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In Reply to: Re: Chicagoland 2003 posted by Sandra S. on September 03, 2002 at 18:28:39:
dear Sandra, I am sure you didn't mean to call us liars, we were in the rooms downstairs that were classified as the line dance rooms. Yes, we know that it was extremely hot in those rooms and it will be addressed by the hotel staff, we have already discussed that with them. We were classified as a couples dancer and people were unsure of any improvments because we are not active line dancers. You don't have to be a "line dancer" to see that there were problems with the set up of the rooms. I hate to see people classify anyone as couples or line dancers. We are all dancers. We are going to make a strong effort to bring the event back to where it was a few years ago and hopefully even larger with more line and couples dancing for everyone. We have some decisions to make about next year with the line dance section of the event. We know that there were some problems. We spent a lot of time discussing the event with line, couple and swing dancers about some improvments that we can make that will we good for everyone. As long as the support stays strong for line dancing at the event, it will be one of our priorities. Please don't judge us on what we haven't done yet. We are here to promote all forms of country dance not just couples, swing or line dancing for that matter. Please don't critise us for things this past year that we had no control over.
I didn't see anywhere in the reports or in these messages where you were being judged by dancers, especially not by what you choose to dance. The event itself did treat Line Dancers as inferior, so if you want to take offense to that, so be it.
: I also didn't see any Line Dance "Ballroom" there, so I am really wondering if you were there.
: : Hello to all!
: : Thank you for your feedback regarding Chicagoland 2002, as well as your hopes and desires for Chicagoland 2003. There's certainly a great deal of misinformation out on the grapevine, and I'd like to make sure we're all working together to make next year's event a success, regardless of the type of dance we each choose to do.
: : 1) My husband, Randy, and I have not made a commitment to any hotel for 2003. The rumor that the event is returning to the Ramada has no foundation. We realize that there were physical limitations with the Radisson. We have reviewed this year's event with the Radisson staff, including the inability to keep the downstairs areas cool.
: : 2)Do not assume that Randy and I are only couples dancers with no support for line dancers. It's insulting, and untrue. While Randy and I do not compete in line dancing, we are supportive of this, and ALL dance forms. Our decision not to line dance is one of practicality: We both have "day jobs" and there are limited hours in the day. We can't do it all, and our decision to compete in couples dancing consumes most of our free time.
: : I have emceed line dance at competitions for years. In fact, I remember when John Robinson used to compete...and when Brian Barakauskas was just a beginner. I first met Lou Ecken when she competed in honky tonk couples - before her stellar line dance carerr began. In fact, I had the pleasure of emceeing line dance competition at the Music City Dance Challenge in Nashville this past Friday.
: : We do not consider line dancers to be "second class" or in any way inferior to other dancers. Please don't judge us by what we choose to dance.
: : 3)We did visit the line dance ballroom during the weekend. Since we don't know a lot of line dances, we weren't on the floor, but we were certainly in the room. We spent time getting input from Judy MacDonald, Scott Blevins, Max Perry, Derek Steele, and numerous other enthusiastic line dancers.
: : It is our intention to host one of the most fun-filled dance parties of the year in Chicago next year. We hope to celebrate all forms of dance supported by the UCWDC, and a few that are not! Nothing would please us more than to have you join us.
: : In this world there are dancers and there are critics.
: : Be a dancer.
: : Regards,
: : Jennifer Jeffries