The Politics of Dancing

As West Coast Swing grows in nationwide popularity and more people are introduced to it’s social circle, there are certain issues dancers new, old and Professional should be made aware of. I wish to address several of these issues that are spoken of quite frequently thru out the West Coast Swing Dance Community but never publicly exposed for fear of retribution by those being criticized, or fear of being “blackballed” by those in power to do so.

I have been involved with the Dance Industry for over 26 years in every capacity possible. From Ballroom to Disco, Country, Latin & Swing, I’ve been an Instructor, competitor, Judge, DJ and Event Director. I’ve always supported, respected, been a major advocate of dance and watched all of the dance trends come and go over the years. My fear now is the direction WCS may take as it’s popularity grows across the country.

Although in a few areas (primarily California) there has always been a core WCS following, it’s nationwide growth is perhaps just a dozen or so years old. It is also safe to say that about 50% of those who have joined WCS Clubs or begun to attend the many Events across the country have entered the WCS dance community within just the past 5 or 6 years. We’ve witnessed the number of WCS Events grow by at least 4 fold over that same time period and reached a critical saturation point. As attendees experience the WCS dance “circuit”, they discriminate more as to which events they choose to attend. This is where the “Politics” begins.

Event coordinators will hire a few, or several, of the “top name competitors” to come to their event to teach workshops, compete, emcee, judge etc. to have this “top name” entertainment & recognition on hand. Those regarded as these top “Pro” competitors, have had a stranglehold on those positions and been able to control who gets regarded in their ranks. Rest assured it has not all been determined based on talent alone. Now I’m not saying those enjoying the spotlight don’t deserve their positions. On the contrary, I believe all are very talented dancers and most are very qualified
instructors. But there IS a major problem or two that permeates the Pro ranks. Many times we have one group of pros judging another group of pros in competition. Then we have that group who were just judged, judging those who just judged them…or WILL judge them at another event….you follow? It’s obvious these pros are going to judge their friends much more favorably than those they hold no allegiance to. Simply put – it’s “who you know” including the judges who don’t compete when it comes to competition placement. Over the years, this practice has helped establish a definite “inner circle” and other talent has been routinely overlooked. This does not encourage anyone who would like to compete, or has but was the victim of favoritism themselves or seen it happen to others, want to continue to put in the time, effort, travel expenses, event admission and competition fees to try again knowing you won’t be judged fairly. This practice alone is the first step in discouraging the competition. I’ve spoken with many other pros and talented dancers who realized that by entering a Pro contest, all we were doing was adding to the pot for the eventual established name winners. How is anyone supposed to be encouraged to compete when experience tells you only the names survive regardless of performance? And even among themselves we see certain recent favorites winning even when they’re off. Do the Judges think we’re all blind? Many times it’s obvious who received the preferential treatment. Judging is primarily a subjective exercise in dancing and should be handled by those qualified, but it’s NOT the “intricate scientific equation” we are led to believe. And even the choice of WHO judges is controlled. Well, sometimes you’re on and sometimes you’re off and ALL should be judged accordingly.

As Events go? With all due respect to the West Coast, we know you have the greatest concentration of good WC dancers. We know you have the most WC Instructors, Judges, Clubs and Events and therefore the most influence on the dance and who gets preferential treatment. As the rest of the country gets educated and learn for themselves though, they are less and less impressed with the pretentious attitudes that are so prevalent in the Pro competition ranks. More and more dance events are being directed toward the aspect of enjoying the open dance time with the other attendees instead of sitting around much of the time watching the Pros swap partners and placements in THEIR various competitions. Workshops are nice, but there are usually plenty of Instructors available in local markets that Event organizers can draw from and not spend a fortune to get them there. Many are more qualified to teach than the pro competitors we are told  to consider the best, who may be great dancers but very average instructors. Jack n’ Jill competitions are nice too, but we don’t need our weekend filled with different pro level comp’s simply designed to line the pockets of the chosen few who have favor with the “inner circle”. The general audience of competitors are limited to competing in a choice level of J n’J, while the rest of the comp’s – Classic, Showcase, Strictly Swing and a “Champions” J & J of their own now, are all geared toward the same group. And it’s even more disturbing to see them all just change partners amongst themselves in order to compete in every category possible. Yes, the lower level J & J comp’s (even advanced) are nice to give everyone an opportunity to compete and gain a sense of accomplishment, but in the big scheme of things, the pros know these people are no threat to them or their positions as “selected Champions” no matter how they perform, and therefore no threat to be regarded highly enough to take some of their jobs on the Dance Event circuit. THAT is what much of this comes down to. It’s no wonder they want to keep their ranks small.

As spectators, we can attend one big competition event each year, pay the inflated admission price, and see the privileged do their thing and pick up their trophies. Or simply buy the video. Otherwise, if we’re going to spend money on travel, hotel and admission to attend an event, we’ll opt to enjoy a friendly atmosphere of dancing with those who will dance WITH us and give each dance their best effort. Event patrons don’t want some “pity” dance. Many pros now feel they are only present to dance FOR us. I’ve heard many dancers say they’ve been turned down a dance from these “pros” who will then turn around and dance with their friends. I heard from a few very reliable sources that the “inner circle” of pros had actually had a meeting and discussed how they felt they should get paid for “floor time” with event patrons! Most event promoters already add a provision in the pro contracts that requires them to spend a few hours of open dance time with the patrons because it was noticed some time ago that they tend to disappear. Or, they just spend their time off in some remote corner of the dance floor dancing with each other. Egos are high to be sure and the demands of the hired pros have grown in proportion with the notoriety they receive. Another reason they want their ranks small – supply and demand.

Which brings me to the next point. I have great respect for the 8 year old World Swing Dance Council. Under it’s excellent leadership I trust they will bring some stability and “guidance” to the WCS community. However, I hope that “guidance” prevails over “control”. As the council consolidated it’s power, the direction of the dance has come under the influence of a very small number of people. They are very capable to be sure, but they are few and represent a single point of view. Although the dance and the council are West Coast based, the dance is thriving because it’s a nationwide movement. As with other dances, different areas adapt slightly different styles and being the unique, free form dance it is, let’s hope it remains as such. Not some “canned” product of what the few feel it should be. The beauty of WCS is it’s versatility to allow creative expression in thinking as well as execution.

I recently read an article in “In the Swing” magazine about the uproar by some of the pros over newly proposed rules for the different competition divisions. Their complaint wasn’t as much toward the rules as it was NOT being consulted as to what the rules should be. Putting restrictions on creativity ultimately only serves to hurt the dance. But, WCS has added different divisions over the years and they do need to be defined. No other dance circuit has “divisions” for the same dance. Example: on the Ballroom circuit is there Classic Cha-Cha, Showcase Cha-Cha, Strictly Cha-Cha etc.? No, there’s Cha Cha – period and so on. In this case the pros are right to protest not being consulted. But, why aren’t ALL or at least a panel of judges and respected dance instructors from across the country consulted? It was first left to only 3 people to decide what the rules would be. Wow! How did THEY get such power? Think about it – 3 people decide what the rules will be – teachers begin teaching their students based on these rules – it becomes more difficult to social dance unless you all dance by their rules – you must compete by their rules – suddenly the dance becomes nothing but what these 3 people decided it should be. Let’s hope WCS doesn’t get bogged down in rules and regulations for the sake of contest results to be decided by a few people as to what THEY think should be acceptable. If this happens, the dance will ultimately suffer. Gee, sounds like exactly what happened to Country. For example: 22 years ago when I began teaching Two-step, it was a lead and follow dance. open to spontaneous interpretation. Not any more and hasn’t been for quite awhile. That all changed when “a few” people made up the rules for the C & W Contest Dance circuit and put so many restrictions on what was allowed it took much of the fun and spontaneity out of it. Teachers all taught based on what was acceptable for competition. Did it make the dance better? How could it when you’re restricted in how you would interpret a song? “Whoops, can’t do that, the rules don’t allow it” Whose rules? Who are these people that they suddenly get to decide what a dance should be in THEIR eyes? Two-step now is really nothing more than a collection of standard turns and twirls and “amalgamations” executed without any regard for what the song is telling you to do. Every dance looks, and I imagine must feel the same – how exciting to go through the motions! And look what has happened to the amount of participation and attendance at C & W events. If not for line dancers and swing people showing up they’d all be out of business. But I digress…..What DOES worry me with WCS is if they take off (as they’re suggesting) the rule requiring a certain percentage of WC movement & timing. Without it, the dance in the competition arena is destined to become a montage of lifts, drops, spins and poses to be as flashy as possible while eschewing the essence of what our dance is – Lead & Follow/ Music Interpretation. The mistake is that the political influences of dancing make decisions based on what is best for their business, NOT what’s best for the dance. The vast majority of your average dancers want to learn enough to be proficient and have fun, NOT to learn how to compete. I contend that if you promote the dance as “user friendly” so that demand grows, the supply side (lessons, events, contests etc.) naturally follows.

I’m sure the current top level pros are intent to keep their exclusive group intact as long as possible, and who could blame them? They’ve enjoyed their status through this growth period and have no reason to want to share the prestige or monetary rewards. I can appreciate the hard work these pros (at least most of them) put into teaching, practice, choreography and workshop preparation. What they need to realize is that the WCS community continues to grow because of the dance, the music, instructors and promoters everywhere, and the fun friendly atmosphere it creates. NOT  because THEY made it popular. Want a wake up call? The pros need to understand that their presence isn’t even needed to insure a successful dance event. What’s more important at ANY given event, a top name to perform, compete and teach?…..or a good dance floor and DJ? In a recent article entitled “Why can’t we all just get along?” published in 5678 Magazine, these two MOST IMPORTANT aspects weren’t even mentioned as a “cornerstone” to a successful event! Instead, the entire theme of the article centered around catering to the pro competitors, competition rules, watching the competitors, judging the competitors, pleasing the competitors so they’ll attend your event, even being “lucky” enough to actually get to dance with one of the competitors! All that pandering made me queasy! The fact is, if we have a good floor and good music, we’re ready to go! For example: An event I attended in New Orleans had NO “name” pros present. Yet there were several qualified Instructors on hand from the local areas who presented good workshops that were well attended. The event drew about 450 people and it was great fun! The patrons come for the dance, the music and the social atmosphere, not because “so and so” is there.

Don’t get me wrong. It’s great to have Pros there as entertainment, inspiration and trend-setters. But there are many more very talented pros out here on the fringe, teaching and performing in their local markets whose students see THEM as all these things. Our students trust us to be honest, educated, experienced and friendly in our presentation and we Professionally oblige. Yes, we too have talent, creativity and innovative ideas and just because we don’t hail from California or aren’t accepted into the inner circle doesn’t mean we don’t belong there.

Also, has the Pro level ever had a REAL J & J competition? These people know each others moves as if they were partners anyway. And this bears repeating -  these pros travel the circuit together and practice amongst themselves constantly so it’s no surprise to see them all dancing so well together. The “Champions” J & J is beginning to look more contrived and choreographed than spontaneous. This recently invented “Champion of Champions” J & J competition, where it’s by “invitation only” is just one more evidence of the intent to separate themselves from the rest. Now, there is NO chance for a deserving Pro to get a chance to compete with the top names. You have to be invited. It’s curious to me that without a Champions level J & J at the GNDC in Atlanta (for example), these Champions chose not to participate in the Open Division. Why was that? They did in the past. The fact is, they will no longer subject themselves to possibly having to compete with “no-name” dancers even though many of these dancers could stay right with them. By placing with a no-name, it helps build that persons reputation and opens the door for more dancers to get noticed and invade their private domain. Gee, we can’t have that! Have to maintain that distinction! It was an Open Division. Was it in the rules that the Champions couldn’t compete in it? If so, why?

Watching how WCS has changed and evolved over the past several years has been truly exciting and the influence of other dances is very evident. Fact is, it has changed SO much, it should be considered under a different name to encompass all the styles it has adopted. It certainly isn’t traditional WCS anymore. Similar the Hustle days when Latin, New York and various other forms melded into the “Street Hustle” that we still do today, perhaps something like FREE, STREET or OPEN Swing would be more appropriate. (I swear I just heard a collective “HA- NEVER” coming from California). Hey, just a thought. But it is – a street dance, free form, spontaneous, creative, expressive and especially lead & follow – music interpretation.

“Now I don’t want to get off on a rant here….” But make no mistake, the WCS Elite have been chosen. Except for those who established themselves 5 years ago or more, the only new talent that seems to be given consideration are the younger set who are embraced immediately at the first sign of potential talent. What we all  need to do as a collective dance society is use any and all resources at our disposal to try to bring WCS to the attention of the general public and receive the recognition it deserves as the fastest growing, most popular, musically adaptive social dance form for everybody!  We, and our Clubs are in place, ready to serve and teach the many thousands who are yet to be introduced to our dance. Let’s embrace ALL of the new talent  that joins our ranks and give them the opportunity to learn, dance, teach and compete on a “level” dance floor. The WSDC adopted a “Fairness Doctrine” for just that purpose finally  this past year. Let’s hope it really takes effect soon.

Hero Worship, ( which many of the newer or younger dancers who join the WCS ranks do at first), will only carry a Pro so long. When the initial fascination wears thin, the Champions are just another group of great dancers who are interesting to watch, as are a few hundred others. If you expect people to pay you for a lesson or workshop, you better know what you’re doing. The dancers want their Dance Gods to be professional, polished and courteous, not whine at a 4th place finish in your controlled environment. And if they DO ask you to dance, they expect the same effort you give your friends and not some insulting skate thru the motions. It’s offensive and insulting to be treated with such condescension, which is why many don’t even bother to ask anymore. We wonder sometimes if some of you have maybe just forgotten how  to Social dance. You are so accustomed to posing and playing to the judges knowing what the other will do, perhaps you’ve just forgotten how to lead & follow. And here you thought they were just intimidated by your magnificence. If you DO get hired to make money at any event, you should expect to spend a little floor time with the general audience for FREE or you may not get the job again. Promoters and attendees are wising up. You think the patrons want a dance with you knowing you’re only doing it because you’re paid to? You will gain a persons respect and admiration by displaying your talent with dignity, class and enthusiasm – not attitude and ego. The Events will go on because of any given areas local support. There are good, popular, qualified instructors in any given market or at least within driving distance who would be happy to show up, do a workshop, an exhibition and bring their own group of Club members for support and spend some time dancing with everybody. They earn  their private lesson students thru a respected reputation, not just name recognition.

As originally stated, this article was written to address what many witness happening and speak about in private, but never get to have said publicly. But more importantly, to hopefully help future competitors find a more level  competition arena,  protest allowing a few  to dictate what the dance should be, and toward many of the privileged Pros selfishly enjoying their reign at the top with no sense of gratitude. Enjoy the spotlight while you have it and treat your Profession with respect and dignity. In this business, fame and ability are judged subjectively much like ones character. I believe even the Pros know of whom I speak among them. Titles and trophies are great to show the grandkids but will tarnish in short order if not polished often. Maybe the friendly Judges will help let you get away with it for awhile, but in our eyes, an arrogant, ungrateful, egotistical stars spotlight will burn faster than a joint at a Grateful Dead concert. So, in the words of Dennis Miller…..”Of course that’s just my opinion, I could be wrong”.

Good dancing to you ALL,

Mark Traynor

Floorplay Dance Clubs Founder