How a Competition is born - the local view

Photo: Jonathan Hunter

For this Q and A I'm quizzing someone with long experience of dancing in the North West, Blackpool born Hannah Lonsdale is a an experienced social and competitive dancer with her partner in wine Julie Duane.  Hannah knows the Northern and Scottish dance scene well so she's ideally placed to reflect on how Northern Champs is going down amongst her fellow dancers.

SN: Kicking off with a local question, what will Northern Champs do for dancing in the North West?

HL: The North West has so many great dancers, some who already compete, some are looking forward to giving it a try and some who haven’t even thought about it yet. Ceroc Northern Champs brings the opportunity to home turf and gives everyone a chance to show what they can do in front of a friendly local crowd and a great atmosphere. Jamie and the team have worked really hard to make sure that there are accessible categories for everyone, no matter how little or long they have been dancing.

Loads of people are also coming as spectators to join in the atmosphere of the day and to cheer for their friends and favourite dancers. There’ll be a lot of recognisable faces on the competition floor, from dancers at local class nights to those you see performing in the cabaret at weekenders like Southport.

There’s plenty of dancers out there around the North West who haven’t yet thought about competing but who may well be inspired to progress their dancing and move up to competing in the future by what they see at Northern Champs.
 
SN: So what for you are the key differences between social and competition dancing?

HL: You’re dancing specifically for others to watch in competition! For me social dancing is all about what feels good and relaxing, but for competition dancing you also have to think about what you look like to the judges, as well as having fun. That usually means adding more pronounced styling that’s appropriate for each different musical style (ladies and gents) and thinking about how to fit showy moves perfectly in time to the music. It’s also a lot more nerve-wracking!

SN: As an experience competition dancer, what would be your tips for newbie competitors?

HL:

1. Ask a trusted teacher for advice before competing, they’ll usually be happy to guide you in the right direction.
2. Video yourself while practicing, it’s amazing how different things can look on camera
3. Pick a costume that is comfortable, you don’t want to worry about wardrobe malfunctions. If in doubt, add plenty of bling to it!
4. Dance with everyone at freestyles and class nights, especially beginners. Doing the simplest of moves gives you time to think how to put style into your dancing.

Photo: Stephen North

SN: You;ve been to some great competitions but also some rotten ones, what are the qualities of a good competition

HL: The best competitions are ones where the organisers prioritise the enjoyment of the competitors and the spectators. A friendly atmosphere, plenty of up-beat freestyle, fair and transparent judging without bias and running to time really help. Lots of buzz from a great crowd is amazing, there’s no better boost to your performance than hearing everyone cheering for you. I’m getting excited for Northern Champs just thinking about all of these things, it’s going to be ace!

SN: Finally from your perspective as someone with an interest in the health and welfare of people in your region, what does dancing bring to people in communities like those in the NW?

HL: There are so many people worldwide that have dancing as a central part of their culture, it’s just natural for people to get together and dance.

As well as the social benefits, people forget that it’s great exercise - so many people have effortlessly lost weight when they start dancing (and even more when they start practicing regularly for competitions).

Ceroc is a great example to the world of so many cultures coming together and getting along, different races and religions, vocations and persuasions all accepted and embraced. Dancers are generally such kind-hearted, friendly, polite and considerate people: it's a very positive environment.This social richness is echoed in the diversity of dance styles, dress and conversation you can see just by walking into any Ceroc night in the North West.

I think dancers could get together and sort out world peace if we put our minds to it. ;)