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Hey,
DT readers! Here we go again! For some reason, the
computer gods have decided to continue to send bad
luck my way. My computer went down with a big crash
last week and I was not able to send out last week's
issue of Dance Trends. After several attempts by computer
technicians, I am back at it but still a little frustrated!
I have come to realize that I, Dan, am not very computer
savvy. But hey, we can't be good at everything! With
the increasing number of people receiving Dance Trends
and advertisers wishing to purchase space, I think
it is time for Dance Trends to expand it's team!
I am looking for someone out there
in computer land who is looking for an opportunity
to be part of the Dance Trends! This person would
need to have good computer skills, experience in web
page design and maintenance, and some interest in
the dance industry. Experience with FrontPage is a
plus! Someone in the Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Midwest
area would be a plus. Anyone interested can send a
short resume via e-mail to.....dancetrends@mindspring.com.
Hopefully my computer won't crash and we will be able
to find the right person to help us in our pursuit
of computer greatness! End of commercial...
Today I am thinking about my friends,
colleagues, and students who will be competing throughout
the week (in their respective divisions), for the
title of United States Champion . Attending and competing
at the USDC, (United States Dancesport Championships)
held in Miami, Florida each year, can be quite an
exciting experience. Lots of pressure.... especially
for those who are hoping to repeat their championship
status and for those who are competing there for the
first time. I always felt that it was worth it, though.
Let's face it, some competitors handle stress better
than others. There are some who I have seen under
the pressure of competition, that were, shall we say...MISERABLE!
You could see it in their faces...TENSION! During
practice, they throw there arms up in the air in disgust!
If only I had a better partner, they're thinking.
If only the floor weren't so slippery! Oh god, I have
the judging panel from hell! My shoes are too tight,
too loose, wrong color! The ballroom is too cold,
too hot! To put it mildly, they are FREAKED OUT! Watching
this person, who looks like they are auditioning for
an episode of "The X Files", I am so compelled
to ask them, "Why would you do this to yourself
and your partner?" Equally frustrating to me
is the competitor that is too calm. This competitor
doesn't get upset when they are beat by someone who
they know is not as good as them. That's the way the
ball bounces. Better luck next time! After all, truly
believing that you are going to win is a big, big,
risk. What if you lose?! Better to just not expect
anything and then, if something good comes your way...good
for you! This is the other end of the competition
spectrum.
Probably, the best place to be is
somewhere in the middle. Many competitors who have
gone on to winning a title have probably experienced
a little bit of both. The seasoned dancer, over time,
has discovered that being too intense or too laid
back are both ineffective in one's quest for the gold.
Ok, so you're all rehearsed and ready to go. Here
are a couple things you can do to prepare for battle.
Think about what that means. Luckily, you don't have
to clean your weapon and thankfully, the worst fatality
is a sprained ankle (or ego). But, there are several
things you can do to be prepared to do your best :
1.) Before your event, try to arrive
early...maybe the day before so you have a chance
to get acclimated to the environment( i.e. change
of climate, altitude). Once you're there, it's a good
idea to spend some time in the arena that you will
be doing battle in. One of the biggest mistakes I
see couples make( and have made myself ) is not seeing
the ballroom until the moment you walk onto the floor
to compete. This can be pure torture! You have to
get used to your surroundings and spending a couple
hours watching the dancing vs. hanging out at the
pool, is time worth spending. Sometimes, due to availability,
it is not always possible to be able to practice on
the floor. So, during a break, or maybe when the competition
has a few general dances, a seasoned dancer will take
advantage of this opportunity and step out onto the
floor to see what the playing field conditions are
like. I remember one time that I didn't have the time
to check out the floor. (Delayed flight, or was it
hanging out at the pool?). Anyway, before I went down
to the ballroom I brushed my shoes so they would not
be slippery on the floor. There's nothing worse than
slipping in front of your fellow competitors, except,
of course, falling down! My partner and I stepped
onto the floor and I realize that slippery was not
the problem. In fact, the floor was sticky! I felt
like I was dancing on fly paper and my shoes were
only enhancing the problem. Had I checked out the
floor, I could have made adjustments with my foot
wear, like my opponent probably did!
Always bring a spare costume and,
while you're at it, bring it down to the ballroom
just in case. The organizer is on a tight schedule
and can't always wait for a competitor with costume
problems to run up to their room to change. Advice
to the guys: Black pants + black undies = Less embarrassment,
just in case a seam decides to break. Bring along
a dancer's tool box (I can't believe a vendor hasn't
picked up on this one), a small container with all
of the just-in-case essentials... like safety pins,
shoe laces, needle and thread, glue for your shoes,
you get the idea. Here's a biggie: NEVER, NEVER, EVER
try on your costume for the first time in your room
at the competition! This is a setup for sheer disaster!
Never try a new look at a major competition. Go with
what you know looks good on you and what others have
told you looks good on you. New costumes are fine,
of course, but make sure it is a style that is flattering
on you.
As a pro/am teacher, I always recommended
that some (not all) of my students did not share a
room at competitions. To me, your hotel room was a
place for you to get prepared both physically and
mentally before competition. Everybody has different
habits and, when we are not used to someone, it could
get stressful. Let's say your done competing and,
for whatever reason, you didn't place well, but your
roommate had a great day...all first places. So, here
we are in the room. You want to scream and yell and
throw your pillow across the room but instead, you
have to smile and be a good sport because you don't
want to spoil it for your roomie. For different reasons,
your roomie, would like to jump up and down, yell,
scream, cry, whatever because they are bursting with
happiness but... they don't want to seem too excited
out of respect for you. Ok, my point is, that this
is one area that you might not want to do some cost
cutting on. On the other hand, foot whatever, there
are plenty of competitors who share rooms and have
no problem with the outcome of their dancing or their
roommate's. It just depends on each individual, so
know yourself, and if you do have a roommate, please
be courteous.
Everyone has a different way of
getting ready mentally to compete. Some need to go
into a zone before they compete, review their routines
in their head and picture themselves having a perfect
performance. They usually are not inclined to socialize
much before going onto the floor. For others, they
like to relax by being a bit more social, talking
to the other competitors and keeping things light
before going onto the floor. This is what you need
to discover if you haven't already. You need to do
whatever you personally are most comfortable with.
Finally, I would like to tell
you one of the reasons why I truly loved competing.
Dancing offers all of us the ability to experience
a range of emotions and level of excitement that we,
as adults, don't always have in our daily lives. The
thrill of victory is an overwhelming feeling and,
so is the agony of defeat. I am so glad I had the
opportunity to experience both. Anger, jealousy, disappointment,
excitement, joy, happiness, frustration and sadness
have all been shared with a partner or two. Dancing
really is life set to music. Thank God for dancing!
Now, go have fun!
Dan
Messenger
09-04-2001
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