Seen At The Deerfield Comp…
Posted 11/27/24 8:05pm
A MENTAL KNIFE, FORK, AND NAPKIN KIND OF WEEKEND
+ What do you get when you pair Thanksgiving week with Comp Weekend 2? Food analogies in 8CA dance comments, fun invitational names, reunions in the bleachers, and season debuts by many Chicagoland dance teams.
+ Props to Deerfield for dubbing their event “Dancegiving!” I caught some definite holiday vibes in the bleachers as I witnessed some heartwarming reunions with alums back in town.
+ It also FELT like the holiday season with a chilly air mass taking up residence in the Chicagoland area. Inside, I got to take in the upscale vibes of Deerfield High School. If you haven’t been there, a classy hallway leads you to their expansive main gym. Like really, it’s a *big* gym — lots of open spaces on the sides, and judges can really zero-in on your routine. The one-sided schedule also added to the sense of space since there was nothing but empty, distant bleachers behind the routines.
+ It was also the first comp this season with music handled by Double-B Entertainment, with actual audio and announcing run by the man himself:
+ That’s Calvin Cornell’s logo in the middle of that jog wheel. If you’re new to the dance team scene, Calvin’s the official DJ of the Blackhawks, and you’ll see him and his Double B crew DJ many of the Chicago-area comps along with IHSA state.
+ bonus, for me: I got to chill with this DJing legend during the midday break — and any witnesses can confirm that Calvin and I are not the same person. (seriously–that misidentification has happened)! Being a former DJ myself, I asked him about lessons to brush up my back-in-the-day skillset. I still can do live beat matching and mixing, but I was never a great scratcher. If ya don’t know, here’s what scratching looks and sound like:
NOTES, NUGGETS, IMPRESSIONS
+ (for specifics be sure to check out our dance-by-dance story posts, archived in Insta highlights)
+ For most of this field, these were season debuts. Works-in-progress all around. I fully expected to see dances that had pristine, crisp intros, solid-to-okay middles, and endings that needed more work. Even the higher-scoring routines featured this kind of pattern…which leads me to think that if these dances scored well with sketchy second halves, they’ll pick up more points (in theory) later in the season when the whole dance is more polished. We’ll see if that holds true.
+ That’s a nice trophy table look—and I love the idea of individual medals.
+ The theme of the weekend at both comps this weekend: a 2A battle. This comp seems to always boil down to a Vernon Hills / Libertyville /Deerfield showdown. But just as exciting was the breakout debuts by a few of the up-and-coming 2A programs who’ve stepped up their game.
+ Take Maine West, for example. I honestly can’t remember the last time I saw the Warriorettes this poised and talented. Feels like this could be the start of something really good. And I love how each of the 3 Maines has such an individual identity — and based on their dances at Deerfield, West is no longer the Maine that people forget about. They’re out to be noticed.
+ Let’s look at those Bisonettes for a sec. Buffalo Grove hit the floor with a new level of confidence, and you could tell they’re having some fun with their two performances. In routine 2 they legit commanded the bleachers with their visual appeal.
+ Also thriving on the growth curve is Rolling Meadows. They’ve got a category identity in pom but have now mixed in a sumptuous blend of jazzy spices. If you’re new to the sport, one of its greatest puzzles is how to infuse pom with jazz skills and elements. Meadows has put the pieces of that puzzle together.
+ It’s easy to be a fan of what Richards brought. I’ve seen some entertaining routines by the Goldies in recent years, but this is firmly in a higher tier. This one shows how you can totally remix the complexion of a routine by adding that visual fun factor to it.
+ When I think of Cary-Grove, it’s a lyrical feast with a side of even more lyrical. This was one of the best examples of the weekend in terms of choreo that authentically matches up to the arc of the song (its vibes, its music, its lyrics).
+ Side note: ever done the music switch game? It’s easy to catch the cookie-cutter effect where a dance could work with, like, a lot of different songs. Try turning the audio off and playing a different song —- if the choreo STILL works with that song or several other songs…it actually doesn’t…
+ This year’s Libertyville roster just hits different. Any of them could be called upon to whip out a feature moment. Lots of flash, for sure, but it all seems to be anchored by their rock-solid turns talent. For that “pure lyrical’ feel, I highly recommend checking out their Routine 1.
+ Best Q.O.M. of the weekend belongs to Vernon Hills. “Quality of movement” is the visual effect of how a dancer moves from point A to B in space over time (measured in counts). Sorry if I watered that down for the newbie fans. Anyhow, VH has beautiful quality of movement. And they’re reppin’ a strong start early in the season.
+ No one loved the crowd better than Deerfield did. This program has mastered different flavors of hip hop over the years. The artsy / sleek / musicality-driven style has worked and paid off, but this time they bring a high-entertainment HH style that will surely be a fan fave throughout the winter. Among top-tier 2A routines, this might be the sneaky one come January.
+ The gym emptied for lunch and with only 3A in the afternoon, had that odd half-empty feel. But the floor stayed hot with teams who will almost certainly battle for a trip to IHSA state. One of them was Prospect, who danced to a song that possibly has never seen a comp floor, even when it ruled the pop and alternative charts in the late fall of 1996:
+ I definitely need to do a couple deeper dives into all the brilliant, oddball, and unexpected songs we’ve been treated to in the past 2 to 3 seasons — a complete turnaround from some serious copycat-staleness in song choices throughout most of the IHSA era.
+ OK, done gushing about the song. Let’s talk about Prospect’s masterful use of musicality. And then throw in those signature lyrical skills and pretty delivery…you’ve got a potential gem that will get noticed and worried-over by 3A fields throughout the winter.
+ Put all that aside for a sec because this was Lockport’s day. Their “thing” in recent seasons: complex choreo and layering…and this time I picked up on a higher athleticism factor. What I saw a lot of on Sunday, I got a preview of on Saturday thanks to Lockport’s 2nd dance: sharp attack in each count throughout the whole routine.
+ New Trier has consistently been among the most entertaining programs whenever they hit the comp floor or football field. Honestly, they’ve got a “look” that’s been consistently appealing, dating back to the days when state-level success wasn’t in the cards. It took awhile for their work to be appreciated on the rubric. Their signature recipe is a big roster having more fun showcasing their dance than anyone else.
+ Fall halftime season matters—just ask a Joliet Central team that looked full of life throughout the fall and had a new kind of spark on Saturday. I think you’re going to like what the Steelettes end up doing with their comp season.
+ Longtime program Yorkville — the Foxettes! — also carry the mark of a team that came out stronger than expected for so early in the season. Like the other upgraded teams, the main ingredient is stepped-up polish along with not being afraid of showcasing skills (and going beyond only turns to accomplish that strategy).
+ Building off a surprising debut a week before, Glenbard West made a strong case as one of those dangerous 3A teams come sectional weekend. I loved their style of closing out their execution to any given skill — with authority and certainty. The team “thought bubble” after a turn would read, “Yup, we just nailed that, and here comes another.”
+ Y’all know I love when teams are super connected to the vocalist. That’s Niles West’s strength. Every syllable was visually brought to life in this outside-the-box piece. Kinda sneaky, in a good way!
+ Check out this dance conference:
+ Up next: Part 2 of the Comp Weekend 2, plus some overall thoughts on where things stand as we wrap up November.