Boogie By The Bay 2012 Update #3

First, two quick tidbits:

First Tidbit:

Gotta love San Francisco! I mentioned the Castro Street Fair, right? Check this out: Weiner says Put Your Pants On

(And yes Weiner is really his name. To find this article I googled “naked weiner castro”) My favorite line, “He arrived in business clothes, stripped down to his shoes, socks and sunglasses and ate a pasta salad.” Classic. Gotta be my next status update.

Second Tidbit: This one totally unrelated to Boogie. Check this out: “Schmoyoho sets debate to music! 115 bpm, totally danceable”

Last night was Strictlys, 6 pm till just after midnight. I wasn’t quick enough to catch the names of Strictly prelim contestants, but here are your finalists. Sure wish I could make fun of people’s names. But that wouldn’t be nice. Would it.

Novice Strictly Finalists:

Matthew Leszcsenski and Diana Jaunzeikare
John and Paula Squibb
Matthew Lietzke and Alaina Yee
Tip West and teveya Dovbish
Shin Aoki and Sheryl Fernandez
Ben Porter O’Neal and Robin Vann
Rick Manderscheid and Caitlin Kinsella
Adam Hager and Yeaw Su Ann
Gabriel Munoz and Devin McBain
Doug Groo and Michelle Crozier
Jonah Deitz and Tiffany Miller
Anddrew Vogel and Amanda Denney
Austin Kois and Katie Vannetti

I really REALLY wish I could make fun of people’s names. But no. That wouldn’t be nice.

Intermediate Strictly Finalists:

Matthew Levine and Melissa Mcrobbie
Claudiu Simion and Desie Damaso
David Guido and Delphine Grivel
Jason Bryan and Larisa Tingle
Alex Waller and Skyle LaPointe
Dean Fields and Victoria Henk
Jonathan Tatum and Tasha Veal
Brendan Jacques and Madison Malone
Chris Mendoza and Jessie Divine
Kiko Fernandes and Giulli Kimura
Morgan Burks and Shanna Porcari
Ian Lee and Olga Usmanora
Cassie Winter and Rebecca Savaca

Seriously, can I make fun of people’s names? Okay no that wouldn’t be nice.

Advanced Strictly Finalists:

CJ Caraway and Leigh Young
Brandon manning and Anyssa Olivares
Matthew Taylor and Amanda Mckamey
Brad and Sarah Wheeler
Travis DeVoid and Marina Mollman-Gutsch
John Piper and Terra Deva
Glint Glasgow and Kylie Davey
Carson Brand and Samantha Ward
Steven Guido and Hayley Minkin
Josh Williamson and Maddie Finley
Koichi Tsunoda and Lindsey Nastos
Kevin Kane and Shantala Davis
Steven Van Nguyen and Nicki Almost Mrs. Silton Smith
Evan Pardo and Lura Klipp

All-Star Strictly Finalists:

JB and Kara
Cameron and Janelle
Alfred and Shannon Tobin
Josh Sturgeon and Dana Simonetti
PJ and Tashina
Daniel Guido and Stacy
Bret and Bella
Connor Goodmanson and Libbaaaaaay (who, the day after Desert Swing, was supposed to have flown home to Australia but just couldn’t bear to leave the US dance community so here she is at Boogie hahaha – yaaaaaay! Maybe she’ll stay forever we hope we hope we hope!)
Jason Taylor and Sharon Her
Brad Whelan and Tara
Chris Dumond and Jessica Greer
Rob Jackson and Heather Powers
Edwin Li and Patti Thompson

Masters Strictly Finalists:

(at this event, I’m guessing because of scheduling restraints, one must choose between Masters and one’s actual competitive level – this applies to both Strictlys and JJs.)

Mark Endo and Theresa McGarry
Layton and Loretta Berry
Gerry Morris and Kelly Wentling
Warren Pino and Bess Rodriguez
Michael DeFranco and Glenda Smith
Marty Deluna and Debbie Montalban
Peter Witte and Ginny Howe
Michael Salvados and Sarah Grusmark
Gary and Laura Thompson
Martin Brown and Brenda Koster

Here are your Champion Strictly prelim contestants:

Robert Cordoba and Amanda Warren
Ben Morris and Deborah
Doug Silton and Laureen
Luis and Lemery
Ben Hooten and Taletha
Mr. Marker and Mrs. Uspensky
Mr. Uspensky and Mrs. Marker
Ben McHenry and Courtney
Paul Warden (SO! GREAT! to have Paul and Cat back in the States! Been two whole years. Cannot wait to see their routine tonight!)
Arjay and Brandi
Ollie and Cameo (Cameo is a blonde! She was a stunning brunette, strikingly gorgeous, and now is almost unrecognizable as an equally stunning blonde. I pointed her out to several people who insisted I was wrong, that’s simply not Cameo, can’t be. It really changed her appearance. She now looks so much like her mother it’s uncanny.)
Nick King and Samantha Buckwalter
Robert Royston and Torri
Sean and Yenni
Nick Jay and Cat
Debennedeta and DeLuca (Somewhere in Italy is one lucky woman whose last name is Debennedeta-DeLuca. I can’t stop saying DebennedetaDeLucaDebennedetaDeLuca while waving my hands all over the place. Try it, you won’t be able to stop.)
Leeeeeeendo and Roooooootz
Kyle and Jessica
Jake and Tessa
Parker and Sarah
Peter Strom and Naomi Uyami

Judges for Champion Strictly prelims: Yvonne, Mario, Bess Rodriguez, Dani, Simone, Kim Sifter, Sylvia, Carla, Carlito, and Chief Judge Kelly Casanova

Champion Strictlys were spotlight (Yay! So much more fun, and easier on your neck, when you don’t get whiplash trying to watch everyone at once). Grace emceeing.

Judges for Champion Strictly Finals: Bess, Mario, Carla, Dani, Carlito, Sylvia, Yvonne, and CJ Kelly

Music was “Beth and Andy’s Favorite Classic Swing Songs” (sounds like a CD on 4am cable tv) – couples were to choose either faster or slower than 120 beats per minute (120 because this is the 20th anniversary of Boogie.)

First up Ronnie and Jenn, or, as Grace said, “from the law firm of Debennedeta and DeLuca,” choosing “slower than 120″ – “True Love” – so smooth, both of them in inky blackest black, such slinky smooth soulful sensual dancing. Loved these two.

Lindo and Ruuuuuutz (this is Melissa’s home turf so she gets a howling, resounding, bass roar when her name is called – rooooooooooootz – hotel guests and staff must wonder what the heck is going on in the ballroom.) They chose fast (>120) and got FAST – “It’s Better to Have And Don’t Need” – so fast – John at his best tearing up the floor like we rarely see – and then! Last beat of the song, BAM! down went Lindo flat onto his back crashing down onto the floor. For half a second we worried but when the scene instantaneously devolved into chaos – Melissa crawled on top of him, straddling him, lying on his belly looking right into his face laughiing – Kyle, Ronnie, Parker and Ben running out to pump his chest and give him CPR – Ronnie jumping on top to administer full mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, Lindo heaving him off yelling PTUI! PHLEGH! EEEW! making faces like he was going to barf sticking his tongue out utterly appalled and grossed out – once all that happened we knew Lindo was alright. (Grace: “Welcome to San Francisco! Sometimes I feel like half of my job as emcee is being a Rodeo Clown.”)

Robert Royston and Torri (Robert: “I want to remind you that my partner wasn’t even born when this event started.” Grace: “So Robert do you want a fast or slow song? Your partner can do either, it’s you I worry about.”)

They got “Baby Work Out” and WOW! This dance was incredible. Royston, Holy Shamoly, the dude knows Every. Single. Beat. in this song, every lyric, every eighth note. By heart, so thoroughly second-nature like riding a bike, total intuitive “on” dancing. And of course with a partner like Torri how can you do better? She’s amazing, period. The two of them together with this song – west coast at its best. This is a video you’ll need to see, it’s a classic. What a treat!

Luis and Lemery to “Mustang Sally”

Nick King and Samantha Buckwalter to “Kiss”

Olivier and Cameo to “Good Rockin’ Daddy” (Cameo did a splits, a beautiful balletic Russian splits; and Olivier followed without even a beat between with a splits of his own, flexed feet, lindy-esque – great moment)

Parker and Sarah to “Let’s Rock”

Peter and Naomi to “Caeser’s All Star Joint”

Ben Morris and Deborah to “Swannee”

Kyle and Jessica to “Fever” – WOW! Smooth, subtle, sensual, passionate – this was gooooood dancing.

Ben McHenry and Courtney to “Stray Cat Strut”

Arjay and Brandi to – ooops, don’t remember! – what I do remember was that it was lovely. I love these two, apart and dancing together. This year both Arjay and Brandi seem to be even more dazzling than ever before, each in their own unique way. I can’t take my eyes off either one.

Running down to ballroom now for Jack and Jill prelims, all levels.

Oh! Music – for all the strictlys yesterday (all Beth all the way) and social (also Beth, until Ruby in the wee hours) has been SO good. (In my opinion, that is. I realize this is totally utterly thoroughly irritatingly subjective.) I am loving Beth’s music this weekend. Well all except the songs listed above, which, irony of ironies, are Beth and Andy’s favorite songs. (hahaha poooooor Beth poooor deejays you just cannot please people no matter what you do deejaying is the most thankless job in this business.) Anyway – I’ll list the names of yesterday’s comp songs in the next update (I’m asked for music names a lot – dancers around the world must be collecting music to practice to, or to deejay in their home communities.)

Down to the ballroom!