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| Ben O'Neal & Shelbie Nelson 1st Place Rising Star |
Dr. King would be sooooo PROUD!
In that magical ballroom we were all one BIG and happy dance family.
We were NOT judged by the color of our skin - nor the wrinkles on our faces - nor our gender orientation.
Instead, we were judged only by the content of our SWING character!!!
We were NOT judged by the color of our skin - nor the wrinkles on our faces - nor our gender orientation.
Instead, we were judged only by the content of our SWING character!!!
Every year I like to start off right .. at this weekend event which leaves me feeling like I just had a private lesson with a really great pro.
At Monterey Swingfest, the impact of the music and style of the dance ... which is sooooo different from my home base in the northeast ... leaves me changed.
I get my important (dance) New Years' Resolutions in California.
I get my important (dance) New Years' Resolutions in California.
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| John Lindo with Joanna Meinl 2nd Place All American J&J |
Unfortunately, I was not able to get in until Friday night. Travel is very difficult for most of us east of the Mississippi. So I missed out on the Strictlies and ProAms.
When I finally hit the dance floor it was immediately obvious that the numbers and levels of leaders and followers is very even. Most people have good basic skills and excellent musicality.
The style is a bit different … more about the music and less about patterns.
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| Larisa Tingle & Tony Schubert 3rd Place Classic Division |
well, I don't know about that, but I was certainly mesmerized by our "Little Mermaid" look alike up in the DJ booth. The only wreckage I am sure of was my own ... on Saturday!
Nevertheless, nothing can be more special than beginning my weekend on this kinda HIGH note!
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| View from Fisherman's Wharf |
The weather was AAAmazing over the weekend. The 1st thing I noticed as I emerged from my car in the hotel parking lot was that I didn't need a jacket. It was 17 degrees in New Jersey. It felt like spring in Monterey.
The air was clean and fresh.
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Monterey Hyatt Regency Spa & Resort
WoW!!!
There's a golf course by on one side of the property. It's a heck of thing to wake up to!
The ballroom was AAAbsolutely stunning with an AAAmazing dance floor and plenty of space to dance.
What a pleasure!
There is an upscale MacDonalds about 2 miles from the hotel and right on the beach.
Saturday morning, short on time, I enjoyed a quick breakfast in the sunshine while watching people kayak and scuba dive. In the background was Fisherman’s Wharf.
Saturday morning, short on time, I enjoyed a quick breakfast in the sunshine while watching people kayak and scuba dive. In the background was Fisherman’s Wharf.
Now, that’s the way to start a Saturday morning!
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| Jason Wayne with Jessica Cox |
https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=839183726123820&set=vb.100000966015254&type=2&theater
By the way, Jason Wayne was named "Top Male Pro."
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| Christopher Dumond & Kara Frenzel |
They used a simple pattern and demonstrated three different timing approaches to the material. But, more importantly, they opened a channel in our minds.
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| Gary Thompson & Theresa Mcgarry 3rd Place Masters J&J |
Many of the participants were from the Advanced and Allstar Division. There were actually two heats of contestants. This division is growing rapidly as the stigma of age fades.
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| Warren Pino with Sue Cravalho |
People have discovered that they can get noticed in Masters and it helps in getting through the other divisions.
Some regions are splitting this division into Novice Masters and Open Masters as the numbers grow.
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| Amita Sekhon & Layton Berry, Intermediate Finals |
It gave me the chance to bond with lots of people in a time when we were struggling.
As we all progress, it gives me much pleasure to catch up with everyone and see how well they are doing.
Carlus Reed was AAAWESOME. I posted his video on my Facebook page and in 2 days got nearly 1,000 hits. https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=839304726111720
There are so many pros in California, yet, we do not have even one reasonable teacher in all of the boroughs of Manhattan! Many of these local Allstars could come to NYC and really make themselves a HeLLuVa business.
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| Peter Witte & Ginny Howe |
The Mid-west is going crazy with
ProAm routines.
Rising Star is everywhere these days – often with 12 or more scheduled in a night.
Likewise, Classic and Showcase divisions are exploding.
Tip West & Tevya Dobvish really impressed me with their Lindy/WCS Rising Star entry. These two started out dancing in Lindy and understand what swing is all about. Their piece was a medley of both styles of music and executed with the skill of pros.
I begged them to bring this routine
to Liberty Swing Dance Championships this year. Their routine would thrill and
delight John Festa and Bill Cameron ... pros who can truly appreciate this
brilliant body of work. They also won 1st place in the Intermediate Strictly.
I got to watch Jennifer Pasetes perform with Eddy Valdez for the 1st time live in their Showcase routine to “Everything She Does is Magic.”
It was truly wonderful … but felt very
different. There is none of the snap, crackle & POP we once
witnessed between her and Luis Crespo. Instead, however, we see skill and power reminiscent
of that great racehorse: “Secretariat” ... the fierceness of boxer “Muhammad Ali” ... the grace of gymnast “Nadia Comaneci.”
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We were ever so grateful that Thomas Johnson, the venue director, took a chance on previously unknown pros in our area. We are begging to have them brought back.
http://itwirlland.blogspot.com/2014/10/yenni-setiawan-comes-to-dancegourmet.html
There was lots of social dance through out the day and night ... as is the trend everywhere in America.
No one will put up with wall-to-wall performances and waiting til midnight to dance anymore.
I never ran out of new dance partners the entire weekend ... the dance floor was always full but never crowded ... and Larisa kept me up Saturday night til I fell asleep in my chair in the ballroom!
Sunday morning is all about brunch at El Torito on the waterfront in Cannery Row. This tradition is detailed later in this article. Suffice to say for now: Sunshine and fresh air ... trump'd workshops.
There is a scenic highway called the "17 Mile Drive," which is just a few miles from the event hotel and was well worth seeing.
Back in my hippie days, we used to camp out over there. Now it cost $10 to drive thru and catch the spectacular views.
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| Kyle Redd and Jonathyn Jackson 1st Place All American J&J |
Sunday afternoon was all about finals.
When a DJ is so completely in the zone that we have
to wonder “who is playing all that AAAwesome music” – that’s the testimony
of excellence. And that’s what I heard as I walked thru the ballroom. Forest Hanson certainly impressed everyone.
I agree. Sure, this guy is a great dancer.
However, there’s another talent emerging.
Sort of a nerdy & obnoxious alter ego pops up and puts everyone in stitches. He was funnier than anyone else on stage.
John Wheaton, why don’t you shake him loose and see what falls out?
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| Arthur Lahm & Larisa Tingle, All American J&J |
Larisa Tingle is an architect in real life and been on the DJ scene for acoupla years in Southern California at Ben's Morris' Swingin' with the Blues and Project Swing.
She also DJ’d Desert City Swing in Phoenix.
Bill Cameron brought her out to Summer Hummer in Boston last year and people who don't normally stay up late made a point to check her out. Larisa's rep has gotten around and she sure lived up to it!
Jack Smith a/k/a/ Jumpin’ Jack is another DJ Hall of Fame’r since 2006. The guy has been around sincethe early 80's Country Western Craze in California. A former competitor, Jack made it to the Champion Division in the early 90’s. He’s also the creator of “Late Night” dancing and Monterey was the 1st convention to hold “Late Night” dancing as part of its schedule. These days Jack is a teacher, DJ and MC. He and his wife, Rachel, own “The Clubhouse Dance Studio” in Placentia. http://www.jumpinjack.net
Forrest Hanson has only been dancing WCS for 4 years but he comes from a competitive ballroom background. He DJ’d San Francisco Dance Sensation, Palm Springs New Years and a number of smaller events. If you’re in the Bay area, you can find him at WnY ("the Warehouse") in Novato at the Tuesday dance hosted by Warren & Yenni. This guy gets modern R&B and Blues influence.
The event ended with Sunday awards and posted all results including prelim scores.
Most people went for dinner on Fisherman’s Wharf and then came back to dance. (Some of us had to take a nap!)
Monterey is about 1 ½ hours south of San Francisco and if you are coming from the North East or Mid-west regions, I advise you to get a direct flight to SFO rather than San Jose.
Its cheaper and with winter weather, easier to deal with flight changes. (Car rentals are relatively cheap.)
Cannery Row and the Wharf are easily reached using the hotel shuttle if you are without a car.
It's possible to actually walk there, too. This is a lifestyle place and lots of people are walking around.
But, how often are you in Sunny California? When can you go to the beach in January? Rent the car. It’s a worthwhile luxury. Make the most of your visit!
And, incidentally, there are plenty of budget hotel options nearby.
Cannery Row is fascinating and not at all what you would expect.
John Steinbeck would be shocked at how the place has changed since it inspired his depression-era sardine canning saga.
It’s very California-Spanish chic.
While there are plenty of over-priced tourist traps to get taken advantage of, Mexican food is always a good bet in place like this.
Meet my old friend Alex. We really enjoy brunch at El Torito.
In the early 90’s in New York City (during the Robert Cordoba era), Alex was my first WCS dance partner.
Eventually we drifted apart and lost touch until we bumped into each other at the Tucson Swing Club one night. That's my home town and I keep a home there.
It was just a wonderful coincidence that he moved to a town nearby. So, now we catch up every once in a while.
They offer an excellent Mexican buffet for $17.95 including made-to-order omelets, hand-made tortillas, fresh fruit and salads, soups, taco bar, variety of entrees and desserts.
Even a Mimosa was included! It was De-LISH! http://www.eltorito.com/
Afterwards, we walked around and enjoyed the views and sights for a while. January is a great time to go. Sure, it’s touristy - but not overwhelmingly so.
Driving back to San Francisco on Monday, I stopped for lunch in Moss Landing.
This place would be great for a B&B or RV stay.
There was a lovely beach, marina, fruit stands and charming restaurants.
Coming back to NYC was hard to take!
as well as sunshine in January … a feeling of success even without winning a thing … the sum of the parts are greater than the whole.
http://www.centralcoastswingdance.com/
