This competition has already happened! Check the Northeast Lindy Hop Championships (run in conjunction with the Beantown Camp) page for future competition information. Fifth Annual Hop to the Beat Lindy Hop Competition Saturday, May 18, 2002 Cambridge Friends School 5 Cadbury Road, Cambridge, MA

We are pleased to sponsor the fifth annual Hop to the Beat Lindy Hop Competition. The purpose of this competition is to provide amateur Lindy Hoppers the opportunity to compete in a supportive and friendly atmosphere. Even if you do not have a competitive muscle in your body, this can be a goal which provides a purpose to practicing and improving dance skills and learning to connect with the music. The focus should not be on winning or losing, but on participating with peers and having FUN! It will take place during a Hop to the Beat Swing Dance so your friends and fellow Lindy Hoppers can cheer you on!

Partner Division

Preliminaries will be run in heats, with a few couples dancing at the same time. Each heat will dance to a slow and a fast tune. Songs played in the heats will be standard structured swing tunes. The slow song will range from 126-136 bpm and the fast tune will range from 190-200 bpm. All songs will be faded between 1 1/2-2 minutes. Three couples will be selected to dance at the same time in the finals. The slow and fast songs in the final will be in the same parameters of the heats. Choreography is permitted but not required. A limit of 5 aerials or lifts per song will be permitted. Costumes are permitted but not required. Participants must sign up with a partner.

Jack & Jill Division

All participants will dance together in the preliminary. Each participant will be paired with more than one partner selected on a random basis. Five leaders and five followers will be selected for the finals. Couples will be randomly paired and dance at the same time. No aerials or lifts of any type will be permitted. Participants sign up individually.

Eligibility

Any amateur dancer is eligible to compete. The swing craze opened many opportunities for teaching and performing, and has blurred the line between amateur and professional. The biggest factor to consider is if one presents oneself as an instructor in any type of partner dancing or as a student teacher. Following are guidelines to clarify eligibility.

Eligible

• There are no situations in which you promote yourself as a professional instructor or performer in any type of partner dancing.
• You teach partner dance lessons on a volunteer basis.
• You sometimes teach the beginner lesson at a dance for a non-profit club or organization.
• You sometimes teach a lesson at a bar, nightclub or for a private organization as a student representing a dance studio.
• You participate in a dance demo or performance for which you receive no payment.
• You occasionally participate as an amateur performer for which you receive payment.
• When teaching or performing as an amateur, payment after expenses goes to a dance studio as a credit for dance training.

Ineligible

• You are an instructor in any type of partner dancing for your own studio or some other studio.
• You are an instructor in any type of partner dancing for a club, organization, bar or nightclub.
• You perform any type of partner dancing as a professional.
• You promote yourself as a performer or instructor in any type of partner dancing, whether or not you receive any payment.

Participants competing in the Partner Division may also compete in the Jack & Jill Division.

Judging

Scores will be based on all aspects of a competitor's performance, although a greater weight will be placed on musicality, partnering, technique and style. Participants will be scored on the following:

Musicality:		dancing to the music, timing, expression
Partnership:		partner connection, lead/follow, partner equality
Technique:		execution, performance
Style:		Lindy Hop style
Variety:		contrast
Creativity:		originality
Entertaining:		fun to watch

This does not mean that only classic Lindy Hop moves are viewed favorably. Anything goes done in the style of Lindy Hop. This includes aerials in the Partner Division. Lindy Hop aerials are air steps and the aerials will be judged accordingly.

Prizes

Non-monetary awards will be given for First, Second and Third place in each category.

Schedule

Dance Schedule

Check the Hop to the Beat Swing Dance page to find out about the associated dance.

You do not need to enter the competition to come to the dance.

Tentative Competition Schedule

Note that the competition schedule times are subject to change.

Judges

Note that judges are subject to change.

Videotaping

Participants and spectators will not be allowed to videotape. All competitions will be videotaped and competitors will be able to purchase copies. The cost of the videotape is $10 plus $3 if mailing is requested. Orders will only be accepted in advance, and up until 1 week after the competition. Tapes will be available about 1-2 months after the competition.

Fees

The competition fee is $10 per person per category. The fee must accompany the registration form and is non-refundable. All participants must also pay the dance entry fee of $10 at the door.

Location

Check the full directions for parking information.

Cambridge Friends School, 5 Cadbury Road, Cambridge, MA

Off of Sherman Street, across from the park, Fresh Pond area. Near Porter Square and Alewife T stops on the Red Line.
Click here for full directions and map.

The floor surface is wood.

Registration

Check the separate pages for the competition Registration Form and Waiver. You will be registered once a submitted registration form and payment are received. You will be asked to sign the Waiver at check-in. If you are under 18, the waiver must be signed by your parent or guardian.

The deadline for registering was May 15, 2002, however we are accepting late entries. Please submit an on-line Registration Form if possible so we can be prepared, and you can then pay on the day. We will also be accepting some entries on the day, but it is important that you arrive in time for the competitors meeting at 9:00pm.

SHOES: Please be sure to bring clean dry sneakers (smoother soles have less traction and are better, allowing for easy turning) or soft-soled flat dance shoes. (Please, no hard soled, or black rubber soled shoes that leave marks.) Please change shoes on the entrance mat to help prevent outside wet, salt and grit from getting on the wooden floor.

To get notified about this or future events, please ask to be added to our mailing list. If you have any questions or need more information just contact us.

Competition Results

Check the Hop to the Beat Lindy Hop Competition Results page for previous competition results.

For Further Information Contact

Hop to the Beat Dance Studio
Tony & Aurelie Tye