Competition Snobbery

[Rachel]

Originally Posted by Sheepman

... (Rachel especially!!!) ...

Oh Greg, you mean me??? You are just so nice and so flattering! My win with you was the highlight of my year - but you would have won that regardless of who you were dancing with. Just look at your record!! I'm hardly a 'competion person' - bear in mind that I was knocked out first round of the Blackpool Open and didn't make it to the finals in the Ceroc Intermediate - both with absolutely amazing partners. Understandably, though, as I realise I would have to drastically change my dancing to get anywhere - more 'outward projection/presentation' I think, and an ability to change my style according to the music ...

To Lory, I agree with ChrisA - never say never! Up until this year, I was completely a 'will never do completitions' person. But I always loved going to watch and now I think I may continue to compete - I enjoy the way it makes you feel so much more involved, and (especially with me being so lazy) gives you the incentive to focus and improve on your dancing.

Lory, you are such a lovely dancer to watch - I think that if you ever decided to compete, you would do brilliantly!
Rachel

[Lory]

Originally Posted by Rachel

To Lory, I agree with ChrisA - never say never!

I'm still saying never BUT maybe, just maybe, one day, if it was impromtu and I'd had enough dutch courage, I might do a DWAS, only cos I can blame my partner if it all goes pair shaped!

Lory, you are such a lovely dancer to watch - I think that if you ever decided to compete, you would do brilliantly!

Seriously though, as much as I love you Rachel, you do talk **** sometimes.

I know that, as some people on here have said before (maybe not in this context) that as soon as a competitor has walked on the floor, they're judged, even before they've danced. Wrong I know but true I fear! There's a 'look' you have to have and I just ain't got it!

But I'm a great social dancer!

[Andy McGregor]

Originally Posted by Lory

There's a 'look' you have to have and I just ain't got it!

Don't sell yourself short. You've got a great 'look' and loads of people like looking

..and I'm sure that includes the judges

[Pammy]

Originally Posted by Lory

There's a 'look' you have to have and I just ain't got it!

I agree to some extent. I think to win (1-3) you have to have "the look", but you could still get placed up to 6th without it, and a 6th would do me just fine

As for you not having the look, I'm not so sure. You've certainly got "the hair" and "the trousers with the split" so I think you should give it a go

[Rachel]

Curious, Pammy & Lory - by 'look', are we talking about physical appearance, or do we mean the way you present yourself/exude style/confidence, etc?
R.

[under par]

Originally Posted by Andy McGregor

Don't sell yourself short. You've got a great 'look' and loads of people like looking

..and I'm sure that includes the judges

Here here!!
C'mon Lory have a go some time soon at dance with a stranger. After all there none stranger than me..

I've only ever done 2 dwas comps. It is a different animal to social dancing but even at the lower end it is fun. It introduces slightly different discipines for both leader and follower. Fixed grin for a start

Like all aspects of life Lory it is the doing that creates the experience.

I have reservations about all sports including MJ where the competitions are won by subjective voting because like beauty it is the eye of the beholder that is imperative.

There is no doubt who the winner of the 100 metres sprint is, the person who breaks the tape is the winner.

With MJ and all other subjective voting sports it is an opinion based result.

There must be times in all these activities where competitors compete to the absolute MAX and others who compete well but not to their MAX. who wins??

Not neccesarily the best on the day. It will be down to the arbitraters of voting to decide who in their opinion was the best. Like all opinions they are not universally shared and so there is always counter opinions. Just listen to all the opinions and counter opinions about who was good, better and best in Jive masters heats. (And there are only 5 couples to choose from!!)

I think I'm getting a bit too deep here so I will wrap it up by saying Lory give it a try because it is there to do and it is different discipline from social dancing.
It is fun, it should always be fun and if you get away from any anticipation of winning, and enjoy the comp dance it adds to the participaion of the day and experience of life.

I love dancing with you sore leg or not hope it gets better soon

[DavidB]

Originally Posted by Pammy

"the trousers with the split"

I realised this half way through the first round, so did something about it...

[Pammy]

Originally Posted by DavidB

I realised this half way through the first round,

so did the rest of us

[Lory]

Originally Posted by Rachel

Curious, Pammy & Lory - by 'look', are we talking about physical appearance, or do we mean the way you present yourself/exude style/confidence, etc?
R.

For some reason, the following does NOT apply to men!

The 'look'....

She walks onto the floor with grace and confidence!

She has a dancers frame! Petite and lithe!

Her posture and deportment are elegant, she looks like a DANCER!

She has a pleasing face!

She engages with the audience and smiles effortlessly!

She looks good in her competition costume, i.e. she wears it well!

She's got me noticing her!!!!!

and this is before she's even danced a single step! I think your lying to yourselves if you think that none of this matters to u!

[Pammy]

Originally Posted by Rachel

Curious, Pammy & Lory - by 'look', are we talking about physical appearance, or do we mean the way you present yourself/exude style/confidence, etc?
R.

I have always had trouble with my shape. Anyone who's seen me recently knows I've piled on weight but even at my thinnest when I was managing to get out dancing about 4 nights a week I was still not happy with my shape and nor do I think I was the sort of shape that would look good on the winners stand. All my outfits have been almost impossible to find. At my smallest, say I had a size 8 waist, I still had (men, don't read this bit), a size 14 bum and thighs , so nothing I buy off the peg fits (I'm a horribly odd shape). This is something I've always been really conscious of, fat or thin. This means I can't wear the sort of outfits that catch the eye - the skirts about an inch long, all those lovely little numbers you see in top-shop etc.

It's so disappointing going onto the floor with all the girls who can wear the really nice tight trousers and mini-skirts and there I am in my home-made ones. With my size/shape that has never been possible and a lot of moves that are easy with a lightweight. So many people don't even try doing moves with me that they would happily do with someone else for the first time so that tells me that it's my shape/weight that's the problem. My height doesn't help either.

Larger dancers can move just as well as thinner ones and have as much style, confidence (if that is in their personality), but they still don't have "the look" that is expected regardless of your dancing ability. It's a shame, but it's true...

[RobC]

Originally Posted by Pammy

I think to win (1-3) you have to have "the look", but you could still get placed up to 6th without it,

Hmm, does this explain why my best placing in recent competitions was when Trampy, Andy and I came 4th in the 2003 Blackpool double trouble

[Lory]

Originally Posted by RobC

Hmm, does this explain why my best placing in recent competitions was when Trampy, Andy and I came 4th in the 2003 Blackpool double trouble

As I said! For some strange reason, IT DOES NOT APPLY TO MEN!

[RobC]

Originally Posted by Lory

As I said! For some strange reason, IT DOES NOT APPLY TO MEN!

Yes, but Andy was hardly dressed as a Man, was he

Personally, I would say the look has more to do with the whole package portrayed by the couple as a whole. Granted, the follower may be responsible for a slightly larger percentage of 'the look', but that is because us guys are only there to make you look good

[Lory]

Originally Posted by Lory

The 'look'....

She walks onto the floor with grace and confidence!

She has a dancers frame! Petite and lithe!

Her posture and deportment are elegant, she looks like a DANCER!

She has a pleasing face!

She engages with the audience and smiles effortlessly!

She looks good in her competition costume, i.e. she wears it well!

She's got me noticing her!!!!!

and this is before she's even danced a single step!

ROb read this again! It IS Andy!

I might change the word dancer to Prancer though!
Luv u Andy!

[Rachel]

To Pammy and Lory - again. You're both mad!! You have both got a fantastic 'look' - incredibly pretty, lovely shape (even if you're not size 6 waifs - is that attractive anyway?), great smiles and attractive personality that just shines out.

This is absolutely true and I know that all the friends we have in common would agree. Both of you have caught my eye (you know what I mean - not in a sexual way!) and got me jealous of you in some way or another. I remember at Bognor, Pammy, seeing this stunning looking lady in a lovely red skirt and thinking, wow, who's that?, before I realised it was you. And much the same for Lory when I saw her dancing at Hipsters the other week.

I do agree that if you haven't got that particular 'look', you have an extra hurdle to get through at competitions to get noticed. But you both have all the required attributes and should deservedly have the confidence to match.
R.

[TheTramp]

Originally Posted by Lory

As I said! For some strange reason, IT DOES NOT APPLY TO MEN!

Personally, I think that it does....

Trampy

[Gadget]

[Lory]

Originally Posted by Rachel

I do agree that if you haven't got that particular 'look', you have an extra hurdle to get through at competitions to get noticed. But you both have all the required attributes and should deservedly have the confidence to match.
R.

Please don't get me wrong on this, believe it or not, I fully admit to being one of those people who likes to see the 'whole package' win!

So, I'm NOT sour grapes in the least! I just accept that I, haven't got that competition 'look'. I'm not worried about having womanly curves, some people actually like them!

As for Pammie, Big up to you girl! I just couldn't be a**d with that 'extra hurdle'!

[Pammy]

Originally Posted by Rachel

I remember at Bognor, Pammy, seeing this stunning looking lady in a lovely red skirt and thinking, wow, who's that?

I wasn't at Bognor

I was at Camber in a red skirt though

[Rachel]

Originally Posted by Pammy

I wasn't at Bognor

I was at Camber in a red skirt though

Sorry, I actually realised that as soon as I'd sent it. I meant Camber - I was just too lazy to edit!
R.