Jack & Jill Competitions

[squirrel]

I want to organise a Jack&Jill comp tonight at the club, just for fun!

I was wondering what the rules are...

We dance Salsa, Merengue, Bachata and the like... not Ballroom.

Thanks

[Pacion]

Rule #1 - to have fun! :lol:

Then, from what I have seen/experienced, the men and women provide their names, the men pull a name from a hat and they are paired up.

I think others allow the men and women to enter as a pair. The only difficult with that is, the couple may know each other well/practiced together so there may not be much true leading and following going on.

Depending on the number of people, there may be six dancers per round, say the 1st, 2nd and 3rd placed dancers going through to a "final dance-off"

Some have allowed women to enter as a couple, purely because there weren't enough men and one of the women could lead.

Hope this helps. Goodluck!

[squirrel]

But is it ok if partners happen to be "taken out of the hat" as a couple?

If they are paired up by chance, do we draw another time or we let them stick together?

[sunderi]

If they are paired up by chance, do we draw another time or we let them stick together?

In my experience, if they are paired up by chance, you let them dance! :)

[leftfeetnyc]

Give everyone who enters a number men line up in numerical order (for sake of the example, their numbers all in the hundreds). Same thing with women, but have them facing the men (women's numbers are in the two-hundreds). Have someone not participating in the J&J roll a die/pair of dice, women move that many places to the right (women on the end loop around to the other end of the line).

Have all the couples dance at once for a short bit of time (1-1.5 minutes) after which they line up again in the spots they just left (i.e. men in numerical order).

Repeat at least two more times. If the judges need more time, you can continue the process.

If you plan on doing a prelim and a final, then use the draw-a-name out of hat method. During the prelim everyone is judged on individual talent. During finals there is no rotation and judging is done as a couple.

I think others allow the men and women to enter as a pair. The only difficult with that is, the couple may know each other well/practiced together so there may not be much true leading and following going on.


Wouldn't this qualify as a "Just Dance" or a "Strictly" (same comp, different names)? In those you enter with a person you know and have danced with a bit before but the music is chosen randomly. A J&J is random partners, however, you might get paired with someone you know through luck of the draw. The point of repeating the rotation process is to prove that you have the ability to dance with multiple different people/styles and keeps a great dancer from being judged solely based on 1 minute of dancing with a not so great dancer.

[Swingolder]

Is there anyway this can be based on levels or do really good dancers dance with beginners? Someone is talking about doing this at one of the places I dance, and I don't think I would be comfortable dancing with someone on a much higher level and I know my dh would definitely not be interested. He even gets more intimidated that I do.

[Vince A]

Is there anyway this can be based on levels or do really good dancers dance with beginners? Someone is talking about doing this at one of the places I dance, and I don't think I would be comfortable dancing with someone on a much higher level and I know my dh would definitely not be interested. He even gets more intimidated that I do.
At most venues where J&Js are done, there are usually levels, however, if it's just a club or social function, just go for it with everyone at the same level. Usually its either a Salsa or WCS.

We do it at our social club . . . everyone who enters pays $5 or $10 to enter, winner takes all - no second or third winners. You can always give CDs away as prizes . . . or club compilation CDs, or gift certificates for paid admission to the next dance

We have Pros who enter, and sometimes they pair up another Pro, and sometimes they get a "rookie." The only rule we have . . . is if you compete with the person you get matched to, you have to move to the next person. One of the owners of the place is a judge, and so are two others secretly selected long before the J&Js begin.

Three songs - usually a good tempo song if its WCS, then a somewhat faster one, then a VERY SLOW one, so everyone can have sex on the floor . . . that's usually when the comedians come out! It's not allowed to get too carried away as we have kids there at times.

Hope that helps!

[Swingolder]

Is there anyway this can be based on levels or do really good dancers dance with beginners? Someone is talking about doing this at one of the places I dance, and I don't think I would be comfortable dancing with someone on a much higher level and I know my dh would definitely not be interested. He even gets more intimidated that I do.
At most venues where J&Js are done, there are usually levels, however, if it's just a club or social function, just go for it with everyone at the same level. Usually its either a Salsa or WCS.

. . .
Three songs - usually a good tempo song if its WCS, then a somewhat faster one, then a VERY SLOW one, so everyone can have sex on the floor . . . that's usually when the comedians come out! It's not allowed to get too carried away as we have kids there at times.

Hope that helps!
Yeah, that helps, this would be a social thing. The part about having sex on the floor (even written facetiously) seems a little out of my league! I am totally inhibited if I think someone is watching. I think I will just watch the first time.

[leftfeetnyc]

I am totally inhibited if I think someone is watching. I think I will just watch the first time.

I found that doing a J&J in a small venue/crowd to start was a really great experience. They were very encouraging and supportive. I really wanted to compete at events, so doing the J&J's that studios were hosting at their monthly parties was a nice way to ease into it.

My first J&J was about three months after I started classes. I wasn't going out social dancing at all. It was an open division of WCS and Hustle....my Hustle experience was all of two classes. I'm sure I looked a fright out there, but knowing that the friends I had made were cheering me on and were proud of me getting out there made is so easy and fun.

Two J&J's and a whole lot of social dance later I went to Swingin' New England and had a blast doing the Newcomer J&J. Didn't make finals, but it was wonderful to know I could get through it without a breakdown. The studio J&J's helpped me so much as I knew what to expect...definitly kept my nerves down!

I think everyone should do a J&J once in their dance life. They are a blast, and unless you work yourself up, the fact that it's a competition is moot. People do them for fun (for the most part) and you get to dance with some interesting people that you wouldn't normally dance with otherwise. On the other hand, if you win...yay, that's cool too., but I don't think most people go into a J&J with the mindset of "must win". At the moment I have the "must make finals" mindset, but it's a personal goal and challenge to do better and understand WCS better, not a desire to be the best or better than anyone else.

[Swingolder]

This would be west coast, which I have been doing for about a year. And who knows, maybe I will get up the nerve to do it. I appreciate your encouraging words.

[leftfeetnyc]

Trite as it sounds, I'm of the believe that the worst regrets to have on a death-bed are of the things which we never did.

Part of my reasoning for doing a J&J was just to check it out and say I did it. It might be a little frightening and cause a bit of the butterflies in the stomach, but it's nothing fatal. And after, if you decided you didn't like the experience, you never have to do it again. At least if you try you know the answer.

My guess though, is that if you love dancing (which you seem to as I see you posting in on DF all the time), you will love the J&Js. Besides just being fun, it's a great way to share the dance with one another. It would be great to see an award for most passionate (about the dance) sometime!

[Vince A]

My guess though, is that if you love dancing (which you seem to as I see you posting in on DF all the time), you will love the J&Js. Besides just being fun, it's a great way to share the dance with one another. It would be great to see an award for most passionate (about the dance) sometime!
Yea, I agree . . . once you get past your first one, you'll n o longer get nervous.

THe biggest frustration is worrying about drawing a dud for a partner. And that happens. And once in a while, you'll draw a perfect lead for you. You'll win or place in the top three, and THAT makes all the bad ones worth going through.

Besides . . . it is fun, and it's better than sitting in the audience "watching."

[Pacion]

:banana: how did it go Squirrel? :banana:

[Vince A]

Oh squirrel . . . have a late night??? So . . . . . . .

[squirrel]

We didn't do it in the end. The owner of the place was a little angry saying he is losing money over the fact that even if the club was full, people were drinking beer and mineral water... so I didn't really feel like asking for prizes and for the microphone... :(

But thank you anyway!