2010 Northeast Collegiate DanceSport Challenge Results and Video

Tracey and I competed at Brandeis University two weekends ago where they hosted the inaugural Northeast Collegiate DanceSport Challenge. We were both looking forward to competing our new Open Smooth routines as well as jumping back into Latin and Rhythm. To round off the competition, I was able to find a Standard partner off of the TBA list (well, actually, she found me) and so was able to compete in all four styles. All-in-all, the competition was a blast. Read on for videos and full results breakdown.

Open Smooth

As before, this was the event that Tracey and I anticipated most. Due to the small size of this particular competition, we only had one other couple on the floor for Open Smooth. This turned out to be a perfect opportunity for us to give our new choreography a shot on the competition floor without having to worry as much about floorcraft with regard to other couples. As is plain to see from the video, we were easily outclassed by the other couple on the floor; Mike and Jess are surely veterans in Open Smooth. Nonetheless, it was a wonderful experience and we all enjoyed it.

Overall Placement: 2^nd Place

Knowing that we’d get second place going in to the competition, the immediate placement results weren’t surprising in the least: we squarely took second place in every dance. However, one of the seven judges, Armin Kappacher, saw fit to place us first in Waltz! This is all that we could possibly have asked for — to take just one mark from just one judge in just one dance. Tracey and I are ecstatic.

Gold Rhythm

Overall Placement: 3^rd Place

Gold Rhythm also went fairly well and we were able to place better than expected considering, as usual, that it’s a style that Tracey and I don’t practice at all. The day of the competition, I surprised Tracey with just a measure or two of apart-work steps that I was able to kludge together based on videos of other couples (thank you George Cometa). She was happy that I had put in the effort, even if I did mess it up while performing.

Show Detailed Results »

Silver Latin

Overall Placement: 3^rd Place

Again, Tracey and I competed in Silver Latin just because we could. Since there were enough couples for a semi-final, we were racked up a few more Silver Latin points.

Gold Standard

Overall Placement: 4^th Place

Competing with a partner that I’d never danced with before, Margot and I were just happy to be able to dance Gold Standard together. On the plus side we didn’t take last place! It was certainly a pleasure.