What I Learned At My Last Comp

[Warren J. Dew]

Yes and yes.

Fortunately, my wife is confident about and talented with improvising! And I make every effort to only improvise in figures where we are well-connected.

To clarify, I was wondering specifically if you just used short side amalgamations, stitching together two of them for the long side. Given this doesn't seem to be the approach for Standard dances other than quickstep, I'm guessing it isn't for Smooth either? For Smooth, and for some Standard dances too, I think limiting oneself to amalgamations that would fit on a typical US short side would be significantly limiting.

 

[fiesta0618]

To clarify, I was wondering specifically if you just used short side amalgamations, stitching together two of them for the long side. Given this doesn't seem to be the approach for Standard dances other than quickstep, I'm guessing it isn't for Smooth either?

Definitely not. We choreograph 4 full sides: 2 long + 2 short.

Quickstep will probably get there too, down the road. But at the outset of Open, there are lots of new skills to master (running & hopping at speed as a pair, principally), so we went for a super-simplified approach that minimizes brain-load.

 

[singndance]

Smooth competition nowadays is brutal. Especially in PnP's age group, the most popular one.

It has been getting tougher and tougher each year and yes, her division is brutal. But I still think good dancing will trump a fancy routine. The trick is doing the right routine to show off your skills. And PnP has a pro that knows how to do that.

 

[Warren J. Dew]

I think PnP has a pro who knows how to show off her skills even without a routine, through lead and follow.

 

[Misspendragon]

If you already know how to dance them, how much time does it take you to realize what I’m leading? You already recognize the combination probably from the very first move. That’s what your brain is getting trained for - to create action during the music.”

Well, for you maybe, this is doable, because you are used to is. I would COMPLETELY freak out if I had to compete without a routine, because I have never done it. And as a consequence, my Follow skills are not exactly stellar. I almost wish I had danced Bronze at least without a choreography. And you are right PnP, when something unexpected happens on the floor, I do lose my cool a bit. This happened to me at Paragon in my first Cha Cha. I basically stopped, then I started dancing on the wrong count (ouch), and then I found my way, but those three seconds or so sure didn't look pretty. They were bad enough that if a judge had been watching me, I'm sure he/she rolled his/her eyes.

Your Pro is basically saying the same thing as my Pro (or something similar), because it was only with Open routines that he found the idea of not having a set routine unsustainable. He doesn't use Lead/Follow only anywhere, but that's just his preference.

 

[singndance]

I think PnP has a pro who knows how to show off her skills even without a routine, through lead and follow.

Absolutely agree!

 

[dncergrl2]

We do a bit of lead - follow in our Open Latin, but it’s not what you think. Pro says he has to be ready for me to do anything. Lol He’s awesome. Saves me when I forget and saves me when I get “inspired”.

 

[ProgressNotPerfection]

It also helps that Open dancers all floorcraft quite well, and the Northeast Open Smooth crowd are very friendly and collegial. There is a great deal of mutual respect on the floor, and that makes things easier.

So you don’t see much of this?

 

[fiesta0618]

So you don’t see much of this?

Not anymore, thankfully!

I have once taken the floor for an All-Syllabus-Level Viennese round with 28 other couples, though. It was just like your gif, but with 3x as many cars.

It was amazing that nobody got injured.