New Conference Results for 2012

Wright County Conference Jazz Meet @ Mound Westonka 1/5:

1.  Mound Westonka (3)
2.  Waconia (7)
3.  Delano (8)

Vintage Video - Eastview Jazz 2005

Eastview's classic version of "Hotel California" at State 2005.  They tied for 3rd place that year (when you could still do that!) and left us with a memorable dance.  I can't recall if the competition was tough that year or if this dance was a little underrated, but I think this one was a little overlooked.  This was the first time I had seen a version of this song for MN dance teams, and I liked their attempts to play with different versions.  Now this song is often repeated.  The skirts on those costumes were also a fun touch not often used, but I wonder if they were tough to work with, there are moments where they look like they could have gotten in the way.   

While this dance now seems a little long and the level of "clean" isn't remotely up to today's standards - the creativity of visuals still stands out.  With 17 in formation, they used a nice transitional pattern throughout that compliments the opening music especially.  This is just an enjoyable dance more than anything else, a classic for its re-watch-ability! 

Music Mondays - Like This, Try That: State 2011 Edition

Everybody has their favorite songs from each passing state tournament, and 2011 was no exception.  While there is nothing better than seeing a team master the art of picking a good song and matching it to a good dance at state - but it can quickly be ruined by watching it get reused over and over again in years following.  While there is something to be said for doing a well used song - and doing it better - I have always found there are ways to take your favorite dances of the past and capturing their magic without copying them in an exact sense.  Here is my list of some of the most "copyable" songs from state 2011, and some suggestions for what to do instead.  See what else you can come up with! 

First up: Totino Grace -  Mambo Italiano.  What a fun vintage inspired song choice this was.  What I think this goes for is a special feel of a vintage 50's/60's era and plays well to a theme costume and movements.  Try anything from the Mad Men soundtrack too.

St. Charles - Stuck on You.  Talk about sugar sweet adorable fun.  I can't believe how many times people have said this dance was "cute".  Great way to work with a lower skill level and maximize the creativity.

Benilde-St. Margarets - Heart of the Matter.  This was a return to something more along the lines of the John Mayer song "Say" that they did 2 years previously.  There are some 90s tunes to look at and some things along a similar vein.  Handsome Boy Modeling School's version of Jack Johnson's Breakdown is amazing.  

Vintage Video Review!

This one is a classic, maybe not very vintage (yet), but this is one everyone should watch at some point.  From a coaches perspective, this dance has a subtle mastery of difficulty suited to the group that is rarely achieved in jazz.  They seem to have found a way to just touch that line of what they can do cleanly, without surpassing it from any member of the team, or sacrificing overall difficulty.  This dance is a unique song choice, that adds creativity and interest without alienating those who don't know the tune.  I liked this dance when it won AA in 2007, but I've appreciated it more since then - a mark of a classic in my book!  Enjoy!

My comments:
- These costumes are great.  Clean, simple, flattering.  Satin Stitches made these - they probably still have the sample floating around if you ever get to see it up-close.
- Skill choices are well suited to the group and create a pleasing aesthetic that unifies the feeling of the entire piece.  Great features with the musical cues
-This dance could have gone more creepy considering the lyrics, but I for one am glad they didn't.
- This might be the best group of talent from SLP I've seen in their history at the state tournament.  2009's group might give them a run for their money in head to head comparison however - I'll let popular opinion judge that one
-This song gets stuck in my head.  Unfortunately the speed change they did also plays for me which I could do without.  (Thank goodness there aren't too many chipmunk style speed changes left in mixes anymore!)  The CD is below in case you were wondering where this came from - the MP3 is also posted to listen to or download on the left side of the main page.