The 1996 Chicagoland C/W & Swing Dance Festival attracts some of the
country's hottest competitive couples and dance stars! The Saturday
evening Master's competition will once again prove to be one of the
season's best!
This event runs all day and night Fri-Sun. Tons of big name instructors, one
hundred hours of dance lessons - group workshops - available for $5 per
hour (you choose which ones you want to attend from a huge schedule), and
evening dances! You can also arrange private lessons, watch the
competitions, and shop for dance-wear and videos among the many
displays and exhibits.
[hey DI, read on!]
New this year is the addition of a hot new Swing workshop series with
special swing stars like Barry Jones, Cody Melin & Resa Henderson, Barry
Durrand & Lisa Austin, and reigning UCWDC Master's Champions, Robert
Royston & Laureen Baldovi!
For the first time, we are offering a separate swing ballroom,
with swing dances on Friday and Saturday nights beginning at 8:00
p.m. and a swing competition on Saturday and Sunday including jack
and jills on Sunday.
With over 100 dance workshops from the best instructors across America,
plus the dazzling Masters and Champions competitions, the '96 Chicagoland
promises to be better than ever! All the Chicago dancers are gearing up
for it. The Holiday Inn where the dance is being held is already
completely sold out, but there are plenty of other hotels in the area!
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Here is what Sheena wrote about last year's Chicagoland Dance Festival,
back when it was a C?W festival (This year it is Swing and C/W)
Q: How are the workshops?
A: Outstanding! Overall, from moves, to technique, to sexy stuff... the
absolute _best_ WCS stuff I've learned (or been blown away by), was at
these weekends. In addition, the spins and turns classes were
great, and the limited amount of waltz workshops I attended were
first rate too. (again, in both moves and technique).
Q: Why would I want to go?
A: The workshops are great, you will learn much more than you can
assimilate. If you want to improve your WCS (new moves, sexy
styling, technique, the works) or ECS (syncopations, etc etc etc),
work on cuban motion, refine your waltz, (from styling, to rise and
fall, and new patterns), and spice up your hustle, I'd say GO!
Q: What kind of music do they play?
A: The music is primarily Country and Western, although for the most
part, the swings (both ECS and WCS) wouldn't be at all out of place
at a swing event. As with all CW music, there were opportunities to
Swing, West Coast Swing, Waltz, Country two-step, Cha cha, with a some
Nightclub 2-step and Hustle tempos thrown into the mix.
I should state that the music, while country, is chosen for it's
appeal to dancers. It's not just straight off the radio, the waltzes
are beautiful, the WCS is inspiring etc. etc. Just like we ballroom
to 'pop' music, but specific songs, not just any old flash in the
pan on the radio...
Q: What do people wear?
A: Generally borderline casual to dressy attire with a Western flair.
Men usually wear jeans or slacks and western-cut shirts. Women wear a
range of things, like you'd see in a nice country bar. Western-cut
shirts, or just a top that's a bit dressy, skirts or
slacks, I remember I wore my little black 'swing' cocktail dress, and
I was a smidge overdressed, but I got compliments all night long.
Dress so you'd feel good about yourself in a nice nightclub type bar.
There are people there dressed in a range from casual to competition
outfits, just like swing events.
Q: What's the age range of participants?
A: It's a range, from 18-50 predominately, however I'd state that the
people there are more open, nicer, and overall, much YOUNGER, on
average, than a crowd of ballroom, or even swing dancers. As a
beginning to intermediate dancer, I felt more welcome, and a had a lot
more fun with 'people my own age' at these country weekends, as
opposed to swing or ballroom dances.
Q: Is smoking allowed?
A: The rules state that this is a NO SMOKING event. NO SMOKING
in the main ballroom or the workshop rooms. A designated smoking
area will be provided. (these rules are enforced!)