Blues Video Round-Up

There is always controversy over the notion “blues” in the dance scene; whether it pertains to the music itself, to a type of dance and what constitutes either controversy is sure to follow.

On forums discussions over what is blues surge back to the front at least once a year if not more often. So here are some videos rounded up from YouTube to demonstrate my thoughts on the matter.  Unfortunately embedding is disabled on the first two clips so you’ll have to click through until I figure out a workaround.

Grit Grinder Girlies – This clip is from ALHC 1999 and is one of the best early examples (since the revival) of solo blues dance that I could find.  Unfortunately I do not know who any of these dancers are.  The movement of the dancers captures the audience with its dynamic, musicality and simplicity.

Shaheed and Brenda – A spectacularly choreographed and executed piece to Wynton Marsalis’ “New Orleans Bump” at bluesSHOUT 2007.  Their movement is honest and their connection to the music, each other and the audience comes through even in the video; not to mention the wonderful musicality and partnering.

Blues @ RAF 2006/2007 -  This is a great clip for the variety in the interpretation of the music from the many dancers.  Some of the dancers maintain a slow drag style for the majority of their spotlights while others break away or incorporate more open position material.

If you enjoyed this video round up, check out the others: Raw Video Round-Up, Solo Jazz Video Round-Up.

What did you think about the videos?  Have other videos you want to share?  Comment.

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.