Returning to the dance studio safely (covid-19)

lucia_l said:
My pro and his wife are going to be disappointed! :(
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Yes and so are their students! :(
I was registered and looking forward to attending this one.

At this point, I'm starting to write off this year for ballroom comps. Maybe Imperial in Nov is an option, but I'm not optimistic now especially given the covid counts in some states and the fact that many schools are going remote.

Perhaps this pandemic will trigger some change in the structure of how ballroom and its comps operate? For example, could outdoor open air comps become a thing?
 
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I was too much of a coward to sign up. But Wednesday, I mentioned that I was tempted....

Outdoor open air comps aren't going to work in Chicago in November!! There's some good news on the vaccine front, but I'm afraid even if one is approved before November, availability won't be sufficiently widespread for most people to get one in time to be protected during a competition this calendar year.
 
Terpsichorean Clod said:
I don't understand. How is that different from any song at a typical social where one person asks another?
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You are at a dance. Hypothetical situation. You are a single. You have a regular dance partner. Studio rules state that you are only allowed to dance with your partner. You are not allowed to dance with anyone else. That is how it is different. The song has nothing to do with your choice.
 
bry_dancer said:
At this point, I'm starting to write off this year for ballroom comps. Maybe Imperial in Nov is an option, but I'm not optimistic now especially given the covid counts in some states and the fact that many schools are going remote.
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Me too. I had been aiming for one in December. There had been a critical mass from my studio that was leaning towards going, so the social aspect was part of the attraction as well. I know I said this elsewhere, but I don't want to part with a giant pile of cash for an event that could turn out to be basically a small Showcase (BTDT last month, tyvm, for a fraction of the price). It would also involve air travel across the country, and I can't even imagine voluntarily entering that cluster until (hopefully) we are reasonably past a lot of this.

bry_dancer said:
Perhaps this pandemic will trigger some change in the structure of how ballroom and its comps operate? For example, could outdoor open air comps become a thing?
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Not in Florida.... unless they develop melt-proof makeup and portable outdoor A/C.

And then there was the time I competed in Nashville in January and the state declared an emergency because there was freezing rain and icy roads. Funny story where I ended up helping my pro clear his windshield because I keep multiple scrapers in my car - I have always lived in states with actual winter - and he had not brought one.

I don't want to be a downer, but so many of the aspects of ballroom comps are not conducive to being outside, even in ideal weather. The costumes, makeup, sound system (far cry in quality between music being played outside vs. inside). There would have to be a complete overhaul of expectations and the normal scheduled locations for it to become widespread. (Disclosure: I'm really not an outdoors person, I've always preferred the comfort of indoors and I own that, so my remarks do carry some bias).
 
If you're going to run an outdoor event, you need to have a backup indoor location or be willing to cancel entirely if the weather turns out too bad. Indoor backup wouldn't be acceptable in this case, and many wouldn't be willing to attend a comp weekend at all if it's "weather permitting".

I've been to a bunch of Lindy exchanges where one or more of the afternoon dances were outdoors. The only one that didn't have a backup location wound up with rain halfway through -- but it was warm enough that most everyone kept dancing. However, only a few of the most die-hard kept dancing once the hail started....
 
Dr Dance said:
You are at a dance. Hypothetical situation. You are a single. You have a regular dance partner. Studio rules state that you are only allowed to dance with your partner. You are not allowed to dance with anyone else. That is how it is different. The song has nothing to do with your choice.
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If I understand correctly - BYOP is strongly encouraged. Solo people are welcome to attend. They may find a someone to dance with, but then they have to stick with that person for the duration.
 
So outdoor is one option as shown by the video above ;). I will include it with some others ideas since at this point most comps are getting cancelled due to the pandemic:
  • Outdoor: Comps happen outdoors maybe under some big top style tent as a hedge against inclement weather. Size of comp is limited by space available and ability to socially distance. Competitors only dance with their pros whom they are already dancing with during lessons. Perhaps dancing attire changes based on the wether? More layers for cold and less layers for hot?
  • Hyper-local: Local dance studios band together and create regional mini comps. Only current members of those studios can attend. People must dance with their pro that they are already doing lessons. Masks required when not dancing. Floor must be large enough for couples to be 6 feet apart.
  • 100% Online: All competitors must submit videos and judges review them and award winners. Perhaps you can take as many videos as you want or perhaps there could be some mechanism to enforce that you took the video at a certain time of day so you're all doing the comp at once but virtually.
  • Time: No ballroom comps until a vaccine is in place and rolled out or herd immunity is in place (if this even exists for covid).
Thoughts? Are any of these viable replacements or a good evolution of competitions as we currently know them?
 
Bri_dancer,

Covid or no-Covid, I wish there were 4 hyper-local comps a year in our area as a perpetual thing. The difficulty is I'm not sure it could be turned into a money maker for the studios. Obviously, to be sustainable it has to at least break even with no out of pocket costs for the pros.

Also, some local studios might not actually want their students to see how awesome the teachers at some of the other nearby studios are. :(

But really, some sort of "entry-level-competiation" would be a nice thing. They could be used as warm-ups by those who go to major competitions and just to get a taste of competition by others.
 
When I first started competing I did go to a mini-comp. It was not judged and much less expensive, but otherwise felt similar. I believe it was hosted at the same Westin used for a much larger comp. Not sure if they still exist or not. Maybe they are just not promoted by the studios.

Also, was talking to my studio owner today and she said she was seriously looking at organizing a hyper-local mini comp as a possible next step so maybe that will become a thing and you will get your wish ;)
 
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