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How a Competition is born - making it happen


The birth of a new competition on the Ceroc dance circuit gives me chance to talk to some of those involved to illustrate what it's all about.

To kick this off I sent over a few questions to one of the key people in the drive to create Northern Championships, Jamie Stormer.

Photo credit: Terry Hills

Jamie is a well respected Ceroc teacher and successful competitive dancer.  He works for Ceroc Addiction (which covers Shropshire, Staffordshire, Cheshire and Manchester).  This area has become something of a powerhouse of competition dancing and Jamie has been instrumental in bring on new dancers to the competition circuit. A week ago Jamie was competing with great success in Ceroc UK Championships - now he's busy on the final preparations for Northern Champs which I first previewed here.

The other day I asked Jamie via email a few questions about this new competition with a view to sharing them with you:-

SN: How did you get the idea for Northern Champs?   

JS: The name, I hope is easy to guess. The idea behind the competition however came from a brainstorm with the current core members of our team. We wanted to start a new championship thats enables some of our local dancers a chance to show their skills. We wanted to invite the best dancers to our area in hopes they’ll inspire the next generation of competitors.

SN: How are preparations going? 

JS: We’ve got a close team of people who specialise in the tech, the admin, the promo and the financial areas. This has ensured excellent organisation that we hope to carry forward to the day of the champs and present a well run and on-time competition. We’ve received a lot of bookings from as far north as Inverness and as far south as Plymouth and a good mix of everyone in-between. We’re very happy with the current bookings and we’re currently on target for a good number of competitors per category. Some categories are closer to maximum capacity whereas others, such as pro-am & open still have spaces available.

SN: What is going to make this Champs special?
JS: The location, the date (Summer Solstice), the competitors, and the crew. We’ve tried to go above and beyond on as many levels as possible, hand selecting the judges whilst aurally pleasuring our selves to the DJ’s exceptional musical tastes. I will be hosting & comparing, so that’s probably going to be pretty special in itself! We’re positive that the Northern Champs will create some happy & joyous memories of a truly wonderful day of dance. After listening to lots of informative feedback from previous competitions we hope to have hit the nail on the head. Suggestions are welcome, please do drop us a line if there’s anything you think we should incorporate.  [SN: here's the link]

SN: You're an experienced dancer, teacher and competitor - what three things do you think newbie competitors should concentrate on for competitions?
JS: FUN. I’d sing the Spongebob Squarepants FUN song (Google it) but I don’t have the time to type it all out (but I’m humming it in my head right now). People who have never competed before, I want them to concentrate on having fun. I’ve been most successful when I’m having the time of my life and I urge everyone to do the same. Smiling & singing along with the song when competing can help with nerves and keep you focused on the music. Smiling is infectious so work as a team and if one of you is looking a little worried, a smile is the best remedy. Get a few of your friends together and get them to cheer for you. I can’t tell you how much this lifts your spirits when you’re feeling a little alone on the competition floor. Cheer for your fellow competitors and they’ll cheer for you. You can always hire a team of cheerleaders but failing that, the Welsh, Chester and Scottish crowds are always on hand to provide a noisy reception! 

SN: When you sit back with a brew at the end of the event what do you want to have achieved?
JS: I want to have created a new competition which both compliments and enhances the current Modern Jive competition scene. I want our local up and coming dancers to join in the competition buzz and see what it’s all about. I want the Northern Champs to be at the top of everyones competition list for next year and beyond and I want for everyones hard work to have paid off. To have created a competition that’s fair, fun, competitive & enjoyable for everyone involved.
Great to hear from Jamie and thank you for those answers.  I wish you and your team every success.

There'll be more from me on this as we run up to North Champs.
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