Ceroc Champs May 2011

[robd]

The results in full

The Lucky Dip runner up female was Emily Richardson

[marcusj]

If it was the same then I am surprised you thought that Marcus. Did they have their outfits on? I thought it was good fun, not a massive amount of great dancing in there but still well choreographed and the Troxy crowd seemed to like it a lot more than the judges did.

Maybe it was different bunch and maybe they did sharpen up by Sunday, but "not a massive amount of great dancing" is a bit of an understatement, saw first moves, saw baskets, saw pretzels, rarely in time with each other and a noticable bounce on every beat.

Re the Troxy crowd, not that I'm a fan of the dreaded X Factor, but often the worst acts get the biggest audience reaction !

Just got my Victor Meldrew head on, that was 2 dance nights in a row where having paid my money at the door to have a few hours dancing wasn't particularly happy to have to suffer one of these for 15 minutes, bit like a raffle at a party, guaranteed to ruin the atmosphere.

[David Bailey]

People partied out from the Royal Wedding?
Long holidays across the double long weekends?
Fewer people want to spend £30 + travel on a day out watching dancing right now?

I just wondered if this was a seasonal thing or simply a blip.

Certainly I've heard that other events over the past few weeks have been quiet.

[Andy McGregor]

I just wondered if this was a seasonal thing or simply a blip.

Certainly I've heard that other events over the past few weeks have been quiet.

I think there is something seasonal going on. At our events we've not noticed a drop in numbers, but most of our nights have been slow to get going. We're guessing that the sunny weather is keeping people in their gardens - our theory is that they come dancing once the sun goes in.

[Prian]

I think there is something seasonal going on. At our events we've not noticed a drop in numbers

Everybody too busy watching DT on the telly.

Haven't seen it yet is it on youtube?

[David Franklin]

Haven't seen it yet is it on youtube?

A few clips are about: http://www.youtube.com/results?searc...oc+champs+2011

[robd]

Maybe it was different bunch and maybe they did sharpen up by Sunday, but "not a massive amount of great dancing" is a bit of an understatement, saw first moves, saw baskets, saw pretzels, rarely in time with each other and a noticable bounce on every beat.

I'm sure it was the same bunch and I see no problem with beginner's moves in a team cabaret nor a bounce. What is fundamental to a team cabaret IMO is synchronisation and this let down a couple of teams on Sunday.

[David Bailey]

I think there is something seasonal going on. At our events we've not noticed a drop in numbers, but most of our nights have been slow to get going. We're guessing that the sunny weather is keeping people in their gardens - our theory is that they come dancing once the sun goes in.

Yes - Berko's been slow early on, but busy later.

I suspect it's a combination of the multiple holidays, late Easter and good weather going on.

Either that, or I blame the Russians.

[Gus]

A few clips are about: http://www.youtube.com/results?searc...oc+champs+2011

OK ... going to opne myself up for some flack here but...

Just watched some of the Advanced Final clip ... and I'm exhausted! Was everybody fed pro-plus? I know its the usual comment but not sure there was that much musical interpretation going on. There were a few couples showing some good technique, but given that this was the Advanced FINAL I was expecting something more? Am I being unfair?

[Prian]

A few clips are about: http://www.youtube.com/results?searc...oc+champs+2011

Thanks David, enjoyed the link, but I actually meant clips of DT's Come Dine With Me.

[philsmove]

OK ... going to open myself up for some flack here but...

?

No Flack, _but it seem a bit unreasonable to jude a performance based on an amature video,
from YouTube

[Lou]

OK ... going to opne myself up for some flack here but...

Just watched some of the Advanced Final clip ... and I'm exhausted! Was everybody fed pro-plus? I know its the usual comment but not sure there was that much musical interpretation going on. There were a few couples showing some good technique, but given that this was the Advanced FINAL I was expecting something more? Am I being unfair?

Ah, Gus. You're getting old.

It's always hard to tell from one clip, but (to my untrained eye) it looked pretty much the same as it's always been. I really liked the couple at the very left of the screen - the ones with the girl in the blue top. I thought they caught the feel of the song very nicely.

[meghann]

Also watching the advanced finals...
It seems to be (almost) compulsory for girls to be very scantily clad. Which is fine if you're got the body!

So where does one find all these good leaders to dance with?

[David Bailey]

Also watching the advanced finals...
It seems to be (almost) compulsory for girls to be very scantily clad.

Yeah?

Back in a second, folks. Just got some, err, work to do.

[robd]

It's always hard to tell from one clip, but (to my untrained eye) it looked pretty much the same as it's always been. I thought they caught the feel of the song very nicely.

I agree. There's not a huge amount of obvious musicality but there rarely is in competitions that I have seen (and, to be fair, it's pretty difficult to achieve) The Open was much the same IMO. The song on that Advanced clip wasn't the greatest either in my opinion. The most musical dancing I saw throughout the day came from Dale & Sophie in Pro-Am but they didn't even place in that category.

Also watching the advanced finals...
It seems to be (almost) compulsory for girls to be very scantily clad. Which is fine if you're got the body!

I believe that in Adv/Open a proportion of the marks are awarded for competitor's outfits and those Latin style outfits seem de rigeur for the ladies. The girl in the gold did take it a bit further than some though Even in the categories where marks are not awarded for outfits many people still pulled out the flash dresses as the rounds progressed and I think it makes sense since they are so eye catching that I'd expect a judge to be drawn towards what that dancer was doing rather than someone more plainly attired.

[DD+]

Also watching the advanced finals...
It seems to be (almost) compulsory for girls to be very scantily clad. Which is fine if you're got the body!

Damn - that must be why we didnt make the final !! To many Clothes

[Lou]

I agree. There's not a huge amount of obvious musicality but there rarely is in competitions that I have seen (and, to be fair, it's pretty difficult to achieve)

True. As has already been said, there isn't really much to the song that'd been played, but having just looked at it again, there's some nice phrasing going on with the couple with the girl in white. It's subtle, so I guess you could argue that everything needs to be more obvious for comps.

[David Franklin]

The song on that Advanced clip wasn't the greatest either in my opinion.

Indeed. In the UK scene, there seems to be a belief that the way to "test" dancers is to give them some obscure track which is difficult to dance to. And then they're surprised when there's not a great deal of musicality displayed.

It's notable that the US WCS scene takes a very different approach, with, to my mind, better results.

[IanManning]

ps what happen to double trouble it was listed but didn't happen ?

THey didn't have any entries (according to Tim Sant) which is why they allowed 6 entries in the cabaret,.

[IanManning]

that was brilliant to watch - hilarious.. good job whoever choreographed that!

Why thank you (on behalf Rachel Shaw-Edwards and I who put it together)!