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How a Competition is born - judging


In the spirit of "while you're writing, I don't have to" I sought the views of one of the illustrious attendees for Northern Champs, Sheena Assiph. Sheena is a competition organiser, Ceroc teacher, former competitor, one of the best DJs in the kingdom and in this instance a competition judge. She makes Scottish Champs whizz along with efficiency, exuberance and generates loads of cash for charity in the process.

Photo: Lorraine Coulson (http://www.lorysphotography.com)

Sheena catches the mood of a dance like few others I know and she helped me fulfil an ambition I'd given up on - to dance to a piece of classical music.  There are a few dancers who can carve out the delicate shapes that match The Flower Duet from Lakme - she did with such sensitivity it was a proper treat.  :-)

I asked her a few questions by email as I had for Jamie here,

SN: You have organised a fair few dance competitions in Scotland, what’s the one golden rule for the Northern Champs team to make for a good competition?
SA: Stick to the timetable!  A competition day is incredibly draining for both dancers and spectators. The ability to be able to plan when you can grab 20 minutes of relaxation time, nip out and get some fresh air, or go get some food is really important. Competitors need to know that if they're back "on time' for their next heat then they won't have to sit around waiting for another 15/30 minutes. A decent amount of freestyle time, after the presentations, is also important.

SN: What’s the secret of attracting the judges eye, we have seen some brave attempts at Scottish Champs over the years, what will you be looking for?
SA: You need to stand out from the crowd.  The first step for this is your outfit. It doesn't need to be some incredibly expensive hand made and rhinestoned latin style outfit but it needs to be something that will catch the eye. It could be quirky, it could be colourful, but it's the first step to getting you noticed. Personally I like couples who look like they are having fun, even though they are competing, partnerships who look at each other and smile. Proper lead and follow is very important, to me, and also musical interpretation. Especially in the earlier rounds the judges have a very limited time to look at each couple, so give it your all, every dance.

SN: What are your three tips for any couples new to competing at the Champs
SA:
1. Have fun and try to enjoy the experience.  It's a very different thing to put yourself up to be judged, compared to some of your friends watching you dance at a freestyle, but it CAN be great fun. Concentrate on giving your partner the best dance of their life........and did I mention smile! 
2. Be honest in your expectations.  For the most part, those dancers who are successful in competitions spend a huge amount of time training, practising, rehearsing. If you've only just started dancing and have met your partner only a couple of times for a quick run through then you may not be set for a big win this time. 
3. Remember to eat!  Seriously, eat and rehydrate during the day. Little and often, but eat.

SN: You have seen at UK Champs the best of the current crop - which track(s) do you think will sort out the men and women from the boys and girls?

SA: Oh, tricky question. There are some great tunes around at the moment that have fabulous tempo changes to challenge the dancers. It's great when it's a track that the competitors are not familiar with, but it still needs to be a fabulous track.
I'll give you 2 tracks that I think would be a challenge - but of course just mentioning them here means they're out of the mix, sorry........
  • "Stay With Me" - Stan Smith - such an emotional track, I'd love to see how the dancers handle it. It's slow and juicy.
  • "Sing - Ed Sheeran - one of my favourites at the moment. This, played in a final, would be awesome!

SN: Dancing goes through different phases and styles even within the Ceroc style - what are the 3 most memorable couples you’ve seen (unfair question but none of them will read it :-)….maybe )
SA: This is an unfair question, Stephen, shame on you, but hey, I'll bite. 
SN: mwahahahahahahah
SA: Couple 1 - David and Lily Barker. The first couple I every saw doing the "Donut" move at the London Ceroc Champs, back in the day. Their attention to detail of going into and out of the aerial moves they did and the incredible lines that they made upped the ante. An incredible influence to many competitors. The recent aerials competition, London Champs May 2014, totally blew me away - all of the competitors in that have totally revitalised this competition. It was brilliant. 
Couple 2 - Aleksander Kvam and Izabela Sydelko. This couple brought a more ballroom style to our competitions but wow! Again, their dedication to competing saw them spend hours and hours practising but we were rewarded with amazing showcases and fabulous dancing. As a lover of "lines" I never tired of watching Aleks and Izzy dance together. 
Couple 3 - Dan Baines and Lisa. I have only seen them on video, sadly not in the flesh, but suffice to say their showcase at the London Champs in 1999 brought a whole new style into the mix. Their costumes and their moves were hip/hop orientated and the crowd went wild. You can watch their performance, here,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSkwwberCTo


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