DanceSport Talk http://dsblog.dancesportmusic.com/ Observations on the world of competitive ballroom DanceSport from the perspective of a BC-based competitor covering news, music and other information that impacts competitive dancers. en-us Nucleus CMS v3.23 © Weblog http://backend.userland.com/rss http://dsblog.dancesportmusic.com//nucleus/nucleus2.gif DanceSport Talk http://dsblog.dancesportmusic.com/ Democracy is up to you http://dsblog.dancesportmusic.com/index.php?itemid=135 Say what you will about the politics of DanceSport, one of the things we've enjoyed throughout the decades has been the democratic nature of the association that governs amateur dancing. It's not perfect, of course. What is? But the spirit of allowing the members to set their own rules and govern themselves has been remarkable.

So I was dismayed to see one of the rule changes being proposed by DanceSport BC for consideration at the AGM taking place tomorrow afternoon. It is my hope that DSBC members will act responsibly and wisely to put a stop to what would be one of the greatest disasters I've ever seen in any board legislation.The change calls for the president to have been a board member during the preceding year. Such a rule change essentially throws away democratic principles and puts the entire membership at the mercy of whatever board is in power. If you ever, at any point in the future, had an executive that needed to be replaced, such a rule would make it impossible to do so.

The DSBC board has gone through a challenging year, so I can understand that members of the board saw such a rule change as a way of protecting the organization from the potential of a unwelcome individual being elected as president from out of nowhere. But as boards sometimes do, they overreacted. Instead of accepting the fact that life can, at times, throw a curve ball, they proposed a rule change that has long-term implications and kills democracy in the process.

As far as boards go in general, we have a good one. The members of the board are interested in the members of the association. For the most part, they serve with passion and genuine concern for the well-being of the membership. But that doesn't mean we are guaranteed of having such a group for all time! Board governance is a fluid thing. People come and go, move, interests and circumstances change. Rules must show wisdom. They must show a deep and genuine regard for all potential situations.

If you change the rules so that only an existing board member can be president, you throw out all the principles of democracy that have guided our culture for hundreds of years. You essentially give all the power to the board, taking it away from the membership. I'm so amazed that the board wouldn't see this, that it makes me actually question the wisdom of those on the board!

When a tyrant is in charge, which happens far more often in volunteer boards than most people realize, there is virtually nothing that the rest of the board can do to fix the problem. Please don't misunderstand: there is no "tyrant" in charge of the DSBC board. Not currently. The board members are terrific people. But the potential exists. It has happened to many other boards and can happen here just as easily. In such a scenario, the only thing that can stand between disaster and freedom from tyranny is the democratic principle that another person can be elected. Yes, someone from out of the general membership. Someone not on the board at the time. There are times that the membership may feel that a "fresh face" is necessary, or even essential. That's democracy at work!

History has taught that lesson far too often. In every society, when the leader has been given protection from the foundation of democratic principles, it has led to corruption and disaster. Look at the Romans.

Will DanceSport BC members stand up for their cherished democratic history and strike down this proposed change? I hope so.

Please, show up and vote. Support your board. Most of the proposed changes are well thought out. But say no to a change that would kill democracy forever.

The meeting takes place Sunday at 1PM at the Travelodge on the corner of Bridgeport and St. Edwards Drive in Richmond.]]> Politics http://dsblog.dancesportmusic.com/index.php?itemid=135 Sat, 4 Sep 2010 14:23:22 -0700 Evan Lysacek’s view of why dancing is popular http://dsblog.dancesportmusic.com/index.php?itemid=134 Evan LysacekOlympic gold medal skater Evan Lysacek, who is currently ranked in first place by the International Skating Union, recently reflected on his experiences as a Dancing With the Stars contestant. He finished second this past season, teamed up with professional partner Anna Trebunskaya. During an interview, he was asked for his take on why the world is so enamored with dance shows these days. He responded that it's about feeling good in tough times.

"For the past several years, the economy in America and the whole world has been bad," he said. "There is a lot of negativity going on with wars abroad, people losing their jobs, their homes and so much of the news and TV shows are about negative things like murder, or crime, and so few things that are entertaining are positive. Dance is so incredibly positive, everyone can do it and it's a great escape."

He claimed that even though he doesn't consider himself especially good at dancing, he thinks that the dance shows give people a reason to smile and get their moves on. He also praised the athleticism of the sport, saying that there is no question about the professional competitive dancers being real athletes, as accomplished as skaters.

Evan is currently touring with other Dancing With the Stars contestants as part of the "Ballroom With a Twist" show choreographed by Emmy-nominated professional Louis van Amstel.]]> General http://dsblog.dancesportmusic.com/index.php?itemid=134 Sun, 25 Jul 2010 12:58:41 -0700 Curiouser and Curiouser http://dsblog.dancesportmusic.com/index.php?itemid=133 nullThe case of two young Canadian DanceSport athletes grows ever more interesting the more I learn about it. The young couple is being denied the right to dance the upcoming Canadian national championship, a decision which the parents are fighting, but it seems that the governing body responsible for this decision has some explaining to do to assure the dance community that everything is on the up-and-up, as they say. I'm beginning to feel like Alice in Wonderland, that it is "curiouser and curiouser." Here's the latest:Vlad was Canada's number 2 in Youth Latin last year, while Maryana, with her parter, was number 4. They each split with their partners at different times and decided to partner. Vlad moved to BC from Quebec, and that's where their troubles started.

Because they partnered too late to dance the "official" regional qualifier in BC, which was the SnowBall Classic, they applied to DanceSport BC, the regional governing body, to dance an alternate qualifier. As I understand it, DanceSport BC voted to allow the couple, as well as one other new partnership and a couple that had been injured when SnowBall took place, to dance the UBC Gala Ball as their alternate event. Under CADA rules, it is up to each region to determine the qualifying event for couples within the region. But CADA, interestingly, said that they would not permit the assigned alternate qualifier except in the case of the injured couple.

What makes all of this even more interesting is that the CADA president told me personally on the phone that this decision was the result of a "unanimous" CADA vote. Later I heard a reference to an 8-2 decision. So I'm not sure which it was. But what vote? I asked the president and the vice president of DanceSport BC what vote she might have meant, and they didn't even know! The president, who was elected in September of last year, said she had been told of a vote, but that would have happened while I was on the CADA board. There was no vote of that nature during my tenure. And if the vote had been done by E-mail, which is permitted, then the BC representatives to CADA would (I expect) have raised a "Point of Order" objection declaring such a vote to be out of order under the bylaws. Thus, it could not have taken place, at least not legally.

The father of one member of this partnership gave me some additional information. It seems that when Vlad wrote to the Quebec regional association to let them know that he had moved to BC, they refused to cancel his Quebec membership, which is quite illegal. I spoke to a lawyer who said no region can decide to refuse such a request. At the moment Vlad made the request, it was legally an obligation for Quebec to release it. Yet they refused, making it challenging for BC to approve membership in his new region.

We depend on our governing bodies, both the regional and national associations, to act in the best interests of Canadian dancers, so it is of great concern to the dance community when they act in an arbitrary way, especially when decisions appear to go against their own bylaws.

To get more insight into these developments, I spoke with three prominent lawyers, two of whom work for Davis LLP, Vancouver's largest law firm. They all reviewed the CADA bylaws, which are publicly available on the web, and said that CADA's actions were not permitted under their own bylaws. CADA does not have the jurisdiction to deny DanceSport BC's decision to assign the qualifier!

In fact, the lawyers told me that should CADA disallow the couple the right to compete, they could face a lawsuit for the lost future income that these DanceSport athletes would potentially earn should they actually win the Youth Championship. They've only asked for the right to dance, and how they place is decided by professionals. But should they do well, it would mean a lot for their future as professionals themselves. To be able to claim a title like that on a resume can have a dramatic impact on earnings potential. CADA is obligated to allow them to try. Denying that opportunity, under conditions which are suspect, could make the CADA board legally responsible under a charge of negligence.

During these discussions, some additional things became apparent. Canada's current Junior champions are entering the Youth category for the first time this year. They're from Ontario, and it was pointed out to me that the president of CADA is married to the president of the Ontario region, raising questions of fairness. As one lawyer explained to me, CADA board members have a fiduciary responsibility to represent the best interests of the country, and can be criminally charged if they allow their regional affiliation to have any basis in their decision.

As I said, curiouser and curiouser.

Let me make one thing clear: I'm not for a moment saying that anyone has done anything with the wrong motives. These are simply questions, most of them raised by people outside the dance community. But in all positions of trust, in which governing positions have been filled with elected representatives, there is an expectation to act, at all times, in a way that demonstrates the highest possible principles of integrity. If people are asking questions like these, and the answers are not immediately clear to everyone, then there is reason for concern. This is part of the mantle of responsibility one takes on when they run for a position of that nature.

One lawyer was quite incredulous when he asked me about the qualifier process and I explained that it doesn't matter how you place, just that you compete. He said, "So you mean that I could have joined DanceSport BC with my little bit of Swing experience, entered the SnowBall Classic as a champ Latin dancer, done a little bit of clumsy Swing for all five of those dances, and qualified? And these talented young athletes, already ranked so high in the country, are being told they can't? That doesn't make any sense!"

It does sound mad, doesn't it?

"But I don't want to go among mad people," Alice remarked.
"Oh, you can't help that," said the Cat: "we're all mad here. I'm mad. You're mad."
"How do you know I'm mad?" said Alice.
"You must be," said the Cat, "or you wouldn't have come here."]]> Politics http://dsblog.dancesportmusic.com/index.php?itemid=133 Fri, 26 Mar 2010 09:56:53 -0700 Taking your VO2 to the max http://dsblog.dancesportmusic.com/index.php?itemid=132 In the athletic world, you constantly hear a term known as VO2max. But DanceSport athletes rarely talk about this, and many don't even know what it means. Let me enlighten you.

Simply put, VO2max refers to your body's ability to consume oxygen. It's a measurement of the Maximum (max) Velocity (V) at which your body can take in Oxygen (O2) during strenuous exercise. For the average non-athlete between 30 to 79 years old, VO2 max ranges from 28 to 48 ml/min/kg for men and 20 to 38 ml/min/kg for women. The range relates to age and fitness level. As you get older, the numbers drop. Full-out dancing at the championship level can require up to 25 ml/min/kg of oxygen. For an unfit male with a VO2 max of 28, this can represent 95% of maximum capacity! See more detailed info here.

Elite athletes are fanatical about measuring and optimizing VO2max, because they know that it's a key part of competitive excellence. If you still have room to breathe harder and take in more oxygen, while your opponents are maxed out and hyperventilating, you'll win the race. Cycling legend Lance Armstrong famously slept in an oxygen deprivation tent to prepare his lungs for the reduced oxygen levels of the high alps, so that he would be more prepared for the Tour de France than his opponents.

DanceSport is a rigorous, high-energy activity. Over several rounds of five dances each, athletes need all the oxygen they can take in. Those with better VO2max capability will still look and feel fresh at the end of their rounds, as opposed to those who are dying from the exertion.

As Canadian DanceSport competitors prepare to compete in the Canadian Closed Championships in the higher altitude of Calgary, Alberta, they should think about how to increase VO2max. Technically, there is an 8-11% decrease in VO2 max per 1000m in elevation change above 1600m. Although Calgary sits at just 1000 meters altitude, athletes still feel the impact of the higher elevation. The decrease might be just 5%, but if your VO2max drops from, say, 40 to 35%, you'll be going from 60% of your capacity to 70% of capacity, and that could leave you exhausted and out of breath, making the next round that much harder to complete with any measure of quality.

As we begin to move into the spring season, think about activities you can do to increase your VO2max. These can include cycling, running, trail running and the Grouse Grind.

]]> Training http://dsblog.dancesportmusic.com/index.php?itemid=132 Wed, 24 Mar 2010 18:14:11 -0700 When rules violate the rules http://dsblog.dancesportmusic.com/index.php?itemid=131 For years now, DanceSport competitors have debated whether or not the IDSF and its member associations should be allowed to decide where athletes can dance. As I've mentioned in previous posts, the IDSF and its assigns has every right, as a private organization, to set whatever rules it feels are necessary. Indeed, rules are vital to maintain order and give meaning to such things as championship titles. After all, what competitor would be happy to earn the title of "national champion" if there were a dozen people with the same title to their names at the same time?

In Canada, the IDSF member association representing amateur DanceSport is the Canadian Amateur DanceSport Association, or CADA. It's a well managed association. Like the IDSF, it uses rules to ensure order within the sport. I used to sit on the CADA board, so I know firsthand that there are many issues which come up, and the board uses those rules to guide their decisions. While the rules need to be clear, they must fall within the greater, overriding laws of the nation.

There are at least two CADA rules which, in their current form, do not appear to meet the Charter of Rights test. What does that mean? Simply put, a private organization can set any rule it likes unless such rules violate more important rules such as provincial or federal laws, or violate the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

For illustration purposes, suppose that an association created a rule saying you can't be a member if you're of a certain nationality. Such a rule would violate the Charter's "freedom of race" clause. You can't be discriminated against on the grounds of race. The same applies to other obvious examples such as gender or sexual orientation. Any rule which takes away rights based on conditions guaranteed in the Charter would be invalid.

I became interested in all of this because of an unusual situation in which a young couple is unable to compete in the Canadian Closed Championships. I spoke with CADA president Sandy Brittain to better understand what was behind all the furor. The bottom line is that the young gentleman moved from Quebec to BC and partnered with the young lady too late to take part in BC's official regional qualifier. CADA has every right to set qualifier rules, although it's unfortunate that the lives of two young people are being ripped apart. Other couples have been denied alternate qualifiers as well. CADA has a "bypass" rule it could use to allow a couple to compete anyway, but using it would put these other couples in the position of having been denied while one couple is permitted.

As I learned more about the circumstances of this couple, I was told by others that the CADA rules actually break under the "Charter test." I wanted to know if this was true.

A few days ago I had the chance to talk with one of the lawyers who represented the women's ski jumping group in its recent battle against the International Olympic Committee. The Olympic Committee didn't have a slot for women's ski jumping because there was not enough worldwide development of the sport. The fight was about trying to prove that in denying the event the IOC was violating gender equality. In the end, the courts felt that the rules themselves were not the problem because they weren't worded in any way that defied the charter. If, on the other hand, a specific rule limited the right to compete based on gender, that would have been an open and shut case.

In the case of CADA, a couple of rules do seem to break when compared against the Charter of Rights. Here are the details:

Rule 7.06 Interprovincial Partnerships


The wording in this rule governs interprovincial partnerships, and makes a lot of sense. Unfortunately, it ends with the following words: "Under no circumstances may any amateur compete in more than one Regional Closed Championship in any dancing year."

It's understandable why CADA would want to limit a couple to being champions in only one province or region at a time. But this becomes a human rights problem, because the Regional Championships (like IFB in BC or Super Am in Quebec) are held in different months. If an athlete moves from one province to another, he may have already danced the Regional Championship in his old region, but the one for the new region hasn't happened yet. This rule means he would be discriminated against purely on the grounds of changing location.

The Charter of Rights guarantees the right of mobility. Any rule which discriminates against someone on the grounds that they move from one location in Canada to another likely won't hold up under the Charter test.

The exact Charter rule which guarantees mobility rights is found in section 6. The wording for subsection A of section 6 is:

"Every citizen of Canada has the right to enter, remain in and leave Canada. Every citizen of Canada and every person who has the status of a permanent resident of Canada has the right to move to and take up residence in any province." The Charter goes on to declare that "The rights specified... are subject to any laws or practices of general application in force in a province other than those that discriminate among persons primarily on the basis of province of present or previous residence." This means that any laws or rules put in place anywhere in the country which discriminate on the basis of province of residence (or a change thereof) have no power under the laws of Canada.

I don't propose to tell CADA how to solve this problem, but in its current form it appears that the rule does violate the Charter.

Rule 7.09 CCC Qualifiers


The rule is worded as follows: "No couple may participate in any Canadian Closed Amateur DanceSport Championship in a calendar year unless they also competed as a couple in the Amateur DanceSport Competition in the same category designated by their Regional Association as their Official Qualifying Competition with that Qualifying Competition being held within 6 months prior to the Canadian Closed Championship." The rule goes on to allow the CADA board to waive this limit in special circumstances.

Again, this rule fails the Charter of Rights test, for the same reasons. The qualifiers are held in each region at different times. For example, if competitors move from one province before that region holds its qualifier, into one that has already held theirs, the athletes are discriminated against simply on the basis of changing location.

Ontario held its 2010 Official Qualifying Competition in March, while Quebec held its event in January. Someone moving from Ontario to Quebec in the month of February would have missed both qualifiers. This makes the rule discriminatory.

It would appear that CADA needs to spend time at the upcoming AGM reviewing these rules and finding a way to ensure that the desired outcomes can be written in ways that don't violate the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. I'm not sure what they can do about the athletes currently affected by this problem, but I hope they are working on a solution.]]> Politics http://dsblog.dancesportmusic.com/index.php?itemid=131 Tue, 9 Mar 2010 17:59:40 -0700 More inspiration from Slovenia http://dsblog.dancesportmusic.com/index.php?itemid=130 Petra Majdic
Petra MajdicOver the years, I've been inspired by a number of DanceSport athletes hailing from Slovenia. Nestled against the Alps and bordered by Italy, Croatia, Hungary and Austria, this tiny country has a population of only 2 million people. Yet Slovenia has produced more than its share of astounding dancers.

Andrej Skufca and Ekaterina Venturini. Matej Krajcer and Iwona Gersak. Jurij Batagelj and Jagoda Strukelj. Misa Cigoy. And what Vancouver-area dancer isn't a fan of Miha Vodicar and Nadiya Bychkova?

During the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver last week, the entire world was inspired by another Slovenian athlete. Her heroic story gives some insight to the grit and determination of that country's amazing people.

Petra Majdic is a cross-country skier. During a warm-up, her skis caught a patch of ice. She fell three meters (about 10 feet) into a gully. It was a hard fall that broke both her ski poles and a ski, and she found herself in great pain. She took painkillers, but was determined to keep racing, getting through the opening round, quarter-finals and semis. Her pain was so great that her coach told her to stop, but she wouldn't listen. She was thinking of all the people who worked to get her to the Olympics and refused to let them down.

What she didn't know at the time was that she had four broken ribs and a punctured lung.

Now, I used to do some cross-country skiing and I know how incredibly athletic it is. Think of a marathon run where you must use your arms to help push yourself along. The hard striding and poling puts greater cardiovascular demands on cross-country skiers than almost any other athlete. And the need to push with the ski poles creates constant pressure on the ribs.

I can't even imagine how Majdic’s lungs were able to function through her agony during a race. But race she did! In the final stretch, she summoned up inner reserves to put on a burst of speed in an attempt to win, managing a bronze-medal finish. It was the first Olympic cross-country ski medal ever for Slovenia.

Majdic showed up at the medals award ceremony in a wheelchair before being taken to hospital in Vancouver. She said on Saturday that she can still hear her broken ribs clicking when she breathes. The Vancouver Olympic Committee recognized her actions as a true symbol of the spirit of the games by making her a co-recipient of the Terry Fox Award, along with Canadian figure skater Joannie Rochette.

"Today, this is not a bronze," Majdic said. "This is like a gold medal, with little diamonds in it."

Slovenia, here's to you. May your country continue to produce inspirational athletes of that caliber.]]> General http://dsblog.dancesportmusic.com/index.php?itemid=130 Mon, 1 Mar 2010 12:07:40 -0700 Drink your way to the podium http://dsblog.dancesportmusic.com/index.php?itemid=129 Again and again I see DanceSport athletes, in long, high-energy competitor practice sessions, come and go with merely a few sips of water the entire time. Sports nutritionists tell us that hydration is a key part of athletic performance. Aside from daily intake of liquids needed to support normal everyday activity, it has been estimated that athletes lose between 300 and 2,400 milliliters (1.5 to 10 cups) of fluids (depending on intensity level) during every hour of physical exertion. This is mainly in the form of sweat, but also includes fluids lost through breathing. Every pound of weight lost during a training session is equivalent to 20 cups of liquid.

Kelly Anne Erdman, M.S., R.D., and 1992 Canadian Cycling Olympian (now a nutritionist in Calgary), recommends that athletes consume 10-15 milliliters of fluid for every kilo of your bodyweight for every hour of activity. As well, she says it's important to listen to your body for signs of dehydration that will limit your performance.

Water is the ideal beverage for short training sessions, or even during competition where your exertion takes place only for 10 minutes at a time. But for long training sessions lasting 90 minutes or more, it's not enough to drink water. One of the most important aspects of liquid intake is replacing sodium lost through sweat. Salt contains sodium, so people often mistake sodium for salt, but they are not the same thing. There is no sodium in plain water, but you can use energy drinks formulated especially for athletes to replace sodium and electrolytes lost through training. Plain water will actually reduce your body's drive to drink more beverages which are vital to your workout! Beverages like Gatorade contain sodium and minerals like potassium to replace electrolytes.

Sodium helps draw water across the lining of your intestines and into your blood stream, providing essential hydration as you exert yourself in sports activities. If your blood sodium levels are low, your fluid absorption rates will decrease, prolonging the effects of dehydration and making it harder for your body to rehydrate. In other words, even if you drink plenty of water, plain water will not replace your sodium levels and you'll find it harder to stay hydrated. Athlete blood tests are used in some sports to determine sodium levels before, during and after intense exercise.

Different athletes have different rates of sweat loss. Some sweat a great deal during a practice, while others don't. More importantly, different people have different levels of "saltiness" to their sweat, reflecting sodium loss. The more you sweat, and especially if your perspiration is salty, the more important it is to replace your sodium levels during and after a practice session. Because it's impractical for endurance athletes (for example, a marathon runner or cyclist pushing their body for hours at a time) to drink enough fluids to replace energy lost in lengthy workouts, they will often ingest salty foods before a race, or take sodium tablets, to supplement the sodium loss that will take place during the event. They will also make sure they take in salty foods at the end of the race to further replace sodium lost.

DanceSport athletes usually don't need to worry about sodium loss too much, but in long training environments or competition situations where you need to perform multiple rounds over several hours, you will need to consider your sodium levels.]]> Training http://dsblog.dancesportmusic.com/index.php?itemid=129 Thu, 18 Feb 2010 14:41:44 -0700 Eat your way to the podium http://dsblog.dancesportmusic.com/index.php?itemid=128 Many dancers competing at the championship level, not to mention those who are still working their way there, really have no idea how important nutrition is to their success as an athlete. This article will help to shed light on some of the issues.

As body fat levels decline, a greater percentage of the body "mass" or weight is made up of muscle. This generally increases metabolism, or the body's efficiency at converting food to energy. The formula gets complicated as you get older because of other issues, but muscle always increases BMR (Base Metabolic Rate). Athletes, therefore, need additional calories from all sources.

But there's a common misunderstanding that because athletes burn so many calories, they can eat anything they like. This simply isn't true. In fact, the more highly tuned you are as an athlete, the more sensitive your body becomes to the things that don't help your performance. Foods that impede the efficiency of the body's muscle burning "engine" become a burden. Now, the impact of fried chicken (yes, Peter this means you) or too much chocolate (my weakness) have greater negative effects. Once in a while, this won't hurt. A few consecutive days of eating the wrong things will leave you sluggish and lacking energy, with slower recovery after a hard practice session.The more you train, the more important nutrition becomes.

Your weekly training hours and intensity of training, as well as your goals for body composition will impact your dietary needs. Some nutritionists categorize weekly training volume to determine dietary energy requirements. For example, Kelly Anne Erdman, MS, RD and 1992 Cycling Olympian who is now a consulting dietician for the Canadian Sport Centre in Calgary, divides her clients into three categories: less than six hours per week, 6-12 hours per week, and more than 12 hours. These represent the hours they spend weekly in high-energy training. Even a triathlete can be in the middle category during the off season, and will move into the highest training category when preparing for events.

If you have specific goals like reducing body fat to make that six pack show, or increasing flexibility, or recovering from an injury, these goals might affect what you should eat. You may be wise to see a nutritionist to help plan your eating patterns. Other issues like reaction to milk, bread or cheese may need to be considered as you plan your normal eating habits. A Naturopathic doctor or sports nutritionist can conduct a complex test to discover allergies you may not be aware of to further optimize your body for performance.

Supplements like protein shakes may be a good idea. I like to consume a protein shake after each gym workout. It's generally recommended to take in liquids high in protein within two hours of any high-intensity muscle workout, to help provide essential proteins to repair muscular cell damage. Chocolate milk is also very effective. But don't buy into the myth that your entire diet needs to be high in protein. There's a limit to how much protein the body can use, regardless of how hard you train. In fact, the latest research shows that carbohydrates (complex carbs, not simple carbs found in sugar) have as much if not more influence on muscle recovery. The older you get, it seems, the more important carbohydrates become.

It also helps to track your dietary intake. You might feel this is too complicated, but think about it. Eating without tracking your caloric intake is like writing checks without knowing how much money is in your bank account.

Lose It app
Lose It! iPhone app
To track my nutritional intake, I use a free app for my iPhone called "Lose It!" This app has a beautiful interface that lets you create your own food items, put items together to create a "recipe" for easier entry of some things, and it tracks your weight on a graph. It shows you how many calories you've taken in during the day, and how many are left in your daily "budget." You can also see a breakdown of fat, carbohydrates and protein. It's easy to add exercises (even dancing is included in the list) but I've found that it's better to undervalue the caloric burn of activities as it leads to more accurate results.

The program shows you your weekly tally, because you can choose to go crazy from time to time if you've been consistent in following your recommended nutritional plan. As an athlete, it's healthy to let yourself enjoy the things you normally deny yourself, as long as it happens only occasionally. When we win a major competition, Wendy and I treat ourselves to a big steak dinner at the Keg or somewhere comparable to celebrate and let our hair down on the rigid nutritional discipline we live by most days.

Besides the normal dietary patterns, you need to think about what you eat on the day of competition. Performances, whether Standard or Latin, are not only high intensity, but also stressful in other ways because of the mental energy involved. This affects the body in ways that normally wouldn't be an issue. You need to be "on" in every sense of the word, so you must plan your competition-day eating to maximize your energy levels.

In a recent interview, world No. 4 Standard champions Simone Segatori and Annette Sudol mentioned that on competition days they eat breakfast, but then minimize what they eat for the rest of the day. This is vital!

Wendy and I learned this the hard way. Once, with several hours to kill between afternoon rounds and finals at the end of the evening, we went out for a nice restaurant meal, thinking it would be long burned off and digested by the time we had to perform. It was a big mistake. Even hours later, we found it very hard to dance at our usual energy level, feeling heavy and sluggish. Since then, we've become very scientific in our dietary plan for competition days. We eat an appropriate balanced breakfast, with Clif bars and Power bars the rest of the day until after the competition is over.

As a competitive dancer, you're an athlete in every sense of the word. Think like an athlete, plan your eating like an athlete, and train like an athlete. It's how the world's top dancers end up on the podium!]]> Training http://dsblog.dancesportmusic.com/index.php?itemid=128 Mon, 8 Feb 2010 11:30:00 -0700 The athlete factor http://dsblog.dancesportmusic.com/index.php?itemid=127 BC DanceSport professionals Joel & Clara Marasigan recently interviewed Simone Segatori & Annette Sudol, who are currently ranked 4th in the world in IDSF Standard. The interview shed some light on the differences between European and Canadian attitudes on practice and preparation in DanceSport. Read the whole thing (both parts). It's an eye-opening look at the criteria of top champions.

We've known for some time that Europeans train with a greater intensity than do most North American DanceSport competitors, particularly when compared to those on the west coast. This is something discussed often when dancers get together. But it's doubtful that many competitors understand just how significant the difference is. Simone described in the interview that their training involves complex athletic testing that we in Canada normally associate only with the most elite athletes. "They do some tests, take some blood, measure the amount of oxygen we are using… They are checking everything," he said. Annette explained further that "We want to be ahead of other competitors, to have done everything for our dancing… everything from the dress to physical conditioning." And you might be surprised that they pay for this themselves!In an interview with a top Canadian coach and adjudicator who is originally from Germany, I was told that already decades ago, Germany treated DanceSport with all the seriousness of mainstream sports. Dance competition results are televised on German sports channels and covered in the sports section of newspapers. She explained that this was never about whether DanceSport belongs in the Olympics, but just that the athleticism involved is recognized for what it is. "You have to be extremely fit to be a world-class dancer," she said. "Taking this seriously can mean the difference between making the final or being left behind in an earlier round."

In North America, I constantly witness DanceSport treated poorly by those in the sports world. From PE teachers in high school to television producers and editors of the Sports section of newspapers, there is a foundational misunderstanding of this activity. While trying to get publicity for the 2010 SnowBall Classic, I ran into this dismissive attitude from all kinds of media people.

During the 2000 Sydney Olympic broadcast of a DanceSport demonstration in the closing ceremonies, sports broadcaster Bob Costas made snide remarks that enraged thousands of dancers.

Not long ago, I read a snotty editorial about DanceSport in VeloNews, the magazine of competitive cycling, which led to an exchange of letters to the editor, including a follow-up letter by a reader who also dismissed the athleticism involved. These attitudes can only be changed when we as athletes begin to take training more seriously!

In January, seven-time winner of the Tour de France Lance Armstrong underwent some fascinating new research on body core temperature. He acted as the guinea pig for tests that were videotaped and shared through Twitter updates. For these tests, he swallowed a special pill containing a wireless temperature transmitter that broadcast his core temperature, with an entire entourage of medical staffers studying the results minute by minute. We might associate this kind of extreme testing with only the world's greatest athlete, but why is that? If we do so, are we not dismissing our own sport as being unimportant?

The 2010 Winter Olympic Games are just a couple weeks away, and publications are filled with information about the kind of commitment given to the training and testing of these world-class athletes. Many of these techniques apply equally well to DanceSport competitors. Completing several rounds of championship dancing in competition is equivalent to running the 800 meter sprint competitively 10-30 times in a single day!

So what kind of tests are Simone and Annette talking about?

Some are tests of blood-borne markers to optimize stamina and training methods. Yes, these involve additional costs and an associated support team such as coaches who understand what to do with the information, but Simone and Annette point out that they pay for this out of their own pocket, even in Germany. Simpler tests, such as measuring VO2 Max and heart rate, can be conducted quite inexpensively. Others involve blood analysis.

Blood borne markers


An article by Steve Norris, Ph.D., published in Impact magazine, points out some of the vital information that can be gleaned from a simple athletic blood test. A few of the blood-borne marker tests used in sports include the following:
  • Glutamine/Glutamate Ratio. Glutamine is the most common free amino acid in the blood, but under high athletic stress loads, the demand exceeds the body's ability to make it. The ratio can be used as an indicator of the body's tolerance to training, and can be applied to designing a training program that suits the athlete's unique needs.

  • Norepinephrine. This stress hormone affects attention and the body's response, such as heart rate and the release of glucose from energy stores. Low levels can tell an experienced coach a great deal about an athlete's training program.

  • Testosterone. This hormone has many anabolic effects. Low levels can reduce athletic performance.

  • Iron. This is vital for an athlete because it affects how oxygen is transported from the lungs to muscle cells through the blood stream. Some athletes, particularly vegetarians, may not get enough iron in their diet. Intense training, through sweat and cell damage, can lead to a reduction of iron, which causes fatigue, injury and other negative factors.

  • Serum Ferritin. This protein helps store iron in the body, and can show whether body iron is declining.

  • Salivary Immunoglobulin-A. Present in saliva and measured through a simple saliva swab, this immunoglobulin can be depleted by intense exercise. It helps protect the lungs from infection.

  • Serum Albumin. This common blood plasma protein regulates blood volume. It can increase to unhealthy levels as a result of dehydration.

In summary, there are many things DanceSport competitors can do to treat their bodies more seriously. If you expect to perform at the highest levels, you need to think and train like an athlete. If we expect the public and the media to take competitive ballroom dancing more seriously as a sport, we need to set the tone by thinking that way ourselves, as Simone & Annette do.]]> Training http://dsblog.dancesportmusic.com/index.php?itemid=127 Mon, 1 Feb 2010 14:26:35 -0700 The impact of the audience http://dsblog.dancesportmusic.com/index.php?itemid=126 I recall, as a stage actor in my younger days, observing how the audience could have a big influence on the effectiveness of a play. When you had a responsive audience, especially for comedies, everyone in the troupe would be infused with extra energy and confidence. It would bring out the best in each person on stage, leading to a more vibrant performance. This, in turn, led to a better experience for the audience as the effect would come full circle.

This past weekend we enjoyed the SnowBall Classic DanceSport competition in Vancouver, Canada. As in previous years, the audience was amazing. Repeatedly, competitors would comment on how supportive the audience was. One visiting professional (not an adjudicator at the event), mentioned how she was surprised by the way the audience didn't favor only local couples or people they knew, but supported those whom they felt were the best on the floor, even if competing against favorites. This is unheard of in most parts of the world!

Others remarked how they noticed that many audience members didn't seem to know anything about ballroom dancing, commenting on dancers they liked based on qualities like costume, or smile, or other things, and loudly supporting them on those issues. Since it is very rare for audiences at dance competitions to be non-dancers, this stood out as being remarkable.

All of this makes for a vibrant audience, and it helps set SnowBall apart from other competitions. There's nothing like having a healthy roar from the crowd when dancing all out. It gives competitors more energy and makes them feel as if they are part of something special. Our Vancouver audience has a reputation for doing this exceptionally well. Even Dance Beat World magazine commented on the amazing impact of the SnowBall audience!

Three years ago, I was talking to an amateur competitor from Germany competing in SnowBall for his first time. He was so enthusiastic about being here, his energy was infectious! When I asked him about it, he said it had been a dream of his for years to dance at SnowBall Classic. I asked him why and he responded that SnowBall has a reputation throughout Europe as being one of the world's great competitions, driven in large part by the quality of the audience.

I have heard from international competitors that in most parts of the world, audiences are surprisingly quiet. In England they clap politely. In Germany and Russia, they might be vocal, but only for those couples from their "club," never showing support for those who might prove competition for their favorites. There is a kind of partisan nature in most DanceSport audiences, sometimes to the extent that the audience will even try to feed negative energy to couples they don't support. This doesn't happen in Vancouver.

In 2008, another German athlete commented in the hallway between rounds that she could not believe the audience support for someone from outside the country, especially as a competitive couple the audience had never seen before. Well, this couple danced head and shoulders above the other Senior 1 Standard competitors. The audience loved them, enthusiastically shouting out their number through all their events. They won the event, and during an after-competition dinner they told us how the effect of the audience support was a great encouragement during the competition and made their time in Vancouver extra special. The effect was so powerful, they came back the following year, this time bringing some dance friends along as well.

During the 2003 SnowBall Classic, which was televised, Franco Formica mentioned in an interview that the audience support was incredible, creating extra energy and giving SnowBall a special feeling.

An exit survey in 2005 gave some insight to this unique quality of the SnowBall Classic. It turns out that most of the audience who come to SnowBall don't even dance. They see the event as an exciting, glamorous night on the town. They can dress up like they would for the VSO, but instead of quietly sitting and watching a performance, they can be part of an energetic, noisy, enthusiastic audience, as they watch a highly athletic competition between international champions at the highest level of the sport. It doesn't get any better than this!

The SnowBall committee, working under the authority of DanceSport BC, has worked hard over some two decades to build this very special, world-renowned audience. For the past few years, the event has either sold out completely or come very close, another amazing achievement and a testament to the ground work that was done over the years. This audience is so passionate about being part of SnowBall that they make a point of returning year after year!

I'm not sure exactly what elements of SnowBall marketing led to this aspect of the audience design, but this audience truly is the envy of the DanceSport world. It's even more amazing when you consider that the committee is made up entirely of volunteers who have dedicated themselves to putting on a great competition. Maybe that alone is the magic behind the Vancouver audience. In any case, congratulations to everyone who has, over the years, helped shape it.]]> Competitions http://dsblog.dancesportmusic.com/index.php?itemid=126 Thu, 28 Jan 2010 13:16:34 -0700