I checked the TBA sheet for the somewhat-local Collegiate Comp that I'm interested in. One of the TBA dancers on the list is on the university ballroom team that is coached by (drumroll, please) Pro2. So, I've just sent out a message to Pro2 to see if he thinks it might be a workable match-up for the College Comp.
2024 Competition Opportunities
- Thread starter Misspendragon
- Start date
Happyhorsie
Well-Known Member
raindance
Forum Master
I do think most collegiate TBA dancers would be thrilled with a competent partner (and you're way more than competent) and not be worried a bit about age. The TBA dancers are just hoping to get on the floor and compete that day.
I did some collegiate comps am/am as an "old" couple (both of us over 40 at the time). I'd say we were a bit of an oddity, but were certainly welcomed. I never did TBA, but based on observations, I definitely think it's worth a try. Obviously start with local events that are easy to attend.
I think you'd enjoy it, as long as you don't mind the locker room atmosphere/smells of the day - it's a lot of people sweating and crowded together, at least at the venues we danced at.
I talked to Pros about whether they had any thoughts about if I partnered up with the person on the University Team that they coach, to enter the somewhat-local collegiate event coming up. They were neutral about it. The dancer lists herself as Silver/Gold Standard Follow, and Pros say she’s probably just moving out of “advanced beginner” quality dancing. They said they aren’t sure how well the dancer might react to floorcraft issues and unfamiliar syllabus figures even if I stuck to Silver get-out-trouble choreography.
On the encouraging side, they utterly and totally dismissed the age/energy discrepancy with a “Phfft – why would you even THINK that? Not a factor.”
I just checked the TBA list again, and there are a few more people looking for partners at the comp-in-question. And potential-partner-in-question is still on the list. So, she might not have a lot of options, and I do take other DF-poster comments into account about how collegiates just want to get on the floor…
So, hmm – I guess I have to think about how much I might be frustrated by not being able to pull out non-choreographed figures if there are floorcraft issues. On one hand, how beneficial might it be if I were forced to figure out Silver, possibly Bronze, options on the fly on a potentially chaotic collegiate floor…. On the other hand, it’s no fun to get only two-thirds of the way down the first long side in a heat because the couple can’t work things out…However, even if she’s an “advanced beginner-level” dancer, at least I know that she’s been trained by very proficient coaches…….
Aaacch – what to do, what to do……
On the encouraging side, they utterly and totally dismissed the age/energy discrepancy with a “Phfft – why would you even THINK that? Not a factor.”
I just checked the TBA list again, and there are a few more people looking for partners at the comp-in-question. And potential-partner-in-question is still on the list. So, she might not have a lot of options, and I do take other DF-poster comments into account about how collegiates just want to get on the floor…
So, hmm – I guess I have to think about how much I might be frustrated by not being able to pull out non-choreographed figures if there are floorcraft issues. On one hand, how beneficial might it be if I were forced to figure out Silver, possibly Bronze, options on the fly on a potentially chaotic collegiate floor…. On the other hand, it’s no fun to get only two-thirds of the way down the first long side in a heat because the couple can’t work things out…However, even if she’s an “advanced beginner-level” dancer, at least I know that she’s been trained by very proficient coaches…….
Aaacch – what to do, what to do……
Warren J. Dew
Forum Master
raindance
Forum Master
If nothing else, get to the comp early and practice a bit in the hallway or whatever practice space is available. TBA dancers at collegiate events do that sort of thing all the time from my limited experience! Obviously if you can arrange an actual practice of some sort in advance of comp day that's even better.
Is she choreographing on the fly, or is Follow following on the fly? (which some of us think of as, y'know, "following")
Warren J. Dew
Forum Master
I read Cal's "if I were forced to figure out Silver, possibly Bronze, options on the fly on a potentially chaotic collegiate floor" as talking about choreographing on the fly. TBA lady is presumably a follower who would, as you say, just be following - but on the collegiate circuit, that's also a skill that can benefit from practice with a particular partner, as not all leaders feel exactly the same.
Yes, it sure sounds like she'd be doing that on the fly. My question was: why would she have to choreograph on the fly, if she has a Silver routine already? This is one of the things I don't understand about routines. If you have routines, but you have to compete on the fly because you have to deviate from the routine most of the time, then I just don't get it. Except, of course, that Lead has to have a thorough knowledge of syllabus and grounding in execution -- which is quite hard, really.
wrenching this back on topic: is anyone going to NYDF?
Speaking just for myself – yes, I have a “Silver Routine”. And, at my request, my Pros gave me a “Silver Routine” that contains all the Silver Syllabus figures, so that I have a way to work on transitioning in and out of each figure, and switching out different precedes, etc., which ultimately helps with floorcraft and improvisation and dancing without a set routine. So, it’s probably more of a “Practice Silver Routine”.
We always meant to do what a lot of competition couples do, and put together a “Competition Silver Routine” that has my favorite and most reliable Silver figures, and leaves out Silver figures that I dislike and/or can’t execute reliably (cough, Outside Spin, cough). In theory, that kind of Competition Silver Routine would be easier than my Practice Silver Routine, and maybe I would have marked better in competition. But we never got around to doing that, so we always competed my Practice Silver Routine. (Same goes for the other Syllabus routines that I’ve got.)
When I asked about the collegiate dancer, my Pros told me that they don’t teach the Practice Silver Routines to their Silver-level collegiate students. They teach a bare-bones Silver Competition Routine.
So, if I get on the comp floor with the dancer-in-question in a Silver event, and start “my” Silver routine, it probably contains Silver figures that she has not yet learned. So, if I use any of those, or use something unfamiliar to her for floorcraft purposes….well, it might be quite frustrating. First, not only would I have to, on the fly, limit myself to Bronze/Silver figures, but I’d also have to try to remember which of those Bronze/Silver figures she might know. If she were dancing with one of her collegiate team members, well, they all pretty much have learned the same Syllabus figures, so she would “know” whatever figure that collegiate team member might lead. Not so much with me.
And there are some Follows who follow really well as long as it’s figures that they "know", but who don’t actually follow unfamiliar figures all that well. I’m somewhat curious as to whether I have the skill as a Lead to adjust to a follow who might be unfamiliar with what I’m leading….but is a Comp floor really the best place to do that? We’re in cities that are three hours apart, so a shared lesson, or a practice session are not really viable. And my Pros weren’t really all that enthusiastic about it.
I’m torn as to whether I want to ask someone to take on that kind of “test” - someone that I’ve never met, am unlikely to get any practice time with, and am unlikely to dance with again. I don’t want to just “use” someone like that - she's not a test dummy.
Instead, maybe my time/effort would be better spent figuring out an NDCA Comp schedule for 2024.
And looking at the 2024 NDCA calendar, Pros have said that they will be available for the local ones that we typically enter, and don't require any hotel stays. We're examining some that are within realistic driving distance, and that we've done in the past, many years ago...but we're not yet getting calendars synched to lock in any of those.
raindance
Forum Master
I don't think you're using a TBA dancer - it's mutual consent if you are each looking for someone to dance with that day. But default TBA is never going to be ideal. If they had an idea partner, they wouldn't be on the TBA list.
If you want to try this with her, how about have your pros show you her silver routine? Or have her send you a video of her doing her silver routine (she can upload to youtube, or share on google drive or whatever). Then you could try to learn her routine, and try to lead that grouping of figures if you want to give it a try.
But if it's not an experience that looks helpful for you, of course that's fine too. Just skip it. I'm just brainstorming ways to maybe make it work and be worthwhile for you both.
singndance
Forum Master
Sadly, we have a family obligation so I cannot, although I would love to go.
