Dance/Life: Tulsa trip (WCS party with Maria , Philbrook museum, Argentine Tango party at Coffee Grinder with Irina and Sergio) 7/27-28/2024

 There were two dance events in Tulsa last weekend. So I went. About 2 hour drive one way.

West Coast Swing (WCS) dance community at Tulsa was inviting Maria Bileychik from Dallas for workshops, party and private lessons for the weekend. 

She is an active competitor in WCS dance circuit, and All Star Jack and Jill winner at the Wild Wild Westie 2024 (just 3 weeks ago).

[Their winning dance on YouTube]

[I was watching the contest at the WWW event. I thought the guy was trying to emphasize athleticism. I guess that worked well with judges.]

Her workshops were popular. At the party, she was social dancing with everybody, which was very nice.

I danced 3 songs with her. Such fun dances they were.

All WCS follows at all star and above level can move well and each has a good intuition, so never get caught awkward (unless the lead guy do really stupid things). In addition, each has developed her own character. Some are athletic, others are playful, infusing other dances, and so on.

Usually in partner dance, women are better dancers than men. Or, men can get away with it if he can at least be a solid lead, but competition is tougher for women. (I digress).

I thought her dance was a playful kind, with a lot of tricks she can use according to the song. An interpretative artist-type dancer? She would thrive in Jack and Jill situations.

The next day I stopped by Philbrook art museum, a private mansion of a rich family turned to a public museum on 1939. 

They have eclectic mix of collections; contemporary arts, Egyptian artifacts, religious paintings, Wyeth family paintings, Southwestern Native American arts and pottery, Glassware and sculptures, etc etc.

I thought the museum might be small, but there was a lot to see.

I was particularly impressed by the  "little shepherdess".  When I walked in the room, the painting, especially her face, just popped out. I was spending for, like 30 minutes in front of the painting to figure out why the painting was so impressive to me (no answer yet).

I did not really prepare for the museum visit nor did research beforehand. But it was good to know later that the painting was a featured, famous piece of the museum. I was not alone to be impressed by the painting. The art (or NEN) was strong with it.

I had whole afternoon at the museum before I moved on to a coffee house where my Argentine Tango friends, Irina and Sergio, were teaching beginner class and hosting a milonga.

Irina and Sergio were stage tango dancers. I remember they were great. I had not seen them for quite a while (since 2016?), though. 

It was nice to see them after all these years. They are still good dancers. Their dance looked good, and her dance felt good. Their kid (who was a baby) is now a young musician, playing tango for the party.

There were about 20 people from ballroom dance club, who were new to tango.

Tulsa tango community, too, shrank quite a bit during the covid time. They are hoping to build it back.

 

Building dance community, and having good dance skills and enjoying the dance by our own, are two different businesses. They can go well together (ideally). I hope the ideal be achieved by them.

Nice mini vacation weekend for me.

Dance: Wild Wild Westie 2024 (7/5-7/2024)

 I went to Wild Wild Westie 2024, an West Coast Swing (WCS) event at Hyatt Regency DFW international Airport Hotel, Dallas. The same place as the Holiday Tango event last year.

Instead of reporting event details, following is my thoughts that came up during the event.

WCS is a rapidly evolving dance. I was curious what kind of changes I would observe this year.

I. 

The energy level of the floor was high, with many dancers in their 20's and 30's. Although WCS events have become contest-focused events, there was plenty of time for social dance with willing partners.

So, fun was still there for someone like me who is interested in dancing with anyone, but not interested in doing contest with random partners of varying preparedness for dancing for entertainment/viewing pleasure. Too much of the luck of the draw.

II. 

Social dance was good. I loved it. 

III. 

On the social and contest floor, what I saw was;

(a) swing dance with more 3-dimensional swing orbit, compared with previous (classical?) 2-dimensional swing motion on a linear track/slot, and 

(b) leads with unattractive, overactive frame.

I liked the 3-D swing motions, but not the look of leads with overactive frame, who were about 95% of all leads.

I don't think I'd use overactive frame style any time soon. Not for me. Aesthetic choice.

IV.

Direction of social dance evolution is influenced by a number of factors including; (i) how the dance is taught, (ii) how current champions dance, and (iii) how easy or fun it is to do it.

Regarding (iii), there are highly athletic top pro-followers who can merge gymnastic moves to WCS. Their ways of dancing are unlikely to be done by the most, simply because the moves are too difficult for the most. 

(iv) Another detail is more widespread inclusion of axis-based moves.

I've thought that merging axis-based dances (we see the moves often in Ballet and Tango) with WCS is tricky, because WCS basics are one-two and triple, with moving feet and hovering center.

But moves like one foot spin (taking time to "dance" instead of keep moving) opened the possibility of adopting and merging axis-based moves from Tango or Ballet. (My opinion). 

Moves formerly frowned upon in "classical WCS" (e.g., non-linear slot, showy moves from other dances, intentional disconnect/reconnect) can be done in "modern WCS".

That is wonderful (provided that they are done well and looking good).

[My attire: Gold shoes and shiny shirt]

PS 1

I noticed that some of the moves recently introduced to WCS can be refined. A WCS move in which she stands on an axis in a lunge and he runs around to present her, is basically a layman's version of the same axis, pivot spin of stage Argentine Tango.

 I am hoping to see someone bringing refinements in the move to WCS contests.

PS 2

As my summer project is ballet, I checked out a "modern ballet" class in the event. 

There was an outstanding ballerina. I loved the way she move and thought she was a real deal. In the world of sport (including dances), stars who can attract eyes exist. This kind of awe is what I really love.