Monthly Archive

All I can say about last night is that the bus ride alone, to the Strip, with Jordan as DJ, and other “things” on the bus … hahaha … this alone made the trip to Vegas worth it.

And then clubbing afterwards … can’t go into detail about that, either except to say wow, WAY fun.

This comp’s gonna be off the charts, a unique experience, that’s fo sho. A “pushing the envelope” kind of comp.  Helluva weekend-long unforgettable party, a party that will go down in history for sure. Man oh man oh man we are glad we’re here oh boy.

If we find a nearby body of water for Parker to fall into life will be complete.

Oh man! Just back from Competitors’ Meeting in the lobby bar!

WHAT A SCENE!

Jordan: “Repeat after me: WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS STAYS IN VEGAS! WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS STAYS IN VEGAS! WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS STAYS IN VEGAS! WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS DOES NOT GO UP IMMEDIATELY ON FACEBOOK!”

“And I promise you what happens in front of my eyes I WILL TALK ABOUT ON THE MIC.”

What a scene! What a crowd! Half already dressed in Whites for tonight how stunning! All of us jammed into the lobby bar -  most amazing Morocco-Meets-Manhattan-in-Vegas decked-out hipster bar …

Parker: “Tonight is just Novice and Intermediate so if you’re not in those divisions you can just go ahead right now and start getting wasted”

Earl, Parker and Jordan on bar stools: “Raise your glasses! If you don’t have a glass [bleep content deleted]” …. “and here’s to Kyle and Sarah who will finally getting married this weekend!” … “and to Jordan who this weekend will lose my [bleep content deleted]” …

And then Benji … hahahaha …. hilarious hilarious over-the-top absolutely unrepeatable ragging (that is a pun … I cannot say more) on a certain person I cannot name …

Oh man this weekend!

Never been a comp like this, not for a looooooong long time.

Pool party at the Cabanas! Terraces of pools – we’re on the top level with a long skinny pool length of a football field and a line of cabanas running alongside, each with couches and pillows, drinks, waitresses and pool boys with trays of shots, drinks, fruit platters, nachos; dancers in bathing suits and picnic clothes splashing, laughing, lounging, taking videos that shouldn’t get posted, big SinCity backdrop at the front for Brad’s professional shots, more great music … what a scene! Another scene!

Speaking of scenes – last night’s White Party! Novice and Intermediate JJ’s last night with almost every competitor in head-to-toe elegant out-on-the-town white – so beautiful!

And then the first night of the Three-Night Royal Flush Invitational Jack and Jill – ALL IN WHITE! Oh. My. Gawd.

Oh but wait – Jordan’s debut as Emcee! 8:00pm music in the ballroom stops and we hear,

“Welcome!
“To Sin!
“City!
“2012!
“And now!
“Emcee for the first annual SinCity Swing!
“Please welcome
“Mr. Jordaaaaan Frisbeeeeeee! …. “

And out walks Elvis Presley! White Vegas bell-bottoms, glitzy white and gold suitjacket, sideburns, pompadour, shades! Jordan! One bad-ass sexaaaay Elvis.  Jordan is so handsome this weekend – he’s always handsome but this weekend he is looking spectacular. Not just as Elvis, he is just looking hawt. And Jessica last night! Prettiest Priscilla evah!

Not your ordinary rolling of dice for JJ rotation … Jordan’s got an Ipad with a dice-rolling program … you gotta “stroke it to spin it” … girls in the audience really liking this part …

No “front” in this room – dancing is to all four walls – another new experiement, changes the whole dynamic in the room.  Love, LOVE how Parker and Earl are taking risks all over the place with this comp, seeing what works, what doesn’t, trying out all sorts of cool new ideas – so exciting to be part of this, we are soooo glad we’re here for this first year. Gut feeling (and who knows what will happen tonight we haven’t even made it through 24 hours yet) is that this event is going to be HUGE. You’ll have to get your tickets a year in advance cause they’ll sell out (like Phoenix back in the day.)

Oh yeah forgot to mention – ballroom open 24/7. Deejays Louie The Great, Victor The Great, Kelly The Great.  The casino is open around the clock, restaurants, bars, pools, everything else open all day all night you can’t tell the difference, so why not the ballroom too? So great GREAT music – the kind you can’t walk out on – and a full floor – any time you walk down there. Oh man! If ever there was a place for an addictive-type personality this is it.

Oh yeah also! I cannot forget to mention that Brady and Libby are here from Australia, funny wonderful Brady and Libby (that’s Libby Collins who, with Louis Juarez, just won Advanced in Phoenix), and that somehow, Wednesday night or actually in the wee hours of Thursday morning, Brady and Libby got separated from each other and someone somewhere wrapped duct tape round and round her foot to hold her heel onto her shoe (she does remember telling someone she wasn’t about to walk barefoot) and she found herself in Planet Hollywood, somewhere in Planet Hollywood she’s not sure where, with half of half of one percent of battery left on her cell phone calling Brady to please come find her “and there were other things” she said what other things I asked “no I’m not telling you any other things cause you’ll write about them” she said “just other things.”

Oh my gawd The Royal Flush! Dimmed the lights, red spotlight, black lights so all the white clothes glowed! First couple Arjay and Sharlot dancing to “Come Together” AUGHGHGHGHGH!!!! SHARLOT!!!!! THE WOMAN IS AN AMAZEMENT! And Arjay!!! Oh my god this dance was simply magic! And in that moody dark room, only their dim shapes, glowing white clothes, glints of red light on the outlines of their bodies WOW!

It went on like that. Brent and Kellese (Parker introducing them: “These two are so in love they got married again”) to No Diggity (Parker after they danced “You two are definitely hired back. As long as she wears that dress.” (Kellese’s white dress was short. Real short.) Jordan and Melissa Rutz to Novacane AUGHGHGH!! THEY OOZED! Every body part in constant gentle flowy motion, like tendrils of hair floating through water. Kyle and Deborah Szekely, “Best You Ever Had,” Sarah and Terry Roseborough “Let’s Get It On,” Myles and Henriette, Ben and Tatiana, Benji and Jessica (SO gorgeous! So crazy ridiculous gorgeous. 30 seconds of this danced down on the floor, actually lying on the floor, dancing *while* lying on the floor.), Michael Norris and Tessa (did you know that Myles and Tessa are getting married in October? I didn’t! But I do now, cause Thursday night a whole cadre of handsome guys swaggered into our club on the strip dressed in suits and ties, Myles at the front. It was his bachelor’s party! What a great time and place to have your bachelor’s party right?), Olivier and Lisa D’Amico “What’s My Name,” Damon and Henriette (again!) to “Lady Luck.”

And then.

The “birthday dance” for Ben Morris and Brad Whelan.

I can’t tell you about that, except that it made the night.

I do have pictures though.

I have incriminating evidence! Blackmail! hahaha oh man that’s a great idea, the more I think of it! Man oh man oh man do I have incriminating evidence!

Oh, and in wee hours of social dancing last night Parker said “This just in! Free passes to Swingtime next weekend if you [bleep content deleted] so one girl removed [bleep] and Benji [bleep bleep BLEEP!!!!] HAHAHA priceless!

More JJ’s in an hour, then a James Bond, Rat Pack, “Sex Sells Baby – Ladies in Dresses and Heels” Saturday night. Cannot WAIT to see The Jordan Show tonight.

Oh yeah … and the video of Parker walking into the Hudson River and being dragged out by the security guards BY HIS BELT! Jordan following along screaming his head off laughing, Festa, Louie, a whole crowd of us losing it in the background. Oh my god this is one of the funniest videos ever. That’s how the event opened last night.

Omgawd tonight! Tell you about it tomorrow cause gotta go to sleep now …

In the meantime here are Advanced finalists:

Arnaud Perga
Matt Nichols
Paul Harris
Brady Stanton
Jeff Smith
Kevin Kane
(alternates Martin Parker and Genieboy Collins)

Anya Crane
Virginie Perga
Liza Hillman
Tammy Duke
Shannon Tobin
Libby Collins
(alts Shoshi Kushnir and Debbie Noble)

Will post Novice and Int finalists tomorrow. Allstar did a show (a fun show) instead of a judged competition cause only six couples.

Tonight was funnnnn!

Okaybyeg’nite.

Results (Not yet wsdc-sanctioned this first year):

Novice Finalists:
Michael Smith
Kevin Wallace
Nicolas Handschuh
Phuong Pham
Stephane Vittorelli
Tristan Cachoz
Nigel Pontee
Jeromy Kovatana
Stryder Crown
Jessica Sandoval
Jessica Green
Renna Carver
Gretchen Efferle
Niki Starks
Kristine Dougherty
Iva Bridges
Christina White
Clarise Okwach
(alts: Bryson Daich, Jeff Fraunhoffer, Krista Kennedy, Stephanie Hill)

Novice Winners:
1st Place Tristan Cachoz and Gretchen Eiferle
2nd Jeromy Kovatiana and Kristine Dougherty
3rd Stephane Vittomeli and Renna Carver

Intermediate Finalists:
Kes Parakininkas
Bret Navarre
David Requelme
James Cook
Christian Spengler
Nick Hughes
Wayne Brodd
Mark Narang
Brendan Jacques
Joanna Tai
Rachel Kumar
Maelle Jacoulet
Vivian Glucksmann-Weiss
Lauren Byrd
Agnes Bautista
Kate Sibley
Shalay Branch
Stacy Kay
(alts Patrick Plagens, Billy Stalzer, Janekim Ancheta, Melody Carr)

Intermediate Winners:
1st Place Bret Navarre and Lauren Byrd
2nd James Cook and Agnes Bautista
3rd Christian Spengler and Shalay Branch

Advanced Winners:
1st Place Kevin Kane and Liza Hillman
2nd Brady Stanton and Anya Crane
3rd Matt Nichols and Shannon Tobin
(with other Advanced finalists: Arnaud Perga, Jeff Smith, Paul Harris, Tammy Duke, Virginie Perga, and Libby Collins)

Allstar Winners:
1st Place Josh Sturgeon and Katie Schneider
2nd Hugo Minez and Kara
3rd Brad Whelan and Tara Trafzer
(with other Allstar finalists: Ben McHenry, Bella Viramontes, Tara Steinke, Rachel Baumgardner, and Stacy Chiang)

Masters Finalists:
Rick Maruyama
Wayne Brodd
Martin Brown
Genieboy Collins
Patrick Plagens
Bill Hennggeler
Alex Vlahos
Joel Demarco
Julie Epplett
Susan Fries
Agnes Bautista
Sharon Martinez
Vivian Glucksmann-Weiss
Patty Jones

Masters Winners:
1st Place Martin Brown and Julie Epplett
2nd Patrick Plagens and Agnes Bautista
3rd Alex Vlahos and Vivian Glucksman-Weiss

Winners Champions Royal Flush

Round I
Ben and Tatiana

Round II
Olivier and Melissa

Round III
Benji and Deborah Szekely

Overall Winners:
1st Place Jessica
2nd Melissa Rutz
3rd Tatiana

1st Place Benji
2nd Olivier
3rd Arjay

Our ballroom is in the grand hall, between  the casino at one end and at the other huge glass doors exiting to a massive rose-colored pillared balcony where you stand at eye-level with the Rockies and blood-red setting sun, below you cascading terraces of pools and winding staircases taking you down to them.  A steady stream of onlookers passed by the ballroom all weekend on their way from the casino to the pool stopping to peer in at the scene going on inside, drawn by the dance music booming into the hall.  Word got around the resort that this cool dance thing was going on.

So. While we we were at our pool party at the cabanas on Saturday afternoon Parker held a free Project Swing open to the public. He had had us invite anyone we met in the casino, restaurants, bars, spa, walking through the halls which was easy cause strangers had been stopping us all weekend to ask “what’s going on in there? what are you guys doing? I love to dance where can I do this kind of dancing?” We looked into the ballroom at 4pm — 100 newbies getting a free three-hour West Coast Beginners workshop. So cool!

Food choices are grrrreat. Food is *not* a problem at this comp!  On the contrary – the problem is overeating.  More accurately the problem here is overindulging in every pleasure. If you consider overindulging a problem, that is. But as for food – not only are you in Vegas where you can find many of the top restaurant chefs of the world (our hotel has a free shuttle to the strip) but the hotel itself has its own food court. In addition to a humongous ginormous endless orgy of a buffet (quarter-mile long of Mexican, Italian, American classic, Chinese, Barbeque, omlettes/fritattas of every sort, pizzas, cold pasta, vegetarian and health-food dishes, salads, cakes and pastries, gelato — all for $7.99 — open and hopping any hour of the day or night;) but also the “Grand Cafe” with a menu for owners of a Players Card (get one free in the casino) which lets you order steak and eggs, hashbrowns, toast and coffee for $1.99. Or hamburger and fries for $1.99. Or a variety of other excellent entrees for $5.99. Wine, mixed drinks (every drink in the universe, of course – this is Vegas) for $4.  Or, if you prefer, Whole Foods is walking distance. Nothing ever closes, nothing ever slows down. Employees and patrons alike act as if it’s normal to be wide awake and busy at 4am.

Oh!  Speaking of being wide awake you will not *believe* what happened on Saturday night (well, Sunday morning actually) at the … oh WAIT OOOPS sorry can’t tell you! Promised not to put this story in writing …

Speaking of 4am, that’s when we left the ballroom Saturday night and there were still 150 people on the floor dancing to every song – Louis’ music – crazy great …

There will only ever be one First Year of SinCity.  And we were there!

This event is destined to be hugely influential on our circuit …  in 20 years they’ll be showing videos of the early years of SinCity (“look how young they look!” He had hair!) telling stories about this first weekend. This event will be the leading edge, the experimental comp, shaping the directions and trends of events everywhere else.

And what a time we had!

Have to say – Jordan is one bad-ass emcee. Of course Jordan’s been on a mic doing workshops for half of his life already so he’s completely relaxed, spontaneous, and most importantly funny. He brings a young hip elegance, an international flavor, dresses beautifully, and is linked-in to the culture, jokes, fashion, styles and tastes of the younger set around the world. His leadership makes for a fresh, exciting, new feel.

The whole event felt new in fact. Newness and innovation were the defining characteristics of the weekend more than anything else. The four-wall idea, for instance, “theater in the round” style seating (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theatre_in_the_round.) An experiment which didn’t exactly work this weekend but I’m hoping Parker and Earl don’t give up on it because it could work, possibly, with a few adjustments. This year the room felt a bit disorganized and confusing – an interior designer might say the room didn’t make sense somehow, didn’t flow or create activity centers. A feng-shui person might say the energy was flying out in all directions at once crashing into each other at the ceiling okay a feng-shui person might not use those words but you get what I’m trying to say. It felt like it was missing a focal point. There was no backdrop unless you consider the shoe vendors the backdrop. DJ booth right beside them. Small 2-person tables all around the edge of the floor, two sets of risers behind. It’s like you walked into the room and had to stand there for a long time trying to figure out what was what, like maybe the room wasn’t finished being set up. It’s human nature to naturally form a stage and an audience, it’s primitive behavior for our species to do this without even being conscious of it. So almost immediately a natural “front” was created in the room -  despite the seating arrangements – and the videographer moved his camera to that side as did anyone else who wanted to view the stage the way we’re hard-wired to view it. I’ve been to many center-staged “theatre in the round” plays and when I think about it now it seems they work through the use of careful lighting, a dropped stage, very clear circular seating design, and a different acting style entirely. For a dance event we have different considerations – we have the DJ booth to consider, for instance, no small matter since the DJ booth is what often determines the “hot spots,” traffic channels, shadowy areas, and other social characteristics of the room. In addition we choreograph our routines to one wall which probably affects our social dancing as well (and JJ’s and SS’s) where we are always at least semi-aware of an audience on one side only. So it will be a challenge to make this idea work for wcs but I am hoping Parker and Earl do stick with it for another year. I can envision a circular, dramatically-lit, neon-electric scene, darkness around the periphery, risers all around putting the stage at the bottom center … it could be extremely exciting!

Not enough Allstars for a prelim so instead Saturday night the Allstars performed for us an impromptu “show” – very very funny. I’m guessing, from their outfits, that they must have been told five minutes before the show that they were doing the show.

Jordan brought them onto the floor saying “Allstars! Let’s give a big welcome to the Allstars! I like you I just don’t like you THAT MUCH. It’s a job security thing.”

Six couples, two heats.

Louis DJing, so first heat began with a Two-Step! Second with a polka! Hugo Minez in shades, Tara Steineke still in her bathing suit from the pool party, Joshua Sturgeon in white gangster hat, shades, gray silk suit, Bella in the shortest hottest short shorts covered with tassles which spun horizontally when she did. Ben McHenry in jeans (Jordan: “Dude you knew there was a dress-code tonight, right? You knew tonight was black-tie and TOMORROW was jeans, right? So tomorrow, when all the rest of us are in jeans, you have to be in a suit!”), Kara and Katie in sleek tight party dresses and stillettos.

Saturday morning Jessica taught a Ladies-Only “Strip-Tease” class and Saturday night the class performed a Chair-Dance Strip-Tease routine for the rest of us! In heels and a man’s dress shirt! Oh. My. Gawd. How great! With Jessica at the front. And beside her … dancing right along on a chair … well, sort of dancing right along … not very well actually … was EARL! Really funny. He’s too tall, first of all.  Second of all, everything else was wrong. So funny! So so funny.

That’s how Saturday night started off.

Pictures:  https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151038869038189.455071.603988188&type=1&l=699e006b10

Parker, Saturday night:  “Show of hands: Who was up last night till 3am?” (every hand in the room goes up)

“4am?” (every hand up)

“5? 6? 7?” (couple down)

“8?” (half the hands down)

“9?!? 9am?!? Anyone still dancing at 9am this morning?” (twelve hands waving)

“10:00am?!?” (Libby, a little shy, her hand trying to hide behind her head)

“Anyone not gone to sleep yet? Michael Kiehm! Congratulations! Up all night and still going strong!”

“And now, our emcee for tonight’s proceedings, help me welcome Mr.! Jordaaaaaaaaaaaan! Frisbeeeeeeeee!” and Jordan comes running onto the floor, in a stunning Korean black silk suit jacket with nehru collar and double-layered angled lapels (“Wow gorgeous” I asked him later, “who is it?” “Kucci. Like Gucci, Korean version. Sounds like …” yeah right thanks Jordan hahaha

Then here comes Earl comes weaving through the aisles, gangster hat and shades, carrying a big tray of fancy pink shots  “And tonight Jordan will be joining each of our Royal Flush couples in taking a shot before the dance! Our specialty drink: ‘Liquid Panty Dropper!’ (http://www.drinknation.com/drink/liquid-panty-dropper)

Jordan, on fire on the mic Saturday night:
“How SICK is this hotel?!? Best venue in swing!
“Hey Deborah, did I hear something about a lap dance? What’s that – you don’t know what I’m talking about? I’m just sayin’ – I might have heard something. Just opening a door here in case you felt like discussing anything ….
“Hey what about that stripper class! I happen to know personally that Jessica is very good at this skill.”

Royal Flush Round II!
Rat-Pack Standards;  Shot of Panty Dropper; Black Tie, Dresses and Heels

Kyle and Melissa, “Somewhere Beyond The Sea” (absolutely stunning smooth dancing)

Myles and Lisa, “Ain’t That A Kick In The Head”

Michael Norris and Tessa, “Fever”

Arjay and Jessica, “Under My Skin”

Olivier and Melissa, “Making Whoopee”

Ben and Sarah, “World On A String”

Benji and Kellese, “She’s A Woman”

Jordan and Tatiana, “Luck Be A Lady”   (156 bpm! In dress heels! Holy shamoly! Tatiana said her shins were on fire!)

Terry and Henriette, “Fly Me To The Moon”

Deborah Szekely and Damon, “Lady Is A Tramp”

… and the All-Skate to – what else? – Elvis’ “Little Less Conversation”

WHAT A SHOW! So perfect for a Saturday night! So perfect for Vegas! I wonder what the pros think about having to dance for us three nights in a row. Sure hope they like it because MAN OH MAN it sure is fun to watch! I’d rather see these guys dancing than any show in Vegas – easy choice.

Speaking of pros – this was the comp to be at if you’ve ever wished to see them down in the ballroom for late-nite social dancing. Both nights all those guys above, and Earl and Parker of course, all of ‘em in the ballroom dancing all night till the wee hours, with each other and with everyone else. Will this happen ever again? Who knows – the event will never again be as small and intimate as it was this first year.  But this year? Crazy fun!