AAC 2009 – Update #1

Yallo. Liza here, ACC in Houston.

WELL. We have been here since Friday and have been busy dancing, registering, dancing, attending this meeting and that meeting, competing, and spectating. The comp feels big this year, way bigger than last year. Don’t know if that’s actually true but everyone says it feels that way. Super high excitement level, high energy, total funness so far.

Last night was Showcase, Pro-Am routines, Masters Classic, and Novice Classic (a division they seem to have only here in Texas, where they do things the Texas way regardless of what the rest of the country thinks). My favorite was a pro-am routine Matt Auclair did to “Bemir Bist Du Schein,” (a sentimental classic Yiddish song from the 1930′s made popular in English by the Andrews Sisters – it is to Jews what “That’s Amore” is to Italians) in which she (forget her name) wore an adorable Lindy outfit and shoes but they danced a west-coast routine – funny, quick, clean, witty – and the song itself is so great that during the chorus the whole audience started clapping and singing along. Delightful!

So far today we’ve done WSDC JJ prelims, AANCE JJ prelims, AANCE Strictlys; and in an hour we do AANCE Strictly ffinals. Then Rising Star, Intermediate Classic (another one of those weirdo who knows what the heck it is Texas divisions) and regular NASDE Classic. Then tomorrow are WSDC JJ and Strictly finals. It’s a late comp – JJ finals only begin a 5:30 – so most people are flying home Monday.

This AANCE title has really taken off! Lotta people down here gunning for the title. Mario, Angel, and Cher created this tour maybe four years ago (or three only, maybe?) to attract and reward beginner dancers, and it seems to be working, big time. Last year Oscar and Chelsea Rodgers won (they’re both in Advanced now, a year later). You have to have qualified elsewhere around the country in order to dance tonight in the finals. From DC we have Genieboy, Rob, James, and Robin Tittley dancing. Robin made semi-finals in her WSDC JJ earlier today – there were 102 Novice girls! Almost as many guys – a HUGE division. I’m sure she’ll make finals tomorrow – she’s looking fantastic.

So far nice weather here. T-shirt weather during the day, little chilly at night. Nothing like what we hear is going on in DC – is it really 9 degrees?? Holy Shamoly!

I shall write more later! Taking loads of pics which I’ll post on, yep, Facebook! Get on Facebook dudes.

Love Liza