Triangle Invitational 2004

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 said:
Durham is a beautiful place, and I came within an inch of going to Duke for that reason.
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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).
 
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.
 
pygmalion said:
There's a lot to be said for living in the Carolinas.
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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.
 
North Carolina: where the dancing is pretty decent at times

pygmalion said:
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.
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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:
 
jon said:
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.
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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.
 
etchuck said:
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.
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Dance studios are actually a pretty small fraction of the places people can "seriously dance". Have you ever been to the Longbranch, for example?
 
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.
 
etchuck said:
I've had more of a problem with not being a member but wanting to take a WCS class or two.
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The NC "private club" thing is weird. Perhaps a bit of old Bible Belt morality still being expressed through the liquor laws.
 
jon said:
The NC "private club" thing is weird. Perhaps a bit of old Bible Belt morality still being expressed through the liquor laws.
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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.
 
etchuck said:
I think in most parts of the country, any "bar" is exempt from many of the smoking prohibitions common to restaurants.
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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.
 
So far so far

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. :)
 
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