Swing Jam Competitions

Competitions

Cutting, jamming, and breaking, marching, and shouting mean getting up against and competing through artful imitation, going beyond the last performer in his or her own terms. We tend to think of shouting, for instance, in the standard English sense of referring to noisemaking, but it means the holy way of moving the whole congregation, whether through vocal or movement vocabulary…. Through moving together while playing apart, the entire universe is animated for the moment, as the spirit descends on the group, even when the spirit can’t be called holy. This is the center of the aesthetic of the cool, I promise, not just in America but throughout the Black New World and much of subsaharan Africa.

-Correspondence from Roger Abrahams, University of Pennsylvania, Mar. 1994, as quoted in Jacqui Malone’s Steppin’ on the Blues

Short Showcase

This year we’re excited to announce a new collaboration opportunity: Dancers registered for the showcase will be paired with someone whose primary dance style differs from their own. They’ll be given studio time throughout the weekend with which to create a minute-long showcase. This could be choreography, or a demonstration of improvisation skills across dance styles. Performances will take place on Sunday at the farewell party (5-8pm) after classes conclude.

Solo Jazz Battle

The Solo Battle is for dancers to demonstrate their connection to swing-era jazz through choreography, improvisation, and interaction with their competitors. The finals of this competition will involve trading blues choruses head-to-head. The tempos will be in the 100-190bpm range.

Tap Battle (Cutting Contest)

This competition is for tap dancers to challenge one another while lifting everyone up to dance at their highest level. Competitors will trade bars at a variety of tempos, and the finals will be danced to live music (including stop time) from our Saturday night jazz band. Judges will be asked to favor interaction between competitors and musicality.

All Styles Battle

The All Styles Battle is for exactly that – dancers of ‘all styles’. Battles will be head-to-head, set to music ranging from swing-era jazz to hip-hop at a variety of tempos. Judges will be asked to favor dancers who communicate across dance styles through translation and uplifting imitation.