NYDF 2023

The end of February usually means participation at the prestigious New York Dance Festival. It’s become a tradition that dancers from all over North America come together in Manhattan the last weekend of the month to partake in this long but exciting festival. This competition is synonymous with top-notch competitors, world-class judges, and prime New York atmosphere.

Once upon a time (pre-COVID), NYDF was held at the historic Roosevelt Hotel in Midtown area with its old, New York City charm. The hotel was classic, and regal. The ballroom was small and intimate, but had a lot of character with its 2nd floor balcony overlooking the main floor. Since the hotel’s closure during the pandemic, the competition had to move to a new location. This year was the 2nd year that it was held at the Hilton Midtown. This hotel seemed to be a spitting image of the Roosevelt ballroom minus the balcony. So while the intimacy of Roosevelt ballroom made the energy electric and exciting, the Hilton’s felt a little claustrophobic. During the daytime pro/am, this seemed to work as an advantage because even during the 7am sessions, the ballroom didn’t feel barren. But during the evening sessions, spectators were stuffed together like sardines in a can (or better yet, commuters on the subway during rush hour). Despite not being able to walk freely around the ballroom due to lack of space, the lights were bright, the ceiling high, and the energy never ending.

One of the hardest parts of this comp was the timing. Because of the huge influx of entries, there were some timing delays, and many students faced long breaks between their single dances and multi-dances. Long breaks can be positive and negative. They can be great because dancers get a chance to practice and review how their single dances went. As well as get some food and rest. On the other hand, long breaks can cause dancers to get more tired and muscles to get cold. It’s important that we find a good system for our bodies to get the best of everything. Staying warm, keep moving, getting good nutrition, and staying hydrating are all necessary during those long breaks.

The Big Apple team this year consisted of: the Night Clubbers (Heidi & Liz), the ones with Rhythm (Gary & Ozlem), the Smoothies (Gary, Heidi, Donna, Sheryl & Gretchen), and the Standard tails (Chi’Man, Sasha & Jonathan). Since coming back from the December holidays, everyone has been working hard to prepare for this competition. During this preparation, people start to realize the importance of selecting a goal for each event they prepare for. As dancer’s, we are naturally perfectionists. It’s part of the job description. What’s important is not letting all the details overwhelm us, but instead prioritizing certain techniques.

This could be in the form of foot timing. This was something Ozlem has been working on tirelessly for the last few months, and could be clearly seen on the floor by how well she emphasized foot action for each dance. Good foot timing leads to full body action. Each dance has its rhythm, and each dancer is responsible for dancing that rhythm on their own, no matter how complicated the choreography gets!

For others- priority can be on the poise and stretch, which makes the Smooth dances as elegant as they need to be. Heidi managed to keep up the posture throughout all her rounds (noticeably in her VW’s), never letting the eyes drop or the chest fall. This lift of the body has to be constantly renewed and is no easy feat.

In addition to timing and posture, in some other cases, the priority is on the performance. Contrary to some beliefs, this particular skill does not just “happen” on the floor. It requires constant concentration and energy being put towards it. Sheryl did a great job in “performing” each dance from beginning to end, without breaking form or making it look easy.

What was captivating from Donna, was how quick she changed characters from the softness of the Waltz, to the fierceness of the Tango, only to quickly change back to a playful and feisty foxtrot. Winning her a 1st place in the SR2 Open Advanced Smooth Championship.

While not everyone receives the first place medal, it does not mean that they did not win their personal goal. There are many factors that are out of a dancer’s hand when it comes to results, the only thing we can do is excel in the factors we can control. Such as our competitive look! Gretchen went out out on the floor with a whole new look this year. The dress, makeup, hair and tanner was all perfectly planned and organized to the very last rhinestone. And it made for a strong competitor on the floor with an aggressive approach to the dancing that matched the look. Sometimes we don’t realize how much this affects our dancing! While the attire of competitive ballroom is quite intense, it’s important for dancers to find a style that works for them so that they feel the best when they go out on that floor. Don’t overlook this element!

Speaking of the crazy world that is competitive ballroom dancing, we have to give a big welcome to Liz! This was her first ever competition, which she took part in the Night Club style, and looked fabulous while doing so! She was focused, well prepared, and seemed to have a great amount of fun!

For Gary NYDF was all about improvements in Rhythm and consistency in Smooth. Gary has been making big strides (pun intended…maybe) in his leg isolation and foot timing for Rhythm, especially in the faster dances like Cha Cha and Mambo. That helped him with maintaining poise and body action, something that he’s found in the Smooth dances, but beginning to get a really solid grip on in the Rhythm.

On Sunday Chi-Man took to the floor with his Ballroom, dancing Closed Gold. He had great movement and it’s a delight to see dancers taking the time to develop Closed material through Gold since so much of the foundation for Open work is there already.

We have to thank our fellow students who also came out to support the dancers during the week. Elizabeth Smith and Mercedes Ellington came by, as well as Ozlem during the smooth day, and kept the energy going. Dancers know that the best feeling is having the audience cheer you on and scream your name. No one wants a quiet ballroom. If you ever get the chance, come out to support your friends! There is no better feeling.

*The evening sessions were full of professional and open amateur events and the talent was palpable. Tickets were near sold out, and standing room only. People were straining their necks to better view the dancers. The Open Amateur Ballroom was one of the highlights this year. It was packed with the best dancers all over America, and featured one of our very own, Sasha and her partner Jonathan, who continued to showcase their elegant and fluid interpretation of Ballroom Dancing.

NYDF 2024 looks like it may be hosted in the larger ballroom next year since it’s overflowing with entries. We’ll be there!