Melissa and I started our competition partner ship last year  and have finally taken the steps to compete

Our first event was the SF open. Being our first competition we made some rookie mistakes but was a real eye opener for us

PATY’S POINT OF VIEW

San Francisco – Saturday, March 11, 2006

City Lights Ball - Pro/AM & Amateur Ballroom and Latin Dance Competition

Fieldtrip Plans

Last year I bought Irena’s ticket to attend the 9^th annual gala dance event and this year, she competed in Waltz, Tango and Foxtrot.  Pozdravlyau, Irena!  I’m looking forward to talking with her about her experience.  Because I had had such a fabulous time the previous year, you know I just had to go to the 10^th annual dance competition.  I reserved my ticket for the evening show as soon as I learned about it, coordinated a carpool and off we drove to San Francisco (from our agreed meeting place - the parking lot at Steppin’ Out Productions in Sunnyvale).  We were anticipating an evening of fun and entertainment.

Dinner and a Show

A large group (I counted about 25 people) met at Alborz (Sutter and Van Ness) for a delicious Persian dinner.  Lots of discussion ensued about what got us interested in dancing, what kinds of dancing we were into and for how long we’ve been dancing.  We had managed to find some off-street parking, not exactly “rock star” parking, but close enough to the dance venue and the restaurant.  In my rush to get to the restaurant and meet our patiently waiting party, I left my umbrella in the car and, of course, it started to pour!  We huddled under a smarter friend’s umbrella and crossed the street to join a crowd of people also bundled up against the elements climbing the staircase to enter …

The Grand Ballroom at The Regency Center

A San Francisco landmark on Van Ness Avenue, this beautiful building has been noted as a fine example of Scottish Rite architecture which includes neoclassic and beaux arts styles.  The Regency Building was built in 1909 and features blonde hardwood flooring, 35-foot high ceilings and, count ‘em, 22 turn-of-the-century teardrop chandeliers.  It is a marvelous venue for a dance affair.

Almost Show Time…

It was such a pleasure to see so many people dressed up to attend the evening’s events.  I noticed a lot of attendees had made the Starbucks run and I was suddenly craving a hazelnut latte.  All around us were elegant couples - men in their striking tuxedos, women in ball gowns in a plethora of eye-catching colors:  soft yellows, vibrant pinks, elegant blues; velvet and taffeta flowed with sequins, sparkles and feathers; hairdos and make-up done up just so.  If the dancers were nervous, they were hiding it behind beautiful smiles.

I sat at Table 20, directly on the dance floor, in front of the judges’ table next to some of the standing judges.  I sat closely (okay, like sardines) with friends from dance class and we ooohed and aaahed like spectators at a Fourth of July fireworks display over the attire and routines.  On occasion, we’d try to steal peeks from the judges’ clipboards or smile at the little girls also on the sidelines taking in all the sights and lights.  We commented on how in this day and age of rapidly advancing technology, why the judges don’t communicate via Palm Pilot or Blackberry… that, however, would eliminate the need for the volunteers running scores back and forth between judges… so, no, we decided, we don’t opt for high tech in this case…

Gentlemen, start your engines!

At what is outwardly such a formal event, who would have thought it would be so much fun to yell out the number of the couple for whom you were cheering!  The excitement grew as the dancing couples competed for dance floor space during eliminations.  At one point, I felt like I could have been watching a racecar event.  Couples were gliding quickly through turns, racing speedily towards open floor space and had us sitting on pins and needles when near collisions occurred.  Everyone seemed courteous and professional about those near crashes, and gracious when an unavoidable and unintentional elbow got in the way.

Solo Showcase Routines

Amazingly, the day yielded 45 solo acts.  We were treated to three of the top solo routines at the evening showcase.  We, the students and friends, were so very proud of Bud Ayers and his dance partner, Rachel, who strutted their stuff in a Swing dance routine choreographed to Bette Midler’s “Stuff Like That” (song from the touching movie “For the Boys”).  Rachel “sang” her little soldier heart out and Bud, ever the entertaining performer, made us laugh and watch his every move!  Rachel and Bud just grabbed the audiences’ attention from the get-go and received thunderous applause.

We were also thrilled to see Bud’s Junior Formation Team – The Swing Dance Kids.  The Kids had energy and enthusiasm, and their Swing-Swing-Swing dance routine was sharp, had a lot of comedy and took first place!  BRAVO!

Night of the Stars

After all the heats for Saturday were won, we watched a professional show featuring award winning dancers.  I was thinking it was probably bedtime for some of the younger attendees … ooh la la and Aye Caramba!  Talk about a sexy floor show!  Not only were the outfits of the dance pieces exotic, but the dance moves and figures of these dancers were breath-taking.  I quickly made a mental note to add some more dance classes to my exercise routine.  Forgetting all about our numb backsides from the rather hard folding chairs, we watched a magical performance.  I heard the event was running about an hour behind, but for me, the evening flew by in a whirl of dazzling costumes and presentations.  Thankfully, there were no major mishaps or wardrobe malfunctions and the evening floated by like in a dream.

I could have dance all night…

Happy and exhausted (as if I had danced all night), our troop headed back home to Sunnyvale chatting all the way about the talent we saw and emotions we experienced!  City Lights Ball delivered an evening replete of pageantry and pizzazz.  I can’t wait for next year!

… and this has been Paty’s point of view J