Despite a fantastic afternoon of performances from LUDanS in street, contemporary, tap, ballet and jazz, the Lancaster team narrowly missed out on taking the 4 points home in this year’s very closely fought Roses dance competition. However, after doing very well throughout the year in national competitions, the team were pleased with their performances and even took home the prize for best choreography for their contemporary routine.
In the first of the five categories York’s street dance routine had a boxing theme. The routine was very fast paced with some interesting movement and the group made good use of the space around them. It was a very powerful and dynamic performance full of attitude. However, it was Lancaster’s Hunger Games themed performance that stole the show and was clear winner. The music for the routine incorporated quotes from the films and the group acted out scenes whilst dressed in hoodies with the Mockingjay symbol. Their routine was more in sync than the York side’s and they showed fantastic technique with some very fast sequences including intricate arm movements and lifts. Overall the routine had a much stronger reaction from the crowd and Lancaster rightly won this category with 134 points to York’s 115.
In the contemporary category, York’s routine addressed the theme of bullying, with their squad dressed as school pupils and teachers. The routine kept in time and told a sad but interesting story through some lovely shapes and formations. However, Lancaster’s routine was very different and tackled the issue of mental health in a powerful way. The choreography was very strong and despite having a smaller group than York’s, their routine was a much more emotional and dynamic performance that wowed the audience. Lancaster won this category with a strong 142 points against York’s 114 and LUDanS took home the prize for best choreography in this routine.
The two tap routines were perhaps the most different in style. York’s routine had a tribal theme and involved wooden sticks which helped to create a more powerful performance. The group were very in sync, especially in the stick choreography and the routine went down very well with the crowd. Differently, Lancaster’s tap dance was performed to Cheryl’s Crazy Stupid Love and although it didn’t have as strong a theme, the team remained in time and created some interesting formations and moves which worked very well with the music. However, York won this section with 137 points and Lancaster narrowly missed out with 120 points.
York’s ballet performance involved a large group, which seemed slightly overwhelming in the small space. However, it was a lovely performance with some great lifts and movement around the stage, as well as some interesting storytelling through the interaction between the only male dancer and the other female dancers. Again, Lancaster’s performance was very different. They added a Spanish twist to their routine which involved Spanish style dress and fans and showed great technique. The Spanish theme went down well with the audience but this was another very close section and while York’s performance seemed to have just a little bit too much going on, they won with 133 points, with Lancaster missing out by just 10 points.
The last category was jazz. This was probably the most exciting of all York’s dances and the one with the biggest reaction from the crowd. The team was split into two and presented a group of ‘good guys’ and ‘bad guys’ who wore masks. It was a very dynamic performance which involved lots of lifts and a told an exciting story. However, the large group again made it feel overwhelming and slightly messy. In comparison, Lancaster’s jazz was very powerful. The smaller group’s routine involved some excellent choreography and fantastic sections of floor work. The reaction Lancaster’s jazz team received dominated York’s, which was why York’s victory in this category was quite a surprise. They won by 148 to 121 points.
By winning 3 of the categories compared to Lancaster’s 2, the York team just secured a win. Speaking to SCAN after their performances, LUDanS President Chloe Dearden said she thought the team did “absolutely fabulous.” She said: “obviously we didn’t win but to get 3-2 is absolutely amazing so we did win in two categories and we’ve just got best choreography as well, overall I’m very impressed with the results!”
