Every year, The Open is a showcase for swing dancing – what it is, what it has been, and what it can be – and this year’s event was no exception. We talked about Deborah’s experience competing at The Open, how much we admired Benji and Nicole’s Showcase routine, and our reactions to his retirement from routine divisions. We also discussed the different showpieces at The Open, what we liked in the Classic division routines, and the different trends in costumes (unitards! tunics!) and choreography (walk offs and hands on mouths). Of course, we also looked at judging at the event, in particular the issue of swing content (and swing aesthetic) and we got into a debate about NASDE’s decision to degender the routine divisions (though we agreed that “degender” isn’t the right term). Take a listen and let us know your own thoughts!
footnotes
NASDE Rules (including Statement of Swing)
The Open Rules [PDF]
Benji Schwimmer’s retirement from routines
Dawn Hampton discussing the feeling of the music
Benji Schwimmer & Nicole Clonch
Myles Munroe & Tessa Cunningham Munroe
Glenn Ball & Florencia Diaz
Semion Ovsiannikov & Maria Elizarova
Jesse Dickson & Lannie Sullivan
Thibault Ramirez & Estelle Bonnaire
Tony Schubert and Larisa Tingle Schubert
Jakub Jakoubek & Emeline Rochefeuille
More routines to come as they become available online…
