of the Carolinas for dancers, though, is that smoking is so widespread and accepted. It makes dancing in clubs and bars quite nasty at times.

[etchuck]

Darn! I'm compiling a list of stuff to do next year, and this will be on my list. Durham is a beautiful place, and I came within an inch of going to Duke for that reason. I'd love to come for a visit, but this year won't won't work. Bummer.

Pygmalion: If they (the NC state folks) actually decide to organize it a bit earlier than just 6 weeks before the competition, maybe we'd have more than just 12 people competing. I'm organizing a dance this Sunday on campus with the intended purpose of 1) having the competing couples practice their routines, 2) having the competing couples see the OTHER local couples they'll compete against, and 3) having people who are in search of partners find someone and practice. [I have 6 hours of music ready for our 4-hour dance.]

I will tout that if you did want to make a visit, there is the 30th anniversary Viennese Ball, hosted by the Duke Wind Symphony and hopefully cosponsored by our ballroom club (mainly pushing would be me). Making sure that it doesn't get slapped together with 5 weeks to go... usually runs on a Friday night in November... hopefully get a more definite date, now that the football schedules are all out.

Crash space is negotiable, but you can reserve early and not be afraid of the cat... :)

And I strongly concur with the house prices comment. :lol:

[etchuck]

One big disadvantage of the Carolinas for dancers, though, is that smoking is so widespread and accepted. It makes dancing in clubs and bars quite nasty at times.

That depends on where you go in this area. If you want to go dancing, you don't go to those clubs unless it's Montas (salsa until it's 4am). Most of the other places people go for serious dancing restrict or prohibit smoking. I'm pretty sure it's verboten at the Triangle Swing Dance Society's dances, those at the Fred Astaire studios (Stardusters on the second Saturdays, Salsa4U on the third Saturdays), the weekly ballroom dance at a couple of studios I know, and all the college club-organized dances.

[jon]

That depends on where you go in this area. If you want to go dancing, you don't go to those clubs unless it's Montas (salsa until it's 4am). Most of the other places people go for serious dancing restrict or prohibit smoking. I'm pretty sure it's verboten at the Triangle Swing Dance Society's dances, those at the Fred Astaire studios (Stardusters on the second Saturdays, Salsa4U on the third Saturdays), the weekly ballroom dance at a couple of studios I know, and all the college club-organized dances.

Dance studios are actually a pretty small fraction of the places people can "seriously dance". Have you ever been to the Longbranch, for example?

[etchuck]

Yeah, I've been there (www.longbranchsaloon.com) but not recently and not for one of their real busy nights. Actually I don't think I've had a problem with smokers there, especially when I go to their WCS floor (which isn't as heavily populated). I've had more of a problem with not being a member but wanting to take a WCS class or two. That and the fact that most of the people in my clubs don't want to go there for whatever reason.

There are still a couple of restaurants around here that apparently do dance nights. I don't know if there are restrictions on smokers for those venues.

[jon]

I've had more of a problem with not being a member but wanting to take a WCS class or two.

The NC "private club" thing is weird. Perhaps a bit of old Bible Belt morality still being expressed through the liquor laws.

[etchuck]

The NC "private club" thing is weird. Perhaps a bit of old Bible Belt morality still being expressed through the liquor laws.

Not likely, especially if most of the people here are tea-totalling Southern Baptists. :wink:

I think in most parts of the country, any "bar" is exempt from many of the smoking prohibitions common to restaurants. Considering I usually dance in order to maintain a decent level of fitness (and that I work in a medical laboratory... not that there aren't any other reasons), I generally avoid the dance places where there is that much smoke.

[jon]

I think in most parts of the country, any "bar" is exempt from many of the smoking prohibitions common to restaurants.

California has prohibited smoking in all "enclosed places of employment" since 1998. It's great - no exemptions for bars or anywhere else. Of course there was the usual whining from bar owners about how they'd go out of business, but they got over it.

[pygmalion]

Good luck this weekend, etchuck. :D Be sure to check in and let us know how it goes. 8)

[etchuck]

Thanks!

Pictures from Friday night's club dance social/competition (I am #104).

[posted now at link in signature file below]

Unfortunately, they are going to delay those results (except the Jack-and-Jill mixer competition) until tomorrow.

Events (* I participated):
ECS/Lindy, Beginning and Advanced (*) Levels
Hustle, Beginning and Advanced (*)
WCS, Beginning (*) and Advanced
Shag, open
Salsa, open
Jack-and-Jill swing (*, finished in top 3, listed as "tied for 1st")

I may get a wireless connection, but don't expect live broadcasts yet. :)

[pygmalion]

Thanks for the photos, etchuck. 8)

Who was leading when you're dancing with #105? Just curious.

[etchuck]

Complete pictures (including Saturday) : posted on website (see below)

On the Friday night hustle (3rd place, though 3 couples, we were both a bit wild), I was leading.

The results as I remember them:

Third in hustle intermediate
Second in WCS beginner

Saturday results will be posted with a link from http://www.ncsu.edu/stud_orgs/soc_dance/ti/ti2004/ . I don't exactly remember what I got, in the competitive dances (international rhythm bronze, but did not place), but I did actually "compete" for the ribbons I got in silver American foxtrot/VW (beat my teammate, though we both switched partners halfway through our VW :) ), and second in open American smooth 4-dance (after my partner decided to have cold feet, and I wound up with a random dancer who was brave enough to dance). Well, I like dancing as a social dancer, and it was interesting for many people to see me just pick up a follower and still dance. A few of the person's teammates said, "He must be a really good lead to do all that with you!"

But I was hitting myself for not properly being on time in silver American cha-cha. I think a judge actually gave me a 2nd place (though I was the only couple competing) for it. Deserved that.

Fun dance: third place in three-person cha-cha (with both my partners).

Well, I do enjoy the opportunities to dance and make sure people enjoy the competition experience more than I really enjoy getting ribbons. But of course, getting some prizes doesn't hurt too much either. :)

[pygmalion]

Cool, etchuck. Another successful competition under your belt! 8) :D

[etchuck]

Cool, etchuck. Another successful competition under your belt! 8) :D

Well, it depends on what your standard of success is.

1. No one I danced with got hurt or was sent to the hospital. (check)
2. Got a ribbon in one event at least. (check)
3. Got a ribbon in one event in which I was not the only couple on the floor. (check)
4. Got a ribbon in one event in which I had to pass at least a semifinal round. (no, but bronze international Latin was the most competitive area, but we did get called back for semifinals).
5. Actually win a competitive event. (heck no, can discuss reasons I didn't expect to win if interested but in private)
6. Ate and didn't throw up (well, a couple of powerbars and two L of water).

Now, I'm also an assisting organizer, so...
1. The competition ran on-time (eh... 30 minutes late is excellent... we even passed out awards on time unlike last year).
2. Avoided/averted massive computer/music meltdown (check... one of the formation teams' music wasn't playing off their computer... thankfully I had the same piece on mine)
3. Appropriated authority when deemed necessary (had smooth/standard music on my computer while the other DJ had Latin/rhythm music to play between competition sets, even threw in some practice paso and polka for good measure).
4. Made sure no one killed themselves (yes).

The most important parts:
1. Had a good time (of course)
2. Actually talk to people other than the ones I know (yes, but must work on that... which is difficult if I am helping with the competition).

[pygmalion]

You crack me up! :lol: Actually, your experience sounds like a resounding success to me. :D

[pygmalion]

Done. 8)

[etchuck]

You crack me up! :lol: Actually, your experience sounds like a resounding success to me. :D

In general, I don't consider myself a competitive dancer but I know competitions will give me reason to get better as a dancer in general. This was the first time I had even a month to work with a partner, and it was in dance styles I don't know much of. I worked with samba and rumba for the last month, with samba being my weaker dance as I don't have a good floor awareness yet. Now I also did cha cha and jive, but I hadn't really had a good sustained class in jive. I can do swing and am learning lindy as mentioned before... the last thing I want to do is convert to jive and stop "popping" my lindy. Anyway, we got called back in jive... which was as our private instructor told us was our weakest event. That was surprising. Shocking even. Really, if you had told me I'd even do a decent "jive", all of my Duke folks (mostly clubbers in swing/salsa) would laugh at the concept of doing jive, much less me doing jive well.

I say this because I know many amateur couples who are much more competitive and demonstrative than me. Yes, they consider dance a performance rather than a social experience. Now, sure, this gets chalked up to the "dancing isn't fun" mentality, but they do perform their dances for competition extremely well. But my success is being a social dancer... and that to me means, dancing as many dances as competently as possible, and with as many different partners as possible. That's probably the one thing that prevents me from going full-steam into competitive dancing... not to mention, I actually like having a full, complete life. Or at least as complete and full as it is now.

That being said... I think my current partner and I do work very well together. In our first time competing together, I think we did do a lot to talk to each other and work together as a partnership. This is something that in all the other competitions I've participated in, I have not had. It makes me think we should do this again. And depending on my schedule, fairly soon.

[etchuck]

Okay FINALLY, the server lets me put pictures on my photogallery site (see signature file). I'll fill in the captions as I find out from the other competitors in the group.

[cl5814]

Thanks for the pictures. For all who care to know, i spotted my first dance teacher on a few of your pics. Apprently it is going *very well* with him as he added a few inches to his waistline. I definitely recognized a few faces.

[etchuck]

Curious... who was your first dance teacher? Wayne?

[virginiadancegirl]

I was wondering where Wayne and Marie were...
I was lucky enough to have a training session and a handful of workshops with them a few weeks ago....

Are there pics of them in the gallery? If so, I just managed to miss them!

[etchuck]

You can probably make out Wayne and Marie judging in a few of the pictures, but they'd be more in the background.

I totally messed up... I also should have taken a few pictures of some of the awards ceremony. Last year I did, but somehow the autofocus didn't work. Anyway, you missed a ton of hugging among their students winning ribbons in Latin (no kidding). But when it came to the smooth dance awards, I think one of his students tried to chest-bump Wayne. When I picked up my one ribbon (for being the default waltz/tango competitor), we both chest-bumped. It was funny, and I don't think anyone took a pic of it.

You can also look up pictures from Triangle Invitational 2003, just in case I have them there.