USDC - U.S. Dance Championships

Brush Tap said:
I'm reposting this since the original got buried in everyone's gossip discussion:

Piggybacking off of the strange pro smooth judging at the comp... How exactly are judging panels picked? Are they randomly selected? Is it expected that the "smooth experts" would be judging the smooth division... or would it be just the opposite- looking for a more "objective" view by selecting non-smooth-experts?
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Why do you keep saying the Pro Smooth judging was "strange"? I ws thre and I don't agree with that assessment. I don't think it was strange at all. I saw the winners as clear cut and this is a style I understand very well.
 
fascination said:
yes, but don't get me wrong...like heritage, it was worth it for the location
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I really, really missed the ocean. Orlando offers nothing to me, but then I do know many people enjoyed being able to go to Universal, Disney, etc. and have fun on the rides, so even though I don't like that, others do, so that makes it a good choice and fun for a lot of people. I really appreciate a location that is near shops so I can buy some low-cost food. The food prices were very high for me. When I went to Millenium I took a walk into St. Petersburg and was able to find food. Same when USDC was in Miami Beach. Oh well...
The ballroom was well set up and you could see from anywhere. Lots of empty seats every night though, and kind of a dead crowd. not sure why. Absence of amateurs perhaps, who are younger and tend to be more enthusiastic. I remember one incredible World Latin in Miami, when the US team was represented by Slavik/Karina and Gary/Diana, and everyone was screaming, stomping feet, waving and even stealing flags. There were banners everywhere for the US team, the Italian contingent was equally loud and boisterous, and it was so much fun, but most of the activity did come from the younger amateur dancers in the audience and they weren't here, as we all know
 
The venue is very nice. The ballroom is roomy, and by my count can seat about 1600. The best thing, though, is that there doesn't seem to be a bad seat in the place. You get a very good view no matter where you are, and there is a wide walking space between the first and second row of tables where, if there is enough attendance, about 500 people could stand easily, with good visibility and without blocking anyone's view, then there are rows in the back where people could stand, etc. (Of course, I don't know if the fire code or the organizers themselves would allow such a thing). I remember the Fontainbleu where MOST seats had lousy visibility because they were so far away from the stage, and anyone standing up was sure to be blocking the view of about twenty others.
So, for me, this venue is better than either the Fontainbleu or the Westin.
There are many other hotel choices in the area. I didn't stay at the Royal Pacific, just because I like to be independent, I suppose, and I'm always trying to see what I can come up with.
You can get a very nice room in a less pricey nearby hotel, take a taxi to the Royal Pacific each day, and still come out ahead. The area is not pedestrian friendly, so a taxi might be necessary. If you stay at the Royal Pacific (and it's quite a treat), you will be limited in the choice of eating places, because nothing else is within walking distance. Stay in another place, though, and you'll have tons of choices all around you, from fast food places to buffets, casual dining and real fancy stuff.
Altogether, I just love this new venue. Next year I could treat myself and stay at the Royal Pacific.
....
Naaah. I'll just keep exploring.
 
well, I thought the resort was lovely...and given that the comp is smack in the middle of hurricane season, I think it is real wisdom to move it to Orlando...I have no burning desire to spend many thousands of dollars to be near the ocean when a hurricane rolls in...and given that the dealine comes when that isn't predictable, I will take orlando all day long ...I'll take the ocean from dec-june....
 
DancingJools said:
The venue is very nice. The ballroom is roomy, and by my count can seat about 1600. The best thing, though, is that there doesn't seem to be a bad seat in the place. You get a very good view no matter where you are, and there is a wide walking space between the first and second row of tables where, if there is enough attendance, about 500 people could stand easily, with good visibility and without blocking anyone's view, then there are rows in the back where people could stand, etc. (Of course, I don't know if the fire code or the organizers themselves would allow such a thing). I remember the Fontainbleu where MOST seats had lousy visibility because they were so far away from the stage, and anyone standing up was sure to be blocking the view of about twenty others.
So, for me, this venue is better than either the Fontainbleu or the Westin.
There are many other hotel choices in the area. I didn't stay at the Royal Pacific, just because I like to be independent, I suppose, and I'm always trying to see what I can come up with.
You can get a very nice room in a less pricey nearby hotel, take a taxi to the Royal Pacific each day, and still come out ahead. The area is not pedestrian friendly, so a taxi might be necessary. If you stay at the Royal Pacific (and it's quite a treat), you will be limited in the choice of eating places, because nothing else is within walking distance. Stay in another place, though, and you'll have tons of choices all around you, from fast food places to buffets, casual dining and real fancy stuff.
Altogether, I just love this new venue. Next year I could treat myself and stay at the Royal Pacific.
....
Naaah. I'll just keep exploring.
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actually...I disagree with the dining issue...beyond the 4 restuarants in the place, all of which I found satisfactory...the entire universal nightlife is within easy walking distance including; margaritaville, the NBAsports place (forget the real name), hard rock cafe, and bubba gumps to name but a few...with the complimentary boat and/or bicycle taxi service should you actually need it ...I preferred the charm of the walkways myself
 
SDsalsaguy said:
I too thought that the Smooth results were "correct" on the night.
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I agreed with the smooth results as well. It wasn't what was "supposed to happen" and that's why some might be dissappointed, but based on how the finalists danced at THIS competition, the results were deserving.
 
fascination said:
actually...I disagree with the dining issue...the entire universal nightlife is within easy walking distance...with the complimentary boat and/or bicycle taxi service should you actually need it ...I preferred the charm of the walkways myself
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That's good to know :-)
Walkways?
There are walkways? :-)
I'll admit, I was in the ballroom just about all the time. I bring my food with me for the entire day (that's why I like those take-out places), and didn't have time for much else. Tried to return to my hotel on foot the first night. It's supposed to be less than a mile away, but I guess I went in the wrong direction or something. Anyway, Universal security folks came to my rescue and took me to where I could get a cab.
Walkways .... hmmmm.
And yes, the Royal Pacific has a complimentary transportation service, which I disovered later (don't know about the boat or bike choices, I myself took their car service returning late at night to my hotel - the Wyndham Resort, where they had a special for about $60/night.) Anyway, you have to tip the driver, of course, but the ride itself is free.
So, just to reiterate, the venue is fantastic and I'm sure we'll discover more things about it as the conversation proceeds.
 
just beyond the pool there are beautiful bamboo and lanscaped private walking paths that take you past secluded lagoons and a waterfront walk to universal...quite romantic if one had proper escort...very lovely for a bottle of wine and a beach chair if circumstances had been right...lovely....something to bear in mind for the future...one of my most enjoyable discoveries of the entire trip
 
fascination said:
quite romantic if one had proper escort...very lovely for a bottle of wine and a beach chair if circumstances had been right...
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Hummm, sounds like I'd better (a) find a romantic partner (not necessarily for dancing) and (b) keep workin' on my Standard so that (c) I can go next year! Whoo hooo!
 
gingerbread said:
Why do you keep saying the Pro Smooth judging was "strange"? I ws thre and I don't agree with that assessment. I don't think it was strange at all. I saw the winners as clear cut and this is a style I understand very well.
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Well, I was going by Larinda's expert comments and those of others I've heard who were there, which, if I understood correctly, seemed to imply that there was not an obvious #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, and #6 but that an any one time, it seemed like anyone had a chance at winning it. If you look at the judging sheets, their marks and the placements don't appear to say "everyone was about the same", so I'm trying to make sense of the discrepancy.
 
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