Digital Analogue

Dance, dance, dance

Knox sent eight people to the Cyclone Ballroom Classic this year. As usual, the ISU Ballroom Dance Company put on a nice competition at the best venue ever. I think some of the team was a little disappointed, because there wasn't as much placing as last time, but happily, they aren't discouraged—they are all going to Northwestern's competition in three weeks, and are determined to keep getting better.

Andrew and Dana did a fabulous West Coast Swing, taking first in the bronze division. I think that's better than I would've done. :) I got a trophy because Kathy and I were the only ones up to the task of competing all 19 dances. Which seemed a little cheap until I realised that the reason that the others didn't compete all 19 was because they knew they wouldn't look very good. So, there's something to that. Continuing a lifetime trend for me, my best placement was in a fun dance: reverse-role cha, led by Dana; we made the callback to the finals and then placed second. Dana then turned around and followed Jennifer, the ISU coach, in a Jack-and-Jill waltz, getting called back twice and placing fourth!

The real highlight of the competition was in many ways the workshops the next day. The judges gave eight hour-long workshops on everything from Paso to Peabody, and Knox folks were at nearly all of them. It was nice to hear them repeat a few things I'd been telling them, but it was even better that the judges were saying things that I hadn't gotten around to saying (or didn't know!). We really need to figure out how we can get up to a professional studio every now and then to get lessons from a pro.

"I'm "that" guy at an Oscar party.... I make fun of dresses and awkward (stuff) like the rest, but it quickly deteriorates into rants about the ignorance of our society and how lame it is that we are watching this crap. I usually am banished to the kitchen by the costume designs." --Justin Kaufmann