Everything is brilliant in Leeds
Feb. 26th, 2014 01:51 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ventaLong-term readers will know that around this time of year DERT happens. DERT - the Dancing England Rapper Tournament - is the annual competition for the style of folk dancing that I do. This year it's in Leeds.
This year it is also an unexpectedly big deal for Mabel Gubbins. Firstly, we're in Premier.
Competition is divided into three classes: Premier (the top-notch teams), Open (the beginner or part-time teams) and Championship (everyone who doesn't fit into either of the others).
There are always a few quirks, of course. This year Medlock Rapper are in the Open because they're a new team; this despite the fact that pretty much every individual has danced with a Premier team in recent years.
Anyway, last year we won the Championship. This means promotion, and we have to go and play with the big boys (and girls). We are so very not a Premier team :-)
We are, in fact, a "safe" team. We don't usually attempt the very ambitious figures, we do the easier ones well. I think our victory last year was because our nearest rivals (Mons Meg, from Edinburgh) put in some riskier figures and then cocked them up in one or two dances. The dances they pulled off scored higher than ours, but we were more consistent. Consistent competence ain't going to cut it this year. I'll be extremely surprised if we come anything other than last.
We had our final practice with all combatants this weekend, near Brighton. We've been trying to up our game, which in a lot of cases means "do it faster" or "do it more" (and, of course "do it better", though that's harder to quantify). I have the sort of bruises all up my left arm that might lead to people speculating whether everything's all right at home, and a frankly mysterious set of pulled muscles.
Mind you, we also found a pub in Brighton that not only let us dance, but had 43 different kinds of gin.
Secondly, as of this moment there are no takers to run DERT next year.
Each year, a different dance team as as hosts, and organises the whole shebang. Mabel, my team, did it in 2011 and we're definitely not quite ready to think about doing it again yet. It's a lot of work. As far as I'm aware - which is since 2000 - there's never been a year where the following year's hosts were not decided by the time of the competition (even if details are vague).
This year it's organised by Black Swan Rapper. They last did it, according to the t-shirt I had on the other day, in 2006.
I'm not sure if there's a plan; I don't know whether the competition will happen next year.
Anyway, if you're in or around the Leeds area, there will a range of opportunities for watching sword dancing in pubs a week on Saturday. You can watch the finest teams in the land, nay, the world! Or, of course, you could watch us (but only if you cheer violently and help increase our buzz score).
Which also brings me to my other question: I shall be free of swords and other such things by Sunday lunchtime, does anyone Leeds-based fancy meeting up for a pub lunch, beer, coffee, or other social engagement?![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
strange_complex, maviscruet, nalsa, any others?
This year it is also an unexpectedly big deal for Mabel Gubbins. Firstly, we're in Premier.
Competition is divided into three classes: Premier (the top-notch teams), Open (the beginner or part-time teams) and Championship (everyone who doesn't fit into either of the others).
There are always a few quirks, of course. This year Medlock Rapper are in the Open because they're a new team; this despite the fact that pretty much every individual has danced with a Premier team in recent years.
Anyway, last year we won the Championship. This means promotion, and we have to go and play with the big boys (and girls). We are so very not a Premier team :-)
We are, in fact, a "safe" team. We don't usually attempt the very ambitious figures, we do the easier ones well. I think our victory last year was because our nearest rivals (Mons Meg, from Edinburgh) put in some riskier figures and then cocked them up in one or two dances. The dances they pulled off scored higher than ours, but we were more consistent. Consistent competence ain't going to cut it this year. I'll be extremely surprised if we come anything other than last.
We had our final practice with all combatants this weekend, near Brighton. We've been trying to up our game, which in a lot of cases means "do it faster" or "do it more" (and, of course "do it better", though that's harder to quantify). I have the sort of bruises all up my left arm that might lead to people speculating whether everything's all right at home, and a frankly mysterious set of pulled muscles.
Mind you, we also found a pub in Brighton that not only let us dance, but had 43 different kinds of gin.
Secondly, as of this moment there are no takers to run DERT next year.
Each year, a different dance team as as hosts, and organises the whole shebang. Mabel, my team, did it in 2011 and we're definitely not quite ready to think about doing it again yet. It's a lot of work. As far as I'm aware - which is since 2000 - there's never been a year where the following year's hosts were not decided by the time of the competition (even if details are vague).
This year it's organised by Black Swan Rapper. They last did it, according to the t-shirt I had on the other day, in 2006.
I'm not sure if there's a plan; I don't know whether the competition will happen next year.
Anyway, if you're in or around the Leeds area, there will a range of opportunities for watching sword dancing in pubs a week on Saturday. You can watch the finest teams in the land, nay, the world! Or, of course, you could watch us (but only if you cheer violently and help increase our buzz score).
Which also brings me to my other question: I shall be free of swords and other such things by Sunday lunchtime, does anyone Leeds-based fancy meeting up for a pub lunch, beer, coffee, or other social engagement?
strange_complex, maviscruet, nalsa, any others?
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no subject
Date: 2014-02-26 02:15 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-02-27 12:56 pm (UTC)I have been thinking that I should do more trundling around the country to see (a) places and (b) people, so will try and remove myself to Leeds again at a more convenient season ;-)