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Area
Medallist Competitions
Sussex/Surrey
Area at East Grinstead
As
Sunday 27th January approached, the popularity of the
East Grinstead ISTD DFR Faculty qualifier competition
meant that it seemed very unlikely we would be fortunate
enough to attend this year. Luckily, thanks to a few
returns, some seven of us jumped in the car at Watford,
got out at the Kings Leisure Centre and enjoyed a superb
day of dancing.
East
Grinstead is a particularly anticipated competition
for a number of reasons. It is the first one of the
year and by then – believe it or not – three
months have passed since Guildford so the patter of
impatient Freestyle feet can no doubt be heard all over
the UK. It is also the first chance the teachers and
choreographers of the Line Dances get to see their work
performed on the dance floor. Which will the favourite
dances turn out to be? What will the standard be like?
When you have been attending for a few years you get
to recognise dancers and schools and it is very interesting
to see how individuals adapt their style according to
whether they are performing a Fast, Medium, Slow, Street
or, for the first time this year, Rock ’n’
Roll Line Dance.
The
competition this year also marked another first. Jean
Cantell – instrumental in shaping these ISTD events
– stepped down in 2007 from the organisation of
the East Grinstead day after many years of hard work.
Jean Cantell and Derek Green handed over the reins to
Jonathan Reed, assisted by Christine Edwards, and what
a superb job they did. The day ran smoothly from start
to finish with no delays at all and with around 450
competitors this was no mean feat. Scrutineers, Pam
and Mick Little, were faultless and DJ, Peter Marchant,
provided some great music and the knowledgeable adjudicating
panel of ISTD Examiners and Committee members, Pat Woor,
Maria Howse and Rachel Wadey ensured some very hard-fought
finals with excellent dancing from all involved.
As
ever, the competition began with the Line Dance section
and the Under 8’s got us off to a fine start with
the first qualifying event of 2008. It is very hard
to perform Street well at such a young age as the tempo
of the music is relatively slow compared to Freestyle
so rushing away at a pace is not an option. The body
rhythm and accents helped to define the more confident
competitors and the final few were a very close match.
With 43 in the Under 10 Social Dance Test and Pre Bronze
this was always going to be a battle to the end and
it was heartening to see so many accomplished boy dancers
in this section. Another large entry in the Under 12
Social Dance Test and Pre Bronze, but just 14 in the
Under 10 and Under 12 Bronze and Silver put together,
which was surprising, given that these were new sections
created to try and even up the numbers a little. I would
imagine that, as pupils take their medals throughout
the year, these sections will grow.
Moving
through the grades it was fantastic to witness so many
older dancers of Gold Star level and above. I am sure
school principals would agree it is easier to attract
the younger beginner dancer; keeping the interest of
older teenagers with so many other activities now crowding
the timetables is not always an easy task. Two fast
dances this year for the Under and Over 16’s contrasted
sharply with the slow lyrical and contemporary from
2007 and these were exciting events. Last but most definitely
not least, the Over 25’s demonstrated some hard
work, excellent use of body isolations and rhythmic
interpretation in their Street dance. This section seems
to grow every season with the enthusiasm and commitment
never waning.
Teams
followed lunch, with a good number of entries, particularly
in the Under 16 Beginner section where seven groups
battled it out for the top spot. Clever ideas together
with changes of style and music were in abundance, though,
occasionally, aside from costumes and length of routine,
it was hard to tell a real distinction between the Beginner,
Intermediate and Championship teams. It is reassuring
to see the event so popular though – my feeling
is that teams always promote a strong sense of unity
throughout the school as well as teaching essential
elements of control, spatial awareness and the importance
of working as part of a group.
The
Rock ’n’ Roll section was the one I was
possibly looking forward to the most. As a teacher I
thrive upon putting together routines for the different
levels using as many syllabus steps as possible but
also creating our own combinations from the permitted
Basic Figures and Systems. With this in mind I very
much appreciated the clever choreography displayed by
the dancers particularly at Gold Star standard and beyond.
So much partner work in evidence, neat footwork, excellent
knee and ankle action and some lovely upper body and
arm lines from the finalists. In a couple of events
the standard was such that it was a shame only the winners
were able to qualify! Well done to all.
The
day was rounded off by the Solos and Pairs events and
though everyone was a little tired by this point, you
would never have known it from the energy on display.
The little Under 6 Rosettes were adorable; what a difficult
job for the adjudicators to let any of them go. Some
astonishing dancing from a selection of the lower level
pupils – by the time they get to Gold Star they
really will be a knockout. And for the most part the
higher level competitors did not disappoint. As the
dancers get older and more advanced it is vital, I feel,
to see routines that suit an individual or pair’s
own style with steps that demonstrate a real flair and
ability to actually dance rather than just bomb around
the floor! The adjudicators ensured that this was rewarded
with some very fair results all round.
I
have no doubt that, thanks to Jonathan Reed and his
excellent team, the 13 schools attending had an exciting
and positive day and all would, I am sure, say with
certainty that the standard has been set for a hotly
contested Grand Finals’ Day at Guildford on 12th
October 2008.
Bobbie Chatt
Hampshire
South Area at Gosport
Sunday,
3rd February was filled with sparkle and energy in Gosport
for the second Area Medallist competition of the new
season. As usual the hall was filled with dancers and
parents ready for an action packed day, the competitors
all hoping to qualify for this year’s Grand Finals
at the Guildford Spectrum on Sunday, 12th October 2008.
The
day started promptly at 9.15am with our three adjudicators,
Amanda Hughes, Mandy Pearce and Jacqui Norton ready
to judge the Set Line Dance event.
The
Under 8 Line Dance section started the day off well.
Smiling faces of boys and girls makes the Set Line Dance
events a joy to watch with their bouncing bodies trying
so hard to impress the adjudicators. As always it is
so exciting to see who gets to the finals and who will
qualify for Grand Finals’ Day.
Next
came Rock ‘n’ Roll. It was great to see
so many boy/girl partnerships entering this event and
dancing with such enthusiasm. Wonderful costumes, from
traditional to more modern outfits, filled the floor
in every age group.
We
then moved on to Teams. Many of the teams were fast
and furious, from the young all the way through to the
Over 16 event. A variety of different styles of music
and rhythms were used and this made for a great showcase
of Teams.
The
afternoon then continued with the Solos followed by
Pairs events. Competitors with high energy whizzed around
the floor for those last opportunities to be awarded
a trophy.
The
day came to an end with the last final dancing at 4.30pm.
We could not believe the early finish time but this
was all due to great organising by Christine Edwards
and Jonathan Reed. Such a smooth and well run day!
A
big thank you to Christine, Jonathan and their team
of helpers for another brilliant competition day.
Michelle Seymour
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