Solo Charleston: All The Rage

These days almost any competition worth its salt hosts a solo charleston competition; we have them at renowned events like ULHS and RAF, older events such as ALHC, and all sorts of other competitions. Camps and workshops often feature a couple of solo classes to compliment their array of partnered ones; additionally there are a few special events like Stompology which focus exclusively on solo dance.

The charleston was supposedly developed or at least got its name from Charleston, South Carolina in the first few years of the 1900′s. Although the rhythm was popularized through various shows, particularly Runnin’ Wild with music by James P. Johnson entitled “The Charleston” in 1923, it could be found in black communities for twenty years prior. It can be found in all sorts of old films dating from this period; it was generally danced either solo or in a walking (face-to-face) position. Dancers, particularly white females, were labeled flappers for the semi-birdlike resemblance that their motions had.

The lindy hop adopted many of the charleston variations into the dance and later versions of solo charleston can be seen in footage from the Spirit Moves collection and in this piece by Al Minns and Leon James.

Solo charleston today has sprung back into popularity due perhaps in part to the competition footage from ULHS for 2004 which has reached so many dancers. It features spectacular dancing with a final dance-off between Frida Segerdahl and Jojo Jackson. They have distinctly different styles but remain firmly rooted with the jazz vernacular. Many solo charleston competitions to come would see the emulation of these world-class dancers.

With its growing popularity there has been a growing selection of dancers to watch and acquire different styles and feelings within solo charleston. Take the dance-off from ULHS 2006 between Max Pitruzella and Sharon Davis; it has a vastly different look from the almost gawky dance that we see in the 1920′s flappers; sharper, more athletic. Max is rhythmic and sharp with a definite urban edge while Sharon is softer and keeps to a more recognizable jazz repertoire.

Finally we have a whole new generation of dancers coming up where solo charleston is an integral part of their early dance education. This years Rhythmics Arts Festival solo charleston competition winner is a young girl named Brieaunna or Brianna from San Diego. Check her out here.

Photo courtesy of Ryan Swift from ULHS 2007.

Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown 2007 – The End pt. 2

The second to last competition, much anticipated and talked about, was the team competition. Four teams competed with members from Canada, France, Sweden, and the U.S. The stage set and the crowd ready, it was a spectacular show.

Let’s begin with the winning routine. 23 Skidoo from Denver, Colorado won with their theatrical routine to one of this years hottest tunes: Lafayette from the Kansas City soundtrack. Although from the video perspective it looks a bit chaotic, on the ground it had a clean and directed feel. The V of swing-outs was a strong opener after the tension building in the line. They had solid formations (which can be seen well from this angle). The spotlight of Dan and Tiffany’s slow motion was very well choreographed and executed, one of the better slow motion enactments I’ve seen. Overall a very well choreographed and executed routine.

Next on my list: the Ninjammerz with Max and Annie, Kevin and Jessica, Dax and Emily and Thomas and Alice. It was a two part routine, the first section to “Happy Go Lucky Local” by the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra and the second to “The Last Jump” by Charlie Barnet. The beginning of the tune showcases groove lindy done exceptionally well and I almost prefer it to the second section. To make a slight comment on the song choice, the Silver Shadows used this same song at ALHC last year and it felt a bit cheeky in that some of the movements were parodies of the Silver Shadows routine. That said, the rest of the routine was quite excellently performed although I think less cascade and more ensemble movement would have brought more energy to the routine.

Next up: the Swedish Heroes including Sakarias and Frida, Mattias and Hannah, and Henric and Joanna. It was a routine with its roots firmly set in the authentic tradition of lindy hop and jazz. Although the routine kept the energy high and the feeling old school, with the level of routines they could have used more background work for those not spotlighting. Good points: the freeze in the lifts while Henric heelslides front, both the followers and leaders jazz steps starting at about 1:20 are spectacularly musical, and the ensemble Berry Lock was a great idea although the execution could have used a bit of work.

The last team under review is the Silver Shadows consisting of Skye, Andy, Todd, Peter, Nina, Naomi, Ramona and Frida. The song is “Rhythm Jam” by Gene Krupa. This team, in my opinion, has pushed the envelope of lindy hop and team choreography to a whole new level with their debut routine to “Rock & Rye” to last years stunning work “The Last Jump” and their work at Lindyfest, they have gone beyond the standards of choreography. With this said, I think this routine needed a bit more polish, which it had at ALHC this past weekend. The innovative use of space and spectacular musicality is matched with an almost avant garde choreographic style. The routine is less competitive and more orchestral. If you watch the dancers throughout they perform as band members involved in the orchestration of performance art.

Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown 2007 – The Middle pt. 3

In the final segment of Saturday at ULHS the Liberation or Fast round brought some of the best competitors from all over the globe to the floor. The competitors were Max Pitruzella with Annie Trudeau, Minn Vo with Ria DeBiase, Sakarias Larsson with Frida Segerdahl, Mattias Lundmark with Hannah Zetterman, Jeremy Otth with Laura Keat, and Henric Stillman with Joanna Eriksson. Last year this competition set the benchmark for fast dancing for the year (and the 2nd highest number of hits on Youtube for Lindy Hop) and I believe it will again for the next year.

Here is a little rundown of my thoughts on each couple. In this section I am critical of each of the couples that were competing, if this bothers you, don’t read on.

Minn Vo and Ria DeBiase did a decent job (they made it to the finals, that is something on its own), however it felt overly choreographed. It did not capture the innovation of the contemporary lindy hop scene, more of a traditional show piece than a competition piece. Their partnering was not always the best, with moments of dissonance.

Sakarias Larsson and Frida Segerdahl were out next. They have excellent partnering having worked together for many years. They had very strong swingouts with long lines which I would have liked to have seen more of. They had a slip up or two with aerials, although they were often just as entertaining if not more so with the slip up than without.

Max Pitruzella and Annie Trudeau had a spectacular performance. They brought a variety of innovative twists to known aerials and my happiest point, lots of solid swingouts (particularly in the all skate). Very tight and solid pairing without any slip ups. The only minor point is that while they are very tight, sometimes it feels a bit too hard and could use some softness.

Mattias Lundmark and Hannah Zetterman exceptional performers, although I felt that I had seen that same sequence before in many different situations. A similar point to the first couple out, it didn’t push the boundaries enough. Otherwise their aerials were exceptional, especially the super pancake in their second spotlight.

Jeremy Otth and Laura Keat brought a very different feel to the fast round. They had clean and consistent aerials and they had creative material that played up a clear stylistic difference. They felt much softer even while dancing to such a swift tempo, although occasionally it felt as if they slipped a little against the tempo. The more I watch the video, the more I appreciate their sections.

Henric Stillman and Joanna Eriksson were the third couple from Sweden who made the fast round finals. During the all skate they look tired, doing a good amount of half time or slow motion movement, however along with Max and Annie there is a section of exceptional ensemble swing outs (around 5:45 in the video) which is really one of my favorite parts of the all skate.

Overall, the performers in the fast round were exceptional but I really hope to see the dancers take it up a notch next year with creative and fantastic material that I haven’t seen before. Showdown sets the bar every year, lets hope it stays that way.