Carolyn Smith on Blackpool Festival - Bingo, it is all about numbers!
Přidáno v pátek, 22 kvě 2015, 17:14 autorem
carolyn smith michielotto
Read: 7 752
I am so exited on my new collaboration with dancesportinfo. I love to write when I can and this week at Blackpool that is exactly what I will be doing. Commenting on the Latin events. But with a difference!!!!! What could be different on commenting about the dancing? Well I will explain why and how?
When I was a very young girl of 14 (many many years ago) I came to see my very first Blackpool and I was so spellbound by the magic of it all. I actually saw my ICONS in flesh and blood, and one of my dreams came true. All the people that I read about in the Dance News were here in the same room. Now this might sound strange to the generation of today, but back in the 70's we did not have internet or dvd's and we did not even have VHS (video cassettes), so we had to wait to read about everything in the Dance News. I said to my Mum and Dad that one day I will be one of the people that WILL BE IN THE THE NEWSPAPERS not just reading it. So I had to start planning and working my ass off (I hope that word is not politically wrong) because you really did not get into the newspaper unless you are in the final or maybe the semi. I wanted people to see me, know me and recognize me. I wanted to BE AN ICON. Was I asking much?.... Absolutely not.
So, went back to Scotland and worked really hard to get better and be noticed. At 15 years old I got my first break! Final in the Stars of the Future at Blackpool, 2nd place! Ran off the floor after the prize giving and said to Mum and Dad "I WILL BE IN THE NEWSPAPER! WITH A PHOTO AND A COMMENT BY AN EXPERT TEACHER". I was so over the moon about it that I then realized that I forgot about the real success of the day, the hard work I had done to be in that final, a Junior already competing in the Amateurs. Now after the competition had finished we had to wait for at least a month or two, to get the marks through the post and about 1 month and half for the Dance News to arrive to get the comments. Now you all might laugh at this but that was the way it was a long century ago. Thing have now changed, actually, think about it..... Has it really changed?
The speed of things has totally changed. You get your marks normally within 1 or 2 days after the competition. You can find everything on internet.....but there is one thing that has not changed....WE STILL HAVE TO WAIT A LONG TIME FOR THE COMMENTS! And normally the comments are always about the finalist, semi finalists, quarter final and rare occasions the 48. Very rarely do they talk about couples who maybe thrown out in the first round or second round, particularly in the major competitions because there are so many couples and the fact that who is writing may not be in seeing the couples in the first round.
This is where I come in, I am nearly always at the earlier rounds as I love to observe couples year after year getting better, worse or stuck. I prefer the first word but it is not always the case. So this year I have start my commenting on the British Open Championships with a difference so it is hopefully equal for everyone. I have created 2 situations to get the earlier competitor name, numbers and comment on the internet first before we get to the finals!
1. PICK OF THE DAY
2. YOU CAUGHT MY EYE.
Now I will explain better. PICK OF THE DAY: it is like going to play BINGO or call numbers at random, one number per heat has been extracted by someone, then I find the couple on the floor and comment on them. This I will do every day, each round changing numbers, so everyone has an opportunity to be commented on. I find that quite cool. Then I choose one couple in each heat YOU CAUGHT MY EYE, each round will be different or could be the same, then I will comment on them. So you will have to check here EVERY DAY and see have if you have been commented on.
So I would like to wish all the couples the best of luck during BLACKPOOL week. Dance your best as you really are being watched.
Carolyn Smith