Tampa 2011 Update #4
Breaking News! A third judging panel has been convened to review the scores of the second panel which was convened to review the scores of the original judging panel for the Showcase Division at Tampa Bay Classic 2011. Discussions with a fourth review panel are underway in case this might be needed.
In other news, Lance Shermoen has been brought in to create a program using relative placement to tally the results of four separate panels judging each other, and the city of Tampa has agreed to make available the 448 feet of Convention Center wall space to post the Judges’ Key.
Joking joking just joking! Lance has not been brought in and Tampa did not give us the Convention Center.
Saturday night was fun. (Well, until midnight, when it became a little less fun.) The theme was Academy Awards (Phil had two enormous Oscar figurines and a gigantic clapboard as the backdrop) and began with a small costume parade. Robert Royston, hilarious as always, officiating. He asked Captain America (Adam Sanborn) so what exactly *is* that shield? Is that, like, a kids’ toboggan? That’s exactly what it is, Adam answered. Robert said “We’re in Florida. They’ve never heard of a toboggan in Florida. They never even heard of snow. Okay maybe they have heard of snow but it means something different than snow everywhere else.” (all the Floridians in the audience clapping and jeering). Robert pulls these things out of the air, impromptu. So dang funny.
First we had an exhibition by the Willis Clan, a rendition of “Titanic.” Robert announced that there’d be filming for the Willis reality show again and encouraged us to be patient and supportive of this most amazing family, an important part of our WCS family (encouragement was a good idea cause it was inconvenient having the film crew there – we had to stop the flow of the evening for re-takes, crowd shots, audio takes and the like. I loved watching a film crew at work, and watching even the littlest Willis kids handle anything asked of them with grace and humor. But I can imagine some might have found it an imposition), introducing the family by describing how he’d visited them ten years ago when there were only seven kids … now there are 12 “and they’re all from the same mother!” Then adding as an afterthought, “and the same father!” And how they all play instruments, and sing, and are home-schooled, and write and record their own music, and are USOpen champions, and step dance champions, and state wrestling champions. “I keep thinking,” he added, “if only they applied themselves, maybe they could be good at something.”
Everyone is mesmerized by the Willis’ and their huge, happy family. Now we’ll get to watch them on TV and see if they’re actually as messed up and dysfunctional as the rest of us.
Masters Routines!
- Chips and Janice – cool new routine to an awesome jazz/R&B/hip-hop remix of California Soul. Cool choreography. Loved her costume – black and teal with blitz and what looked like pieces of ruffly somethings attached to the front and sides, sparkling and floating around as she moved – very cool and creative. And appropriate for this elderly hobbling couple hitting their mid-80′s. Okay that’s not true. They’re ridiculously young looking for their mid-80′s. I’m totally jealous.
- Renee and Tommy – also a new routine, to “Get Down On it,” – also cool choreography (they WON! Results down below), wearing black with blue-and-red layered stripes, little blitz to catch the light.
- Wayne Rohr and Cindy Dionne, elegant white, “Best is Yet To Come.”
- Michael and Karen to another cool remix: “Think” (not all remixes improve on the original but both of these mentioned are really good), and their costumes! So good looking! She’s got two different sleeves, slashes of coordinated color and pattern, all black-and-white spots and stripes and pieces, all except for one single blue sequined wrist cuff to match his blue sequined shirt buttons. Such an eye for design! And an understanding of what’s appropriate, creative, and elegant on a Masters couple.
- Wayne Brodd and Karen Metter, “Love and Sex and Magic,” in black and sparkly turquoise, with cool netting
- Buz and Deborah McCreary – ” When Love Comes To Town,” – love this couple. They’re smart, funny, loving, beautiful, and the proud parents of several busloads of children.
- Bob Budzinski and Deborah White – Love this routine! Love the footwork, the play on rythyms, the classical/jazz feel, the subtlety and wit. Love that they’re in formal black and white with one red rose, one red tie, and one set of brilliant red lips.
- Bobby Caudill and Donna Purcell – “Slow Boat to China” (Renee Olstead version), black and shiny metallic blue
And the Masters placements were:
- Tommy and Renee
- Wayne and Cindy
- Michael and Karen
- Chips and Janice
- Wayne and Karen
- Bobby and Donna
- Bob and Deborah
- Buz and Debra
Then … Classic!
In a moment!