does anyone have any of the pro/am results now that some of them have finished? I am anxious to know the wbsite hasn't posted them yet.

So I was all excited about coming to the USDSC, hurricanes or no hurricanes. Now I am sorry I had, not because of the weather, but because of how the people in charge of the event treat their guests. I was lectured and admonished repeatedly that videotaping was not allowed (when I clearly wasn't videotaping), then I was told not too gently to descend from the chair on which I was standing (which was the only way for me to see anything on the floor). So I just walked out.

I went to the USDSC looking forward to taking lots and lots of pictures of beautiful dresses, and chatting about all the new partnerships and breakups and who's looking better and who's disappointed, pros and ams and pro-ams alike, and posting all of that here on DS for those who couldn't be there in person. Instead, I had four different people admonish me, not very pleasantly, about something I was or wasn't doing, as if I was a misbehaving child. What on earth were they thinking??

Three times, not once, not twice, but three times I had individuals on behalf of the organizers walk up to me (and to a lot of others), telling us not to videotape.
Well, I wasn't videotaping. I was taking pictures (or trying to take them, if those people would just let me be). I explained that as politely as possible. One lady walked away, after apologizing gracefully. Another person walked away grumpily, clearly not believing me but apparently with no way to prove otherwise (I actually showed him how I was taking pictures, and snapped a picture of him in the process, which I showed to him right away – he was not impressed).
I mean, I understand the need to protect the vendors' investment in the huge concession fee they must pay to the comp, and clearly they don't want someone just walking in and taping away at whim. But short of assigning a Gestapo creature to sit by every guest, they're not going to be able to control this issue in today's world of new picture-video-taking gizmos that show up on the market everyday. So lighten up. And I'll grant them that the camera I was using was a camcorder, but that was only because I had just flown in, my flight was delayed two hours, I had already missed most of the Latin pro-am championships (which the organizers in their wisdom held in the early afternoon of the first day of the comp), and my regular, new camera (a Nikon Coolpix 5700) has so many bells and whistles I'm still not too familiar with. So instead of taking that into the ballroom and fumbling with so many buttons to get the settings I wanted, I just grabbed the trusted old camcorder which also acts as a "point and shoot" camera in a hurry. I tried to use it for dancing shots, and decided it didn't work too well for that (naturally), so I switched to taking still pictures of dancers while they were not on the floor. After all, my intention was to get pictures of dresses and what each dancer/couple looked, if I couldn't get action shots during the dancing. To make a long story short, anyone who bothered to walk from one end of the ballroom to the other in order to "get" me, would have noticed immediately that I was not videotaping (which requires continuously holding the camera up and following the action). But I suppose it's easier for all to just glare at guests and tell them (not ask them politely, but tell them sternly) what they are or are not allowed to do.
And I paid a total of $100 within three hours for that??? And that was just straight money to the organizers. That's not counting my airfare, hotel costs, and time off from productive work.
So, I just put the camera completely away. It's not worth the hassle, I thought. I'll just watch and enjoy myself, and for those who couldn't be there and would have liked to get a feel of what it was like, tough!!
But to top it all off, a security guard early in the evening session on the first night walked up to me and again told me (not asked, just ordered me) to descend from the chair I was standing on.
That's because the ballroom was all on one level. I don't know why the regular ballroom with risers was not used for the first day of the comp, and I really don't care. The room was too small (even for the very small crowd that showed up this year), and the seats were all taken, as was the standing room all around them. If I wasn't on a chair, I would have to be in the third row at least of standing room only. So I stood on a chair. Now, I was careful to have that chair against a wall, so I was not in anyone's way, and was not blocking anyone's view. As it was, I could barely see even as I was as far up on my toes as my ankles could stretch, ON TOP OF THE CHAIR. (As an aside, that's proof that ballet exercises will work in improving balance and posture even if you start them late in life. But I digress.)
I also had my shoes off, and my socks were clean. What was his problem??
Do the organizers really think it's OK to ask people to pay $50.00 a pop in order to get a nice view of the backs of a lot of strangers standing in front of them??
We're the idiots who braved not one, but two stern hurricane warnings in order to get there. And this is our reward?
So I've had it.
I just left the ballroom. The final of the Latin Under 21 was just about ready to start. That tells you how furious I was.
I thought I'd just get online and blast them right away, with a lot harsher words than I am using here.
Instead, I decided to give it a whole day and night, to look back and try to decide, in fairness to all, if I was at fault or was overreacting.
I don't think I was. And I am still so furious with them.
So sorry, folks. No pictures, and no reports. The usdsc site will provide all the coverage you want. Yours truly is just going to go to the most essential events. And that will be the case for all future comps. To keep track of new trends in fashion, for my own use, I'll just use my old method of quick sketches on a small notepad. And if you want to know what Mark Ballas's new partner looks like, how Gherman Mustuc danced, what the crowd thought of Max Chmerkovsky's dancing, or what's new and interesting in the vendors hall, ask someone else. And for all those pretty girls who posed for me so sweetly between rounds so I could photograph their pretty dresses, thanks, but I'm not doing this any more.

Hi DancingJools,
We're so sorry to hear about the treatment that you received at the USDSC and can definitely understand how you feel, especially when as you mentioned you were approached three times and after even trying to explain and "prove" that you were not video taping.

In all your years of being part of this community, all of us have appreciated your objective comments and contributions. It is very unfortunate that those representing USDSC were not sensitive to the fact that you were not doing anything wrong and had invested a lot of time and money not only at this year's event but past events.

Perhaps more the issue for organizers is whether they allow any type of "Video technology" or only certain types, and that if they do implement a policy that say, prevents people from bringing "video cameras" (instead of just the policy of "no videotaping") into the ballroom, that they give advance formal warning on their literature. Or, if organizers don't want to implement a "no video camera" policy and still maintain a "no video taping" policy, that the representatives assigned to police this are given guidelines in terms of handling this with paying customers. Perhaps your post may at least help to make other organizers who visit these forums aware of potential problems and how these could be addressed in their own events.

Please take care and rest up. We know you have a fighting spirit and that you will bounce right back, holding your chin up high, and ##X#@@ those representatives who had treated you so unfairly. After the event, you may wish to write a formal letter explaining the situation and offering objective recommendations for better handling situations such as these, and especially to supporting patrons like yourself.


Sincerely,
DanceScape

Hi Jools, what a pain.

I wanted to chime in about cameras...I have had two CoolPix that I love. My first one was a 885, and now I have a 5400. I took those pictures of New Zealand that I've got in the gallery here with it. My favorite bell and whistle is the white balancing for when you take pictures indoors without a flash.

I guess the only real problem with the cameras is the racket that the professional video tapes cost. I've yet to walk out of a comp paying less than 100 smackers for about 18-minutes worth of dancing. Do all 10-dances and your bill is up $200+. God forbid you make it to the next round. I know there's some political situation somewhere that causes a snowball effect on the cost of video taping, but really, it's monopolizing at its worst.

Also, most digital cameras now have the ability to take videos as long as 45-minutes! It's a pity you didn't master your Nikon before the event DancingJools. That way you could've taped couples all you liked (provided you had enough memory sticks) and they would not know anything about that.

I think dancing comps in general need to get all their volunteers a training course on how to be nice to patrons and customers. I've had too many bad experiences.

Hey Jools - it sounds really mean that they would not even let you stand on a chair that was already up against the wall - what's the harm of that?? I stood on a chair all Sat night at Embassy and they did not mind. In fact, there were plenty of other people standing there, including Domenico Soale. The security people were plentiful, but they did not hassle us.

Sorry you had such a bad experience!

Actually, that's the way it is at the USDSC now...and THAT is why they are losing entries to other more fan friendly competitions! I was there last year and many before that and it is a cold, unfriendly place now. Too big of a room & organizers with too big of heads! It should be fun & exciting & make you want to come back next year! I won't go back either.

I attended last year also, and found it to be the coldest, unfriendliest comp that I had ever been to. I smiled and said Hello to the woman taking tickets, and she didn't even acknowledge it. I thought maybe she hadn't heard me, so I repeated it, and added "I guess you didn't hear me." Her reply was, "I can't be expected to speak to everyone." The vendors were also unfriendly, and the hotel was so barren. I decided then that I would never spend my money on this comp again. Also, in the ballroom, the MC was way up high and it was like listening to a disembodied voice announcing the heats. At those prices, NO THANKS! I also noticed this year that they did not offer a package that included the hotel. Does anyone know why? I figured that the hotel must have decided that they didn't get the upcharge for higher priced rooms (with ocean view). I wonder if USDSC is giving refunds to those who were unable to attend because of the hurricane?

I think if they have to be so anal about the video cameras- why don't they just check everyone at the door?? It might hold up the line but at least they won't have to be so rude inside. I mean people pay alot of money for like a 20 minute show!! I know there are people that sneak cameras in (how? i dont know. they are so strict on everything i dont know how people can do that..) maybe they can come up with a marking system where you have to check in your camera (of course needs to not have video camera abilities) with a tag or sticker so instead of being harrassed the 'security' guards can check for the tags.. if you dont have one, then go check NICELY. I completely agree with everyone, i've been to this competition and i felt the same way. I guess i felt the dancing was worth the money..

As far as the view goes, yes it sucks. And standing on the chairs is probably the only way you can catch maybe someone's arm or hair.. it does suck and is unfair, they need to find a way to have elevated seating.

quote:

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Originally posted by QtrTurn:
I attended last year also, and found it to be the coldest, unfriendliest comp that I had ever been to. I smiled and said Hello to the woman taking tickets, and she didn't even acknowledge it. I thought maybe she hadn't heard me, so I repeated it, and added "I guess you didn't hear me." Her reply was, "I can't be expected to speak to everyone."

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I bet it's the same bitter old lady that does door duty at comps everywhere. There's some company that provides all the at-comp services for running a comp. I've seen her at Virginia State and other comps.