Robert Royston is a Champion Swing Dancer , so i was a bit puzzled to see him doing MC work when I went to this first time event at The Crowne Plaza Hotel. Within 15 minutes I realized that the man can work the room without dancing a step. He was a blast, as was the event overall. Just one example of his wit- He asks Br9ian Gallager what type of dance sneakers he was wearing.Mr Gallager replied that they were actually black boxing shoes. To which Robert replies " So that explains the lead" . I also found that Mr Royston knows music theory and applies it in his teaching method .After attending his class called " Choreography on the Fly " the WCS mystery was solved in one fell swoop. My hats off to the man.
That , in and of itelf, would have been enough for me to give the whole weekend a thumbs up, but there was more. The floors were decent, and event Director Diane Nardone obviously did her homework to set it up. The only negative was the schedule running late, which i guess is in many cases unavoidable. SAturday Nights Awards did not start till 3 am which was a bit late , even for me.
Dave Muzzi, Johnny O and Bobby Morales did a greatjob DJ ing and general dancing went on all night, all three nights with a mix of Hustle WCS and Salsa. They even threw in a tough of Cha Cha Two step and other BR just to break it up on the off peak hours. There was a table with all kinds of food available from the great hotel caterer. There was also restaurant, pool and bar if dancing wasnt your thing.
My favorite part of the evening is always watching the top dancers when they play around during general dancing. This event was full of great matchups. ThePro Jack And Jill was awesome too. Barry Douglas sseems to look good with anyone he dances with, and makes them look good too. The man can dance-REAL smooth. Speaking of Smooth Louis Rosa "The Mambo King" was in attendance . This guy is classic and watching him and his partner Mary dance during the open dancing was, as always , a treat. Earlier in the year I saw him doing Arials on concrete at Lincoln Centers Midsummernights swing . The guy has some great stories- and they are all true.
Anyway Thank you for a great weekend !!