Little Big Weekend

The Little Big Weekend Dance Contests

Finals on Saturday, 6th May, 2017, Ashfield Polish Club ballroom, 73 Norton St, Ashfield.

Real prizes, real lindy hop, real balboa.

Entries have now closed.

Prizes

Winner takes all. Contest winners take home all of the entry fees.

Music

Music is the heart of the Little Big Weekend, and we do this contest right, with an experienced, knowledgeable live band for the heats and finals. Andrew Dickeson's Blue Rhythm Band will provide solid, swinging inspiration for the finalists. Four solid beats to the bar and no cheating.

Style? Like Basie did in the swing era. It will make you swing.

Speed? Just right. We want to see good dancing. What does that mean mean? Around 140-180bpm for lindy hop, and 180bpm + for balboa. But this is a live band, and that means we're not going to be 100% accurate on bpms. Bands > DJs.

Entering

This contest is open to everyone and anyone. That means you too, noober dancer.

• To enter you must register with your partner on the Little Big Weekend Registration page.
• Entries are only confirmed upon payment.
• Entry fee is $20 per couple per contest. That's $40 if you want to enter both contests.
• All entrants must attend the competitors' meeting before the contest. Late attendees will be scratched and forfeit their entry fee.

Being the audience

Jazz and swing dances are all about call and response. The contest audience has a serious job: work with the competitors, respond when they call. If you see something you like, let the dancers know. If you want something, ask for it. If you hear a great solo from a musician, see a great solo from a dancer, let them know.

Be there to be entertained. The band is good, the dancing will be good, and you have a part to play.

Format

All entrants must attend the competitors' meeting before the contest begins.

Heats

There will be 1-2 rounds of heats for the balboa contest, and 1-2 rounds of heats for the lindy hop contest, depending on the number of entrants. There will be no more than 6 couples per heat. Each heat will be judged by the panel of judges, and danced to live music.

Each heat will involve:

• An all-skate (where all dancers are on the floor at once) to a moderate tempo song by the live band.

Judges will choose the competitors to continue through to the finals.

Finals

There will be one final round with no more than 6 couples participating. This final will be judged by the panel of judges. The final will be danced to the live band.

The lindy hop final will involve:

• Short all-skate (where all dancers are on the floor at once);
• Two jam-style shines One spotlight at a moderate tempo (where each couple takes a phrase or two as long as they need to 'shine');
• Two jam-style shines One spotlight at a higher tempo (where each couple takes a phrase or two as long as they need to 'shine');
• All-skate to end (where all dancers are on the floor at once).

The balboa final will involve:

• Short all-skate (where all dancers are on the floor at once);
• One spotlight at a moderate tempo (where each couple dances alone for 1.5 minutes of a song as long as they need);
• One spotlight at a higher tempo (where each couple dances alone for 1.5 minutes of a song as long as they need);
• All-skate to end (where all dancers are on the floor at once).

Judging Criteria

Our special guest judges for the contests are Kate Hedin, Bobby White, Marie N'diaye, and Anders Sihlberg. All four have extensive competition and judging experience, and are strong believers in the values we're looking for in competitors. They are also kind and nice people, and they'll be rooting for YOU, competitors. All of you.

• Improvise.
  Extended choreographed sequences will lose points and earn disapproval. eg If your entire shine or spotlight is choreographed, you will not win.
• Show us you can hear the music.
  Respect the band, respect the music. Enter and leave jams on the phrase, swing your timing, syncopate, be in time, bring the jazz.
• Dance with your partner.
  Show us you can lead or follow, use call and response, work with your partner in a creative way.
• Make it lindy hop.
  Include legit lindy hop content - eg swing outs, texas tommy, break steps, promenades etc etc. But we want to see you improvise and put the jazz in your rhythms.
• Make it balboa.
  Include legit balboa content - eg throw outs, lollies, come arounds, etc etc. But mostly importantly, show us how nice a closed embrace and some shuffly rhythms can be.
• Impress and entertain the audience.
  Make it worth a dancer's time to sit and watch instead of dancing.
• Bring the Stink.
  Inspire and excite the audience. Do your best creative work. Take creative risks. Respect the history of these dances, celebrate its future: do old stuff, but bring new stuff too.

Rules

1. The judges' decision is final, and judges are not obliged to discuss results after competition.
2. Competitors enter at their own risk, and Swing Dance Sydney, Swing Time Australia and Little Big Weekend employees, contractors, and volunteers accept no liability.
3. All staff, contractors, volunteers, (including musicians, DJs, judges, and competitors) must read and agree to abide by the Little Big Weekend Code of Conduct.
4. No props. Just solid dancing.
5. Respect your partner, respect other competitors (no sledging), respect the band.
6. Safety first.
7. Respect the dance, and dress to impress (whatever that means to you).
8. All competitors must be 18 years or over.
9. All competitors must enter with a partner. Couples may be any combination of genders, or gender identities, and will be treated with respect.
10. Entrants cannot be DJing, judging, organising, or managing on the competition either before, during or after the event.
11. All couples must have paid entry fees by 5pm Friday 21st April 2017.
12. All entrants must attend the competitors' meeting before the contest. Late attendees will be scratched and forfeit their entry fee.