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For Hal
[This article would not have been possible without the help of many people, especially Hilary Alexander, Marge Takier, Peter Loggins, and Nick Williams.] Harold “Hal” Chavoor Takier, unarguably one of the greatest original jitterbugs, passed away at his home in California on January 9, 2012, from complications of Alzheimer’s disease. He was 94 years old.…
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On Judging, Part 3: Swing Judging Philosophy 101
[So far in this series, we’ve discussed the Basic Competition Blueprint, as well as some of the tricks for watching a competition. Now we’ll start getting into the deeper questions involved with judging. Also, please note, Part 2 of this series has been extensively updated since its first publication.] Judging an improvised partnership swing dance…
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On Judging, Part 1: The Basic Competition Blueprint
As Well as Explanations of the “Natural Break” and Relative Placement Scoring This is Part 1 of a series on judging the classic swing dances. If you missed the introduction to the series, it’s here. If you start to sweat the first time you are asked to judge a swing dance competition, take comfort in…
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On Judging (Introduction): A Few Questions
A Few Questions Yeah, I can judge the contest. I was going to judge them anyway. –Nina Gilkenson, said (in an obviously jokingly manner) to an organizer. The first time you’re given a clipboard and asked to judge a swing dance contest, here are some of the questions that might go through your mind, perhaps…
Swungover* 