My knee was okay, so I drove to Tulsa last Saturday (3/30) for Tulsa Spring Swing, a regional West Coast Swing dance event finally coming back from covid break.
The Saturday night session had Newcomer Strictly Swing, Pro Am routines, All Star Jack & Jill, Invitational Jack & Jill, and Jeanne's Jackpot Jack & Jill (funtest). As customary to WCS events, in-between each contest session was social dances. After all the contests, late night social dance followed until 4AM.
It was very nice to see my old WCS friends and also meet new people.
[End of late night social dance at 4AM of Easter Sunday. Lovable idiots and the DJ]
There are dances for entertainment, mostly by highly-skilled professionals. Think Broadway shows, Dance Sport (competitive Ballroom dance at a high level), Stage Argentine Tango, and dance companies for Ballet or Contemporary.
Then there are other community dances including WCS, Lindy Hop, Party Latins (Salsa, Bachata, Zouk, Kizomba etc), recreational Ballroom dance, Tango dancers at milonga, Country Western, and so on. Each of the community dances may have competitions or larger scale (regional/national/international) events.
Some of the dancers in the community dances are really good. But whether the "good dancers" achieve refinements in their dance at entertainer-dancer level, thus show broader appeal, depends on each of the dancers' aim, ability, technique, skills, and environment (and luck, too).
What I was reminded of while watching the Tulsa Spring Swing event and competitions was that, dance as entertainment is not necessarily by dance ability, techniques, skills or overall appeal alone.
You don't have to be at the level of Broadway dancers to be entertaining to the audience there.
I am not saying that the dancers are not good. On the contrary, as WCS is a technical dance, event-attending WCS dancers are far better (or know what they are doing much better) than, say, average people in local social party.
It shows in many levels, especially in body usage and knowledge in the dance. Whether they are initiated for "show dance" (or competitions) also change the game.
Dancing a technical dance with better-skilled dancers is a very different kind of fun from dancing with "passionate but crude" dancers (which is also fun, or more precisely, interesting or amusing).
I enjoyed watching the event and had good laughs. I had fun in social dances. I was entertained. I appreciate it.
Community dances are returning after years of covid hiatus. So are events, entertainment and fun.
