Summer Hummer 2013 – Recap

Quick recap of Summer Hummer highlights.

Favorite part of the weekend: ROUTINES! Eight Rising Star! Nine Classic! Seven Showcase! Five pro-am routines on Sunday!

RISING STAR

Six brand new routines in this division, the other two only second time out on the floor!

NEW! Erich Soares & Gabriella Messias with “Never Close Our Eyes” (Adam Lambert)
Richard and Susan DeFelice with their wonderful “American Pie” – second time out on the floor, second standing ovation!
NEW! David Raines & Joanne Lapierre with “Man In The Mirror” (James Morrison)
NEW! (new to me, at least, here in the States – maybe they’ve danced it in London?) Peter Fradley & Michelle Fletcher with “Don’t You Worry Child” (Swedish House Mafia)
TJ Bednash & Marine Fabre with “Jump” (Girls Aloud)
NEW! Gerald & Robin Cote with “9 Times A Day” (Xavier Rudd)
NEW! Alexandre Biesse & Irina Puzanova with their winning “One Way Or Another” (One Direction)
NEW! Mr. and Mrs. Jerome & Bonnie Subey with “Blue Jeans” (Lana Del Ray)

RISING STAR WINNERS

(Judges: Hazel Ulrich, Steven Nereen, Tessa, Myles, Arjay, Chuck, Michael Kielbasa)

Alexandre Biesse & Irina Puzanova
Gerald Cote & Robin Cote
TJ Bednash & Marine Fabre
Peter Fradley & Michelle Fletcher
Richard Defelice & Susan Defelice

CLASSIC

Sean and Courtney, “I Knew You Were Trouble”
Josh and Lindsey, “This Love Is Over”
NEW! PJ Turner & Tashina Beckmann – gorgeous dancing to a gorgeous acoustic cover of One Republic’s “Feel Again”
Kyle and Sarah, “Stay” – most beautiful we’ve seen them dance this – just gets better, better, and better.
NEW! Maxence and Virginie – to some mega uber sexy electronix remix of something, with a deliberately off-key JT’s “Love Note” mixing in at the end – very 2013, very French, very sophisticated hip-hop jazz. With choreography to match.
Hugo and Stacy, “Wild Ones”
Ben and Jen, “Don’t Touch Me”
Jordan and Tatiana, “Somebody That I Used To Know”
Kris and Rebecca, “More Than Words”

CLASSIC WINNERS

(Judges: Anne Fleming, Heidi Mongeau, Donna Roesel, Hazel Ulrich, Michael Kielbasa, Cher, John, Chuck)

Jordan & Tatiana
Ben & Jen
Kyle & Sarah
PJ Turner & Tashina Beckmann
Maxence & Virginie

SHOWCASE

Damien Favier & Amandine Biesse (from France!), “A Thousand Miles” (Boyce Avenue)
NEW! Hareesh Kapoor & Angela Baker, “Pretty Lil’ Heart” (Robin Thicke)
Brett and Tara, “Northwest of JuJu” (Justin King) – I love this music, love this choreography, love their dancing – haven’t seen this routine since the Open and it’s looking clean and shiny brand new, SUCH fast footwork; silent, effortless lifts; such un-busy perfectly matched choreography to this guitar instrumental; so very west coast swing.

Tara was on *fire* this weekend, by the way. Not just here in Showcase but in all her Jack and Jill and Strictly dances she was an amazement all weekend. Her control is freaky, her tempo and speed changes, sudden stops, unexpected slo-mos, impromptu re-working of familiar patterns – she was a surprise all weekend long.

NEW! Robert and Nicola, “Dock of The Bay” (Sara Bareilles in a live performance), the Royston’s prettiest routine yet.
Stephen and Sabrina, “Somewhere With You”
Myles and Tessa, “Let’s Get It On”
Greg and Lemery, “Your Eyes”

SHOWCASE WINNERS

(Judges: Heidi Mongeau, Donna Roesel, Anne Fleming, Michael Kielbasa, Cher, Arjay, John, Jessica)

Myles & Tessa
Gregory & Lemery
Robert & Nicola
Brett & Tara
Stephen & Sabrina

Great music most of the weekend. Louis and Victor did comp music; Late-Nites, Thursday and Sunday Louis and Victor shared the booth with John Lindo, Jordan, Anthony DeRosa, and a few others.

For you music collectors and hometown DJ’s – here are some of my favorite comp songs of the weekend:

CHAMPIONS’ STRICTLY

(Louis, of course! His music! So dang good!)

Sean and Jen got “Forest Gump” (Frank Ocean)

Arjay and Tatiana “Sunshine” (Matisyahu)

Kielbasa and Tara, “Novacane” (Frank Ocean)

Royston and Tessa, “Tonight” (John Legend)

Nick and Lemery, “Trouble” (Kigity K)

Kyle and Jessica, “Forever Drunk” (Miss Li)

Ben and Sarah, “Overnight” (Zac Brown Band)

Jordan and Virginie, “Crickets” (Drop City Yacht Club)

Lindo and Courtney, “Adorn” (Miguel)

All-Skate to “Turn The Night Up” (Enrique Iglesias)

CHAMPIONS JACK AND JILL FINALS

(Louis again, music so good it was impossible to sit still in our chairs)

Arjay and Courtney, “Motown Philly” (Boys II Men)

Kielbasa and Jen, “Straight To Number One” (Touch and Go)

Royston and Lemery, “Little Red Corvette” (Prince) http://www.guavaleaf.com/video/1603/Prince And The Revolution - Little Red Corvette#sthash.0C4x4wly.dpbs
Lindo and Virginie, “Together Again” (Arlene Zelina) – gosh I love this pretty version!

Maxence and Tessa, “Sure Thing” (Miguel)

Jordan and Sarah, “Blurred Lines” (Robin Thicke)

(NOT this version – about which there have been infuriated news programs, twitter wars, so much outrage that Miley Cyrus’ publicists must be feeling rather smug)
Kyle and Jessica, “On The Rocks” (Grieves)

Ben and Tatiana, “Throw Your Hands Up” (“Danza Kuduro” with Lucenzo and Pitbull)

… and the All-Skate to a fast No Diggity remix

ALLSTAR JACK AND JILL FINALS

(Louis again! The man is crazy great.)

Cameron Crook and Nicole Clonch “Pretty Girl” (Ernie Halter)

Akil and Anyssa, “Can’t Help But Wait/Passion” (Travis Garland)

Hugo Miguez and Irina Puzanov, “Hot In Here” (Jenny Owen Youngs)

Jerome Subey and Hannah Clonch, “Crazy” (Noah)

Chris Lo and Estelle, “How To Love” (Daniel De Bourg)

PJ Turner and Lindsey Nastos, “Overnight” (Zac Brown)
Brad Whelan and Stacy Kay, “Forest Gump” (Frank Ocean)
Josh Sturgeon and Tashina Beckman, “Things Are Changin’ ” (Gary Clark Jr.)

… and the All-Skate to “Pause” (Pitbull)

New changes at Summer Hummer this year: Online registration, red spotlights in the ballroom, photo-booth, novice/newcomer feedback session, final results immediately posted online following awards.

We still haven’t unpacked! So we can repack for Desert City! in five days and ESS (Endless Summer Swing Camp) the weekend after. Busy time of year.

And … THE OPEN is coming!

Soon!

I can feel it in the air.