There should be a "Beginner's Guide to Amateur Ballroom Competition.
We've been taking lessons for seven months. We were one vote shy of most improved couple of the year, and we've been working really hard on everything we can.
We're curious about competitions. There's one in Knoxville, TN next month- the Smoky Mountain Somethingorother one. There's a Newcomer division, and a Novice division. Which do Newbs enter? How? What's the cost (based on the site, it says $150 each or something like that, excluding the USABDA fees, I'm assuming, so we'd have to sign up for that)? What, if costumes aren't allowed for Newbs, is the appropriate attire for both partners? Do we just pay up and send in our entries, and show up, and all that?
No, we aren't that fantastic- I'd like to go and enter for the experience, to sate my curiosity. Yes, I'm out of my mind. I showed horses until I burnt completely out and went crazy, for twenty years, so I have no real desire to compete heavily in something I enjoy so much as dancing. But I am curious.
Hi Macha! Sorry to hear that that competition is so expensive. We're hosting something here in California the weekend after next that is only $25 per person for adults. This includes entry to the venue and "all you can dance" competitive events. Heck, even our really nice NDCA-sanctioned hotel-based competitions out here don't cost that much. I hope they give you competitors some nice extras for those kind of prices!
For attire, you should wear a skirt that you can dance in, appropriate to your style, and a top that does not show your tummy or your bra straps when you dance. And of course wear dance shoes. Full USA Dance syllabus costume rules are available in the rule book, which is on the web site, which is usabda.org
Your partner should wear black pants, and a white shirt. If it's standard or smooth, he should wear a black vest and a tie. If it's Latin or Rhythm, his shirt must be tucked in. Again, you need to see the costume rules in the USA Dance rule book for details, because there's picky stuff in there about fabric (no metallic threads or sparkles allowed), jewelry, and hair for both sexes.
It's easy to join USA Dance. You can do it online from their web site with a credit card. Save the confirmation print-out and take it to comps with you until you get your actual membership number and membership card.
When you sign up for the competition, just tell them "membership applied for on <date>" when it asks for your membership number. When you check in to pick up your number, you'll be asked to show your card or your confirmation.
When you join USA Dance, you will need to register as a "DanceSport Competitor" to take place in competitions. Some events only require a "Social Dancer" or "Ballroom Dancer" membership, if these exceptions exist they will be listed in the competition's rules. Usually this only applies to people who only compete in non-dancesport things, like Salsa or Hustle.
If you have any questions, it's always good to contact the organizers. Or you can ask me. Darn it, I still need to send you that program from Nationals!
Good luck and enjoy your first time!! Let us know how it goes!
Aww, No sparkly? Rats! Well, I'm STILL getting something incredibly shiny from Rainbowshiu. I've lost fifty-three pounds and more, and dammit, I want something incredibly shiny, colory, and flowy to wear!
Yeah, I thought that the prices were a little high- am I right to interpret them as "if you enter the newcomer category, for walz, tango, and foxtrot, you pay this, then your partner pays this too"? Horse shows are generally paid for per class or per division, just depends on which region what breed, etc. etc.
I'm assuming there will be other stumbling, petrified newcomers there.
Also- we're only a few technical-polish-uppings from our teacher moving us to silver... I'm guessing we should keep to "bronze elements" in the newcomer division? I'd just ASK the teacher, but I don't want her to laugh. It's one of those rites of passage one must do oneself, I think... like Old Yeller.
I'm like two days from chickening out of this one anyways.
Don't worry 'bout the program- I'd forgotten about it, too!
I just checked the rules for this particular comp for you (they are on the web site you linked to). If you are only entering Newcomer, you can save yourself the $60 per person yearly membership fee and don't have to worry about joining USA Dance. However, if you are also entering Bronze, then you will need to join. If you can, it's always a good idea to enter all the levels you are eligible for (in this case, Newcomer and Bronze), because you'll get more dancing for your money that way. The rules also say that if you enter Newcomer you can only also do Bronze, so don't bother with the Silver quite yet.
It also says in the rules that the Newcomer event for this competition is restricted to the first five steps of the Bronze syllabus for that dance and style. So, you cannot dance your Silver in Newcomer, and you might not even be able to dance all your Bronze. Check with your coach to see if you need to change anything in your dance routines.
As far as entry fees go, it looks to me like they are $125 per person for all-you-can-dance, not $150, unless you registered before December 31. Early registration was $105 per person. Still, even at that discounted price, I personally think that's a LOT of money! But they're having the competition in a hotel, so that mostly explains the high price. I'm just too used to organizing cheap competitions.
I know you're in love with wearing a dress from Rainbow Shiu, but be careful what you order because the rules are particular about what you can wear because they are trying to define the line between what is and is not a costume. In part, they say:
quote:
The following are not allowed: Ladies may not wear any flesh-colored, metallic, transparent, or glittery material. No sequins, rhinestones, beads, pearls or similar adornments are allowed. No rhinestones, no feathers, no bows, no beads, no pearls, no sequins, no glitter, or similar adornments.
The Chairman of Judges has the final word on if what you are wearing is a costume or not. For instance, if I turned up in a plain dancesport-style ballgown that just didn't have any rhinestones on it, they could still tell me that it's a costume and I really need to wear something simpler like a practice skirt and a top. So, the best advice is to avoid anything that looks like an undecorated dancesport ballgown. One Chairman I know uses the following rule of thumb: if it looks like something you'd wear to a non-ballroom event, then it's okay, but if it looks too costumey to wear out in public to dinner or a party, then it's not okay. The vast majority of the newbies I see show up in skirts and tops or a very plain long dress, like something they'd wear out to a fancy formal dinner.
