All four HE couples shone like beacons in a crowded night of wannabes.
Couple #1, Erin & Martin should be commended because they put in a valiant effort for newbies to the scene; Couple #6, Peggy & Martin smouldered in their routine to No Me Ames and Peggy was sexy and sensual (unlike that Shakira wannabe who basically moved like a slut, and apparenytly June noticed that all judges' eyes were on here when she was out doing her thang during the general dance); Couple #10, Wendy & Kenneth exuded class; and Couple #12, Ai Ling & Chin Lai were smoking and capped the finals with a bang (even though bits of their routine were apparently “borrowed” by the couple before them).
In my opinion, all four couples deserved top spots in the competition. Although my opinion may be somewhat biased, they put in the most all-around showmanship of all 12 couples and rose above the wannabes. And I know all of them put in a helluva load of effort into this competition. In reality, only Wendy & Kenneth made it to the second runner-up positions. Ai Ling & Chin Lai were voted for Best Costume.
It was a very biased night. The idiot DJ was still there and of course, did famously on names and announcements. I will not even begin to go into what he said wrong (almost EVERYTHING!!). All I know is, I kept looking at either Wendy or June and telling them someone should blurdy shoot the bugger. He was so freaking getting on my nerves everytime he opened his mouth. EVERYTIME!!
Anyway, back to the competition...
How do we even begin to compete with the first runner-up who is in actual fact, brother to one of the judges? Or to the winners who, for their finale, stole moves from other couples in the heats? I am not making this up. For their routine, the champions performed at least three different moves which I saw performed by three different couples in the heats following their first heat. One was a split routine performed by a couple in the third heat. The other two moves were stolen from Peggy & Eric (the clasp and back bend move at the beginning of their routine) and Ai Ling & Chin Lai’s in-place knee-bent with one leg stretched move, only the “winners” switched it around so that the guy was doing the move instead of the girl.
How very ingenious of the competitors. Can’t think of your own move so you “borrow” (to put the term lightly) from the other competitors. And what rotten luck that the “winners” were right before Ai Ling & Chin Lai so that it looked as though it was our couple that repeated the move instead.
How do we even begin to have an unbiased position when four out of the seven judges do a different style of salsa, one hates the style that we do and the other probably doesn’t know enough to actually really judge. Out of the seven judges on the panel, only one supports our style, and we all know who she is.
Basically, we were doomed not to succeed from the start. I say doomed in the most technical sense as in, winning the competition. Oh, the club was smart enough to make sure all HE couples made it to the finals. I mean, we were the ones with the most supporters, so of course, all of us must go and support and inadvertently end up buying more drinks. But when you look at it from a technical and political point of view, our couples were not all of them ever going to make it to the top three. We were prepared for it, but we didn’t realize, or rather, I didn’t realize the tremendous odds that were stacked up against our favour.
The other finalists had their strategies planned way beforehand. Where our couples went all out even in the heats, most couples held back and only showed their “real” colours in the finals. I’d like to say that they were inspired by our professionalism and showmanship. Where our couples came dressed appropriately in all rounds, the other competitors only saw fit to dress up and impress in the final round: everyone glammed up their costumes. Except us, of course. We were already glammed right from the beginning.
To add insult to injury, the competitors saw fit to alter or change their routines, either slightly or completely, going all out in the finals. Again, this proved to be their strategy right from the start.
So where did we stand with all this going around? In reality, where the judges were concerned, I don’t think we stood much of a chance.
In my books and I think, in the HE crowd anyway, all four couples stole the night away. Personally, they’re the best. No Shakira lookalike gyrating her hips or shaking her breasts in front of the judges or even show-stopping moves “stolen” from other competitors is ever convince me that our couples are not Number One.
And this supporter here would shout herself hoarse any day to prove the point to anyone else who dares to dispute her opinion. Maybe she may hit a pitch or so off in her frenzied screeching but she’d still shriek her throat dry.
For more gory details on the finals, check out the couples’ blogs for yourself:
Chin Lai's Place
Anticipiated Serendipity
Memoirs of the Unholy Trinity
Friday, December 09, 2005
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2 comments:
Firstly, it didn't help that Chin Lai & Ai Ling performed after the couple who "borrowed" their one-leg trick. But it's competition, whoever does it best and scores with the judges will win.
Secondly, with a line-up of judges like that, I'm surprised any Havana Estudio competitors even got top 3.
Thirdly, the integrity of the entire competition was compromised on many levels.
Supporting Points:
* The panel of judges did not represent the KL Salsa community of Instructors. Where are the Instructors who teach at ballroom schools and studios with students who actually go out dancing Salsa?
* Some judges were not Salsa dancers themselves. Some were dancers did not have the expertise to judge at all. For example, it is very basic knowledge for an Instructor to know about breaks that change the timing of the music and the dance, something all Havana Estudio student learn in Improver and Musicology. Some judges idea of incredible groove is a shimmy in a La Una. And some judges from the onset did not think LA Style Salsa (the most danced style Salsa in the world) is Salsa. With a closed mindset like that, why were they judging a Salsa competition?
* Video footage of Havana Estudio competitors were shown to another studio's competitors before the Finals, as an example of competitors with confidence, presentation, good costume, and clean footwork.
* While this was a compliment to HE, it undermines the Rules & Regulations set out by the organizers who selectively enforce on other studios but place their studio and competitors above the R&R.
* Fasilito had 100 students to his name. If we are to use number of students to place a judge, does that mean that a studio like Havana Estudio with (let's say) 700 students this year alone should get 7 representatives on the same panel?
* What does five books on royalty have to do with Salsa skill?
Thank god, at least, the competition was entertaining. And I noticed all the competitors from all the schools are actually coming out dancing now. Havana Estudio students are also dancing with a lot more flair and confidence. So, all in all, despite the set-backs, there are good things that came out of it...
Yes, so it was unfair on all counts. How biased is a competition like that? Oh well...like you said, at least HE students are dancing with more flair and confidence. Also, I think we are above all the crap tactics that the rest of the schools were taking to get to the top. What matters it the dancing, and I think we did that very well.
Oh yes, and I scoff at the idea the a few cursory titles (Malaysia is such a sucker for "honorary" titles and protocol) and countless books on royalty can actually qualify one for a judge in salsa.
If we take it in that light, then since I've managed a lion dance team before, performed at countless places and events at various times of the year for many years running, plus appeared in countless publications because of that, I should be entitled to judge a salsa competition, eh? At least it has something to do with performance and "dancing". Hah!
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