MadJam 2012 Update #8
… Champion Jack and Jills continued! …
So four more couples:
BenJen! (Morris/DeLuca), “Rack City” and “Move Across The River.” If ever there was a girl to do Rack City it’s Jen DeLuca omgawd. Love the song – it’s down, down, down – deep, low, gritty as it gets. First growling bass notes and the whole line of Champions are weaving in their chairs – this song’s impossible to sit still to. Ben’s mopping his brow, straightening his shirt, looking like he doesn’t know what he’s in for. Ben seems young to be dancing with hot stuff like Jen, doesn’t he? He may be badder than he looks but that face! He looks so innocent!
So at one point he gives her a hip catch with her famous “triceps-excercise hold” (elbow in the air, hand at the shoulder blade – she did multiple spins like this in, I dunno, 2007?, and for a year the audience would leap to their feet screaming at that point in the routine – it sort of became her signature move) which she spins out of, then back into, and then ducks out. And her duck out, okay why does my duck-out look completely not like her duck-out? I usually get stuck, for one thing. And I’m sorry there’s something about north south east west while looking at your feet – I simply cannot figure out which way to go or what I’m supposed to be ducking *under* so frantic confusion while I’m crouched over thinking where do I put my head where do I put my head over here? over here? over here? and by the time I’ve tried different directions the moment is lost to put it mildly and I have a searing pain in my lower back and a splitting headache. Anyway Jen must do this everyday I guess, while grocery shopping or going through airport security, cause she looks SO HOT.
But seriously – they are both so good, so, so good. Playing off each other, both leading and following at every moment. Such rich dancing.
Royston and Sarah, “Up” and “Drinkin’ Wine.” This was another funny partnership and again because of the grittiness of first song, another down and dirty rap song – which Sarah of course can handle (Sarah invented hips. Before we back on the east coast had ever seen her in person we heard there was this little pip-squeak of a girl who would be laid out flat in a horizontal drop and would body-roll in mid-air, defying gravity and bringing audiences screaming to their feet.) But Robert Royston! He’s the cleanest, wholesomest country boy to ever dance to a dirty rap song and it was hilarious watching him try.. This is a man who knows how to play an audience better than anyone out there but I’m not sure he was actually “performing” he looked so out of his element. Best moment – which you must go watch for yourself (put it on slo-mo if you can, or try to find a different video that might catch his face head-on because it’s the detail that is fall-down funny) – is when she surprises him by spinning around and he gets caught about to do a spank so starts clapping his hands nervously real fast like a spazz, way up under his chin all dorky, and his facial expression! So guilty and sheepish! Bright red and sweaty. Omg. It’s funny on tape but maybe that’s cause we’re remembering it live – hope you can see how hilarious this moment was. Genieboy and I have been recounting it to each other for a week falling out of our chairs laughing.
Maxence and Hazel, “Far Away” and “Think” – WOW! Two gorgeous dances! Hazel is so musical and Maxence! Maxence is just merveilleux. Both of these people are exceptionally friendly, welcoming, and open, both are great listeners – and they dance that way. This was a GREAT partnership. Hazel’s face! She has one of those smiles that capture a room. And man is she quick! Smooth, creative dancing. Everyone knew they’d do well and they did! Third place (behind Arjay and Melissa and Kyle and Deborah.)
And last of all the wonderful handsome amazing Brennar and our beautiful Lemery (actually if we’re lucky we might soon be calling Brennar “our” Brennar, too, if he is accepted to the Naval Academy in Annapolis. Won’t we be lucky in DC! Not that we’d get to see him much. But we might! We saw Orion while he was here… which he got docked for, a lot, but we did see a lot of Orion.)
“Stereo Hearts” and “Spankin’ Leroy.” So Spankin Leroy has this famous break, right? A full eight-count silence. So Brennar and Lemery are standing facing each other and on 1 of this great break Brennar reaches his hand through her legs, planning to have her reach behind her back and pull him through. Only the coordination of the grabbing-of-hands and the crouching-versus-standing-upright doesn’t happen quite in sync like it’s supposed to and there are a few seconds where all we are able to see – we’re one foot away on the floor at eye-level this whole thing unrolling silently in slo-mo like falling off your bicycle – all we see is Brennar’s hand groping blindly, wildly in the air, searching for a lifeline, something to grab onto, and since they are both now standing up his hand is just a bit too “cozy” for comfort. It’s silent, it feels like time freezes and all eyes are on the hand wiggling helplessly in the wrong spot.
Believe it or not the move actually worked out perfectly. After this moment. Brennar slides through and comes up at the other end of the slot exactly right on time! And it was made funnier and certainly more interesting because of that one long long second, being out on that precipice for that one scary moment. The whole audience (and all the pros in their chairs) laughed in relief when it was done.
What a fun division this was!
Scores were posted last night!
Classic:
- Brennar Goree & Torri Smith
- Arjay Centeno & Jennifer Deluca
- Kyle Redd & Sarah Vann Drake
- Ben Morris & Melissa Rutz
- Sean Mckeever & Courtney Adair
- Kristopher Swearingen & Rebecca Ludwick
- Ben McHenry & Cameo Cross
- Sebastien Cadet & Blandine Iche
- Kevin Fitzhugh & Ashley Riddick
- Jason Marker & Annmarie Marker
Showcase:
- Myles Monroe & Tessa Cunningham
- Robert Royston & Nicola Royston
- Gregory Scott & Lemery Rollins
- Robert Jackson & Connie Gauthier
- Ben Hooten & Rebecca Ludwick
Juniors
- Christopher Dumond & Nicole Clonch
- Akil Boatwright & Alexis Garrish
- Stephen Guido & Hannah Clonch
- Josh Williamson & Anyssa Olivares
- Brandon Anzaldi & Madison Malone
- Cameron Crook & Amanda Mckamey
Rising Star
- Brady Stanton & Libby Collins
- Reginald Beason & Lara Deni
- Michael Saloka & Nicole Zwerlwein
- Jerome Chanchom & Laura Conforti-rousse
- Derek Leyva & Katheryn Baca
- Jc Bryant & Tracy Martin
- Jason Lane & Mary Beth Lane
Teams
- Capital Swing
- Les Cingles du Swing
- DC Swing
Cabaret
- Ryan B-Boy Boz
- Favorite Things
- Stephanie and the BBs
- Nightclub two step
Strictlys
Novice
- Rich Chung & Nam Lim Kim
- Xavier Dumail & Vanessa Bazin
- David Kalifa & Olga Usmanova
- Claude Frezou & Laura Conforti-rousse
- Justin Spencer & Kimberley Myers
- Myat Nyunt & Margaret Tuttle
- Brendan Jacques & Talley Starbird
- Scott Gilbert & Patricia Rogan
- Tommy Brodie & Samarah Wright
- Nathan Smith & Schroeder Noble
- J. Fernandez & Marine Fabre
- Olivier Duplay & Virginie Duplay
- John Bowman & Alaina Sisley
- Yu Sun & Nicole Zwerlwein
- Stephane Schneider & Amanda Mckamey
- Jeff Mumford & Leah Burkman
- Tj Bednash & Sally Charles
- Kyle Merritt & Nicole Stottlemyer
- Froilan Mate & Sara Plescia
- Michael Blackburn & Natalie Kuczma
- Sam Easley & Raquel Williams
- Trevor Spika & Chelsea Spika
- Cameron Crook & Estelle Bonnaire
- Jb Brodie & Helen Tocco
- Reginald Beason & Heidi Batdorf
- Sebastien Cadet & Sandra Pellegrini
- Grigoriy Lebedev & Katia Avlasevich
- Bradford Whelan & Anna Balcom
- Stephane Dominguez & Samantha Fernandez
- Pj Turner & Lara Deni
- Akil Boatwright & Celine Sully
- Matthew Smith & Libby Collins
- Keith Stremmel & Erica Smith
- Mitchell Marcello & Lori Rousar
- Brennar Goree & Deborah Szekely
- Kyle Redd & Jennifer Deluca
- Robert Royston & Lemery Rollins
- Maxence Martin & Emeline Rochefeuille
- Michael Kielbasa & Cameo Cross
- Arjay Centeno & Patty Vo
- Brent Key & Kellese Key
- Robert Cordoba & Tessa Cunningham
- Ben Mchenry & Sarah Vann Drake
- Ben Morris & Virginie Grondin
- Kevin Fitzhugh & Kimberly Ciccarelli
- Dave Damon & Sue Lambell
- Lewis Neal & Leslie Mallory
- Mike Glasgow & Debbie Ramsey-Boz
- Anthony Jones & Linda Allen
- Eddie Karoliussen & Kristin Wenger
- Gerry Morris & Kelly Wentling
- Will Burbage & Johanna Barnes
- Shawn Brennan & Nancy Price
- Roger Harris & Adela Su
- Chris Cusick & Mary Keegan
- Chris Arasin & Gabriela Figueredo
- Kevin Loveland & Veronica Castilla
- Charles Williams Jr. & Sara Frazier
- Nathan Johnson & Danielle Cooper
- Tom Allen & Kendall Pham
- Gregory Johnson & Allison Bennett
- Thomas Gomez & Darlene Crowl
- Billy Northcutt & Gayle Allen
- Bob Carleone & Kelly Jordan
- Elan Ronen & Robin Stocksdale
- Justin Spencer & Laura Conforti-rousse
- Roger Batista & Raquel Williams
- Jerome Chanchom & Becky Wolcott
- Derek Leyva & Sarah Sheaff
- Luc Maurette & Katheryn Baca
- Tyler Sullivan & Shelby Thorne
- Rich Chung & Jennie Hartman
- Tommy Brodie & Sara Plescia
- Kevin Vial & Joni Horton
- Jerome Subey & Taylor Bechtold
- Ewan Dupree & Margaret Tuttle
- Josh Williamson & Larysa Krasij
- Olivier Duplay & Alaina Sisley
- John Nye & Virginie Duplay
- Benjamin Folch & Victoria Andromalos-dale
- Jeff Mumford & Kendra Zara
- Riquelme David & Terra Summers
- Scott Mehlberg & Natalie Kuczma
- Phouvanh Meckhasinh & Whitney Brown
- Andrew Mastin & Auntonya Rogers
- Akil & Blandine
- Reginald Beason & Nicole Clonch
- Stephane Dominguez & Emeline Rochefeuille
- Andrew Makowski & Virginie Grondin
- Rajeev & Lisa Toepel
- Sebastien & Estelle
- Stephen Guido & Anyssa Olivares
- Eric Byers & Celine
- Mitch Marcello & Abi Wood
- Kris Swearingen & Chelsea Spika
- Cameron Crook & Trendlyon Veal
- Doug Rousar & Cameo
- Stephen White & Jen Diener
- Erik Novoa & Yuna
- Trevor Spika & Samantha Fernandez
- Rob Jackson & Tori Ellington
- Kyle Patel & Heidi Batdorf
- Jb Brodie & Lara Deni
- Brandon Gautreaux & Helen Tocco
- Arjay Centeno & Melissa Rutz
- Kyle Redd & Deborah Szekely
- Maxence Martin & Hazel Ulrich
- Ben Morris & Jennifer Deluca
- Robert Royston & Sarah Vann Drake
- Brent Key & Torri Smith
- Parker Dearborn & Tessa Cunningham
- Michael Kielbasa & Kellese Key
- Brennar Goree & Lemery Rollins
- Akil & Whitney Brown
- Josh Williamson & Hannah
- Stephen Guido & Amanda
- Brandon Anzaldi & Anyssa
- Cameron & Madison
- Chris Dumond & Alexis Garrish
- Tommy Brodie & Nicole
- Gary Jobst & Lorraine Rohlik
- Kevin & Johanna Barnes
- Mike Glasgow & Robin Tittley
- James H & Patty Gray
- Dave Damon & Tracy Gauthier
- William Mattocks & Kelly Wentling
- Gerry Morris & Robin Grimsby
- Miguel & Tammy Brown
- Shawn Brennan & Sue Lambell
- Marcus Schwarz & Kristin Wenger
- Genieboy & Cathleen Rhodes
Intermediate
Advanced
Open
Sophisticated**
Jack and Jills:
Newcomer
Intermediate
Advanced
All-Star
Champion
Juniors
Sophisticated**
** “Sophisticated” (in case you’re wondering what the heck it is) is kind of like your pinky toe or appendix: it’s a holdover division from years ago with no real use anymore (ie no points tracked by the wsdc) and mostly not seen on the circuit (I don’t know if we’ve ever seen this division in California, mid-west or Texas – it’s mostly an east-coast thing. Or maybe just DC?) It’s an age division, up to the event director what the age is (we’ve seen it 30+, 35+, 40+) The wsdc points registry does track Masters (50+) and as more and more baby-boomers enter that demographic more and more comps are including Masters divisions for Jack and Jills, Strictlys, and a NASDE Routine division (for which there is a great tour, created by Bob and Beverly Budzinski and rewarded handsomely with a large pot at the end of the year both by the tour and by the Open. Not naming names but one lucky couple recently walked off with just about 10K at the Open.) We are aware of some terrific new Masters routines in the works for this year – the division is finally taking itself seriously and becoming respectable.
LOTS MORE TO TELL!
There always is.
And pictures!
And meanwhile, it is Friday, and the Chicago Classic is in full swing! This is our first year in seven that we can’t be there. But we will be watching all weekend! You too can watch it, here:
http://globaldance.tv/set/_q6I6/watch/_yie7/chicago-classic-live
More soooon …..