ULHS starts tomorrow night with the Riverboat and will most likely run until the wee hours of Monday morning before people ship off to the airport.
Last year I wrote a quite extensive review of ULHS 07 in a series of posts (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) which gathered quite a bit of traffic. This year I hope to bring that traffic to Lindybloggers.com with a more pointed review, but also stay tuned for key footage from the event and perhaps an interview with one of the organizers.
I think this will be an interesting event for me since last year I approached it as just a dancer and competitor and this year I have the angle of a journalist/blogger in addition to those roles. To come back to an event the following year after having reviewed it once, I look forward to seeing what changes are in store (there are definitely some large ones relating to some of the competitions) and how they’ll affect the event.
If you’re going to ULHS this year and see me walking around with a camera, a notepad and a ridiculous hat (okay maybe not the hat) say “Hi”, introduce yourself, get a snapshot, give me a comment, and let me know what you think about Lindybloggers, this blog, and/or ULHS.
Stay tuned for the ULHS review and if you’ve got something to add, post it up in our comments on Lindybloggers.
In closing for ULHS I will leave off with videos of the finals from the solo charleston and solo blues competitions and a few words.
Yes that is me crawling up to meet Dianne, it was an entertaining part to play. The exchange between her and Naomi over Peter near the end was a hilarious highlight to the contest.
This years ULHS was an amazing event and one which I hope continues to grow and improve. My only real gripe is with the venue chosen for this years event. The room was amorphous, lacking a definable stage front and rear which, along with the balcony, detracted from the intimacy and focus that Showdown has had in the past at the Varsity Theatre. It felt more like a hotel ballroom which seemed to distance the dancers from the audience, thus creating a rift in the ability to perform collectively. The venue was also exceptionally hot and humid, creating an atmosphere where people didn’t really feel like dancing. Lastly, the area lacked any real shops or food joints for late night excursions unlike the student area of prior years. I hope next year a better location is found, perhaps we can return to the Varsity.
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.
A minor addendum to the last post, Henric and Joanna are not members of the Harlem Hot Shots and I apologize for the accidental labeling.
Most events have a number of divisions for choreographed pieces, ULHS has two: Lindy Hop Performance and Team. The floor was rearranged so that the competitors could present from the center of the ballroom facing the balcony. With chairs, spectators and judges set up the competitions began.
Congratulations to everyone who showcased a piece at ULHS. There were nine choreographies in the Lindy Hop Performance category, unfortunately I did not manage to get together with Caro the week of to polish our routine otherwise it would have been ten. It will debut at ALHC in two weeks.
I had the intention of reviewing these more closely but it will have to wait till I have a bit more time.
Thirdly, Dax and Alice with some exceptionally tight charleston.
Secondly, Kevin and Emily with hot jazz steps.
Firstly, Skye and Frida making it look so easy, clean and wonderfully musical.
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.
