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September 14 You
all know that I thought the '97 Pismo Festival
was NOT Line Dancer Heaven...grins....this year's
Friday and Saturday Evening Dances can only be
described as Line Dance Heaven...total thanks to
our Bay Area DJ/choreographer/instructor/champion
line & couples dancer...Chris
Kumre! The weather was kind to us...the 30 minute (including patio video taping) new choreography competions (36 entries) held on the outdoor patio at the Whaler's Inn both Friday and Saturday were well attended... I am a good dancer and I learn dances fairly quickly...this competition showcases new "stuff" and by limiting the time...you limit either the number of steps or complexity of a dance entry or the reasonable expectation that most of the workshop participants will learn the dance. Allowing 40 minutes for a time slot, with a five minute change over for the new entry would help both dancers and choreographers. This time frame would limit the number of entries. Charge enough money for the competition to hire an MC/DJ to introduce the competitors (the competitors have to provide the written introduction) and play their music. It is very unrealistic to expect the choreographers to know how to use unfamilar DJ equipment... I totally am upset by the fact that the video taping (for profit) is done on "my learning time" and I KNOW how hard and time consuming it is to edit video tapes for the website... so the excess patio noise/walk in fronts...etc. can't be edited out easily....but then I am assuming that the "for sell" tapes are professionally edited for the line dancer who is spending money to learn the newest dances from world reknown choreographers from the " '98 Pismo Tapes"....grins! ...and the rented chairs and patio shades were much appreciated by those of us line dancers who chose to watch all the event competitions from the sidelines....thanks to Ross Kongable for listening to us! ...and btw those of you who came early to see the Sunday team competition and volunteered to help me sweep the kitty litter off the patio.. much thanks...grins!! (Ross is also in charge of Pismo registration) ...and the Evening Dances BOTH nights started with Cuban Heels...Terry Hogan we missed you!...and want you to know the floor was packed with smiling, singing dancers doing your dance...(we C U in the San Francisco Bay Area in 2 weeks at the Golden Gate!) Chris played the request lists..and asked each choreographer to come front and center so we could dance their dancers with them...Cindy Truelove (Perth, Australia) did her Crazy and My Girls Waltz with us. Cindy also taught her Why Not? in new line dance choreography....she will also be teaching workshops at the Golden Gate on September 26. and Simon Ward, also from Australia danced his Titanic with us and demo'd his Irish Waltz. Simon also won the overall male advanced line dance championship here at Pismo...you know his body rolls are to die for...Go Simon! He will be teaching at the Golden Gate. Sal Gonzalez/Donna Wasnick did their Two Cool (this dance won 1st place in ICE new line dance choreograhy here at Pismo this year). We did Quismodo with Donna. Sal danced his new How Does It Start?...this dance was choreographed for all his wonderful friends and supporters from the Orange County Dancin' Country Dance Club (we loved dancin' with you all - Sue, Marian and Lou Ann) with us and his also new Road House Inn. Of course we danced his Ooh! AaH!, Chevy and Dancin' With You....Sal will be teaching at the Golden Gate. Michael Barr did his A Waltz In Time (this dance won 2nd place in ICE new line dance choreograhy here at Pismo this year) Hey Bruce, Black Dresses, All-Right-A and his new beginner, first place winnin' at Pismo '98 - Out Of The Blue. He will be teaching at the Golden Gate. The Buffalo Girls danced their new line dance choreography entry - Zoot Suit with us. Michele Burton's new 8 to 8 was on the request list....thanks to the OCDC dancers for showing us how cool this dance looked!...Michele danced her 2nd place Hallelujah Junction with us. She will be teaching at the Golden Gate. Evelyn Khinoo danced her Silk & Satin, how sweet it is, Picture Perfect and her 4th place winnin' That's My Hat with us. She will be teaching at the Golden Gate. Hedy McAdams danced her Fly Like A Bird, Shipwrecked, Angie, Brown Eyed-Girl and her 3rd place winnin' Rum & Coca Cola with us. She will be teaching at the Golden Gate. Mike Sliter danced his Roll Of The Dice and his newest San Antone Rose with us. He will be teaching at the Golden Gate. Charlotte Skeeters danced her Pencil Thin Mustache, Huey Lewie, Ranger Doug, and her Looking glass with us...She will NOT be teaching at the Golden Gate...She be in charge of the whole event...grins! Other dances that made the request list: Pony Shuffle (Ernie/Carmel Hutchinson/Southern Streamline (Mack Apaapas); Fat Sally Lee (Arthur Smith)/Sally Lee (Johny Montana); Peace Train (Molkner); Jambalaya (Ian St. Leon); Dizzy (Jo Thompson); OeeOeeO (Max Perry); Alligater Shoes (Terry Hogan); Dangerous (John Robinson); Groovy Moves (Kay Romero); Hot Tamales (Neil Hale); Arlene (George Davis); Senoria Sway (Michele Perron); and a couple of rounds of the Tush Push in a circle....grins!. My suggestion: I really think it would be too cool to announce the winning new choreography at the Saturday Night dance...announce each place, starting with the the 5th and ending with the 1st at 11:00 PM and then do the dance with the choregrapher after the announcement...that way we not only get the thrill of dancin' their dance with them...we get to express our appreciation and congratulations to them while they are all dressed up in their western clothes....think of the photo opportunities! ....EVEN I would volunteer to be on the committee to add up the numbers (I think I could learn how to use a calculator) and determine the place winners...just to be the FIRST AND ONLY DANCER TO KNOW who the competition winners were at the dance....what a thrill! I heard the old comment "you can't fight city hall" I don't happen to think that is true...I say ...if you have constructive criticism and a better solution for the problem... determine the person in charge of city hall and have a conversation with her! I am just a line dancer; I attend the Pismo Festival purely as a dancer who wants to be entertained by dancin'...I enjoy learning the new choreography, dancin' with other linedancers I get to meet through networking, and cheerin' for the linedancers who have the talent to compete. No one could entertain me with an awards ceremony....unless it only took a half hour of my time...period!
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Chris Kumre - Our Pismo DJ 
