Riot and Frolic

I work a lot on Tuesdays, hence the lack o' post.  Yesterday was more than the usual marathon since we have the local ballroom dance competition starting tomorrow.

You haven't been to a ballroom dance competition?  You've probably seen Dancing With the Stars.  It's nothing like that.  Let me paint you a picture…

Starting around dawn, ladies of all ages will be putting their hair into elaborate hair styles and then cementing it to their heads. Ballroom hair does not move and sounds like a helmet.

These lovely ladies also apply so much makeup, it's not advised to stand on a street corner afterwards.  

The point?  Your hair should not be a distraction to you (ah! it's in my eye/mouth/nose) and has to look the same at 7am as it does when you're done dancing 12 hours later.  The makeup seems soooo excessive, but most ladies want to look like they have a face under the hot stage lights that surround a dance floor.  Therefore, the fake eyelashes, bountiful eye makeup, bright lipstick, and fake tan are all necessary evils.  

Round about the time the ballroom ladies are putting on their rhinestoned dresses, the men have woken, watched some sports, and had some coffee.  It's their small window of mirror time before their lady steals it back for last-minute anxiety-releasing touch-ups. Shave? Check. Gel and hairspray? Check. Fake tan?  Check.   Done!  Ballroom men have it so easy.

Tip:  you need to look good from 10 feet away.  In other words, a little eyeshadow smudge might bother you, but no one is going to see you that closely to notice.  My co-worker has the most awesome looking nails…  That happen to be $10 press-on nails from the drugstore.  But from 10 feet away, I think she's forked out some serious cash for a fancy mani.  And they're rhinestones on our dresses, not diamonds.  

Finally, hours after waking, the couples head down to the hotel ballroom (it's always in a hotel).  It always feel a bit too fancy for 8am, what with the blindingly-bright dresses, formal hair and makeup, tuxedoes, and crowds.  But it's what we do!

Mostly, these competitions are students dancing with their professional partner and teacher. It's called pro-am and it's great.  As a student, you're dancing with someone who's more experienced than you are, therefore someone who can: not freak out even if you are; give you good advice before, after, and sometimes during your dances; keep focus during high-pressure or crowded heats; help you steer, literally, through those same heats; and tell you what the heck is going on.  

Ballroom competitions are fast-paced. During the day, there are events called "freestyles" where each couple is judged for how they dance one single dance.  This dance (waltz, tango, foxtrot, Viennese Waltz, chacha, rumba, swing, bolero, mambo, quickstep, paso doble, jive, samba, salsa, peabody) has randomly picked music that all the couples on the floor dance to for about 1:10.  That's a minute and ten seconds.  Yep, better have practiced, right?  

It doesn't seems like much time, but often dancers will repeat their routines or set of favorite patterns two or three times.  Most people agree that it's not how many fancy steps you know, but how well you do them. Four or five moves is enough!

During these freestyles, there's as many people on the floor as possible.  It's plausible that there would be an eight-year-old dancing with her teacher at the same time that awesome 90-year-old is rockin' her chacha (both of these ladies will make you feel bad- the little one because you wish you had started so young and the older one because she's awesome and she's 90 years old).  Also, you often see beginner dancers (called Newcomers) on the floor at the same time as more seasoned amateurs (Bronze, Silver, Gold, Open is the sequence of levels).  There is a handy program book at all competitions that tells you who is on the floor for each freestyle (or "heat").  This program usually needs some decoding the first time you read it, but once you got it down, you can start yelling out names and numbers of your favorite couples.

Yelling?  Oh, yes.  There is yelling.  One would think that ballroom dancing breeds refined and respectable people of all ages.  In a way, yes.  In another way, no.  We are a community of yellers, noise-makers, and obnoxious people.  We like our favorite couples to know we love them and will chant, cheer, clap, honk, ring, and shake anything that'll let them hear our approval.  This, in itself, often turns into a competition.  Studio against studio, table against table- people turn up the volume to be the greatest spectators.  If you are coming to watch, please expect this and do not chastise people who are participating in this form of encouragement- the dancers love it!

Story time!  A few years ago at Twin Cities Open (this upcoming event), there were about five couples from the Twin Cities competing professionally on Saturday night to a sold-out crowd. Representing three or four studios, these couples (including the G and I) were spurred to greatness and maniacal grins by the sheer energy (pantyhose?) of the audience.  It was the one of the loudest and most electrifying moments I've had on the floor.  Did I say "loud"?  It was sometimes so loud, I could barely hear the music. Amazing.

There's more ballroom business tomorrow as I explain the "multi-dance events" and hopefully have some live pictures from the competition. 

If you're competing, good luck!  You'll hear me before you see me!