As in previous entry, there is a Jack and Jill contest coming up. For Tango, it is new.
But this contest style/category itself is not new. Swing dancers have been doing it for decades. And they have a few tricks to prepare for the contest.
I'll list a few of what you can do to prepare for the Jack and Jill contest, in case you are new to it.
(i) First of all, don't be naïve.
It is not your usual dance at milonga, although the format may deliberately look similar. It is a contest. There are judges. There are other contestants. You have to visually appeal to judges and audiences that your dance is somehow interesting or looks good, in order to advance.
That means, if you do not like the above idea of contest, or do not have dance skills enough to compete, probably, "not signing up the contest" is a good option for you and for others who are more serious about the contest.
Once you are determined to go for it and paid up your fee, then;
(ii) Dance with everybody beforehand.
Tango has the cabeceo culture. The "asking dance" ritual is actually an active selection process for your partners. As a result, you may have a lot of people you never danced, or have not danced with for so long, for whatever reason.
In Jack and Jill, your partner is drawn and assigned to you. You have no choice. For music, too. You dance to the song the DJ plays.
Well, diagnostics is an important and indispensable (or even fun) part of social dances. But for contest purposes, familiarities with your partner will give you advantage.
He may have favorite sequences or habits in his on-spot choreography. She may have strength to showcase, or weakness that she does not want to be led.
He may be a fast and smooth mover, but it can overwhelm her if she is not used to it (he may even feel rough to her in the case). In which case, he has to slow down and seek ways to still look good, somehow.
Solving these "issues in social dance" on the spot under contest pressure is not easy. That is why "dance beforehand" is important.
Also that is why in swing dance event contestants seek out other contestants and ask for a dance beforehand. They wear bibs, so it is not difficult to know who else is competing.
Overall, this is another example of how contest affects and even changes the way amateur social dancers get involved in the dance.
(iii) Be identifiable.
When I am a visitor and watch others dance, I don't know their names most of the time.
What I'd catch are visual characteristics like "the red dress", "short one with blue hair", "tall, thin, blond", "the tuxedo with red tie", "blue shirt",.....
You want something identifiable and consistent. This is an audition trick.
There are physical characteristics that are difficult to change (race, skin color, body type, height, shape, large tattoo, etc), that are modestly changeable (hair do, hair color), and that can be modified easily (accessories, shoes, dresses, costumes, and their colors).
For accessories and dresses, make sure they can be seen from at least 10 feet away, and make sure they send a message you intend to.
You can add something like red jacket, if you don't want to be buried among black suits. You have to be seen and be memorable.
(iv) Plan ahead for your SOPs and practice ahead.
In social dance, professional followers would start with following with solid follow, grasping her lead's habit, then start adding embellishments and plays, if she feels it is safe to do so.
Professional leads would start from basics (basic salida is most frequently used as opening move). Then evaluate what she can comfortably do, and add things from there. But they wouldn't want to challenge the follow too much.
Either way, professionals usually have their "standard operation procedures (SOPs)" for social dance.
You can have similar SOPs. For that, you plan ahead and practice ahead.
(v) Take your time.
Unlike some contest for which you have a minute or less to dance, you can take time.
Excessive chatting would be distracting, so don't do it. But you both can have time to listen to the song, embrace, ensure energy flow match, etc, before you even start dancing. In fact, these are essential process for social dance. Showcase how you do it.
(vi) Know what is valued.
This is about knowing what is positively evaluated, and reversely, what makes your dance be seen negatively. "Fifty points from Gryffindor"-kind of things.
They usually spell this out in contest rules.
If they like "elegant", then, show elegance. If they like "musicality", "technical efficiency", or "solid navigation", show them. Usually they seek something positive and pick dancers they like.
But be aware of red card events. If they prohibit lifts, certain stage moves, breaking embrace, going past a couple before you, or unreasonable use of moves from open embrace that would be strange to regular milonga, then, don't do these.
........
These are what I can list off the hat. There should be some more. But it is your job, contestants. Do what you think going to work. Might as well enjoying both preparation and the contest.
Hope this helps. Good luck and have fun.
