A most entertaining affair. The costumes, the lights, the stage effects, the dancing, choreography and presentation looked swell on video. Good to see how well-prepared each entrant appeared on stage. For those who think dressing up for the occasion is a drag, or that schlepping props is a schlepp, be assured, it makes a world of difference on video, and remember, although your act lasts, at the most, 2 and a 1/2 minutes, the video is there for many years to enjoy.

Before I launch into the dancing side, there were a few persistent niggles which must be cleared. The main one being Pierre's music. It has become an embarrassment and despite the fact that this topic has been discussed umpteen times before, it's getting worse - everybody's talking about it. Now here's the secret... any pupils out there listening? Good, because the other way doesn't work.

The first step to take is, be sure you know what you want to dance as an exhibition weeks prior to the exhibition month. Then select your music (it's your choice) before or by the first week of the demo month, anything after that is courting chaos. No matter how much you like a tune, if it sounds dull and bassy, get rid of it, find something else. Don't settle for anything less than clear digital CD sound, and bear in mind, not every CD you buy is digital. For instance, an Elvis Presley CD is not digital, they merely copied his music (old sound) onto a CD, which doesn't improve the quality. No matter what the experts say, your ears, unless clogged with wax, are the best judge of sound - clarity, pure quality, a ring-sing sound is what you listen for.

Your music must do 3 things; excite you, attract the audience and allure the judges, not make them think "what's wrong?". Badly recorded music is a distinct distraction and when it fades in and out and cluck, clonk, CLACKS in-between or at the end, then that's humiliating, an insult to those you are supposed to impress. Your music is the KEY to your display. Every element of your exhibition revolves around the beat of your music, the lyrics of your music, the mood of your music. Your movements, your style, feeling & expression, what you wear, how you choreograph & arrange your steps, what props you use, your total portrayal is expressed through the music. There's no point in you looking into his eyes and saying, "darling, for you I killa da cat, climb the highest mountain, walk on water, through hot coals" and we can't hear the words.

A few demos were spoilt by beginners attempting advanced variations that were far too complicated for their present standard or capability. Keeping it simple makes dancing exhibitions fun and exciting. Play it safe, stick to the Bronze steps when working at Bronze level. Rather feel sure and confident about what you are doing - dance within your compass. By keeping your demo simple you have more time to spend on styling and neatness. Use the same exam routine of your favourite dance which qualified you for the exhibition, because you already know the routine and the patterns. Here's the basic format that has produced many exhibition winners "how to prepare for exhibitions" check it out.

Last niggle... %#@?><!*&¥£ and I mean it. Too many video tapes were not stopped at the end of the previous exhibition and yours truly wasted his valuable time fast forwarding, rewinding, fast forwarding, rewinding searching for the right spot. Next time, one of two things will happen, return tape unrecorded, or assume tape is at the right spot and begin recording. I thank you for listening.

The exhibitions that created a special atmosphere on video, were:
 

Lizinda Vlooh	Brenton Watt	Paso Doble
Angelique de Almeida Matos	Pierre van Niekerk	Bolero
Elsa Lakic	Jay-Jay	Slow Foxtrot
Brenda Carstens	Jay-Jay	Waltz
Qumè Bezuidenhout	Jay-Jay	Samba
Bianca Slabbert	Pierre van Niekerk	A. Tango
Lize Cronjé	Brenton Watt	Tango
Daleen Spies	Brenton Watt	Jive
Liana Grobler	Jay-Jay	Swing
Dion Meiring/Gayle Etsebeth	Brenton Watt	Samba
Pat Redelinghuys	Jay-Jay	Tango
Johan Dippenaar/Angelique de Almeida Matos	Michelle Loots	Cha-Cha
Jan/Rienie Heath	Jay-Jay	Softshoe
Ronel Grobler	Jay-Jay	Softshoe

The demos that scored a video 999% from me for error-free execution, style, confidence, characterisation and musicality, are:

Lizinda Vlooh's Paso Doble with Brenton Watt. This one earned the V crown of the day. Most impressive was the sheer simplicity of their choreography and pure accuracy with which they carried out their every move. Lizinda brandished her authentic spanish dress with a fiery flourish - most effective. Their lines, "Matador-Cape" expressions and interpretations depicted this bullfight dance to a T.  I enjoyed their Paso Music. The exit, a wee wonky. Qualifies for the 2001 Top20 contest.

Angelique De Almeida Matos' Bolero with Pierre van Niekerk gets an Oscar nomination for panache, armstyle, lines, great musical interpretation, show of confidence and stage presentation. This was Angeligue's best video performance todate, and she has produced some stunners in the past. Qualifies for the 2001 Top20 contest.

On video, Qumè Bezuidenhout's Samba performance should have won the Female Scholar section or at least shared it with Bianca Slabbert who won. Qumè bubbled from entrance to exit, with effervescent fizz, used her arms stylishly, swaying her hips rhythmically and looked confident personified - pumped up the jam all the way.  Her best V performance on record.

Elsa Lakic's Slow Foxtrot purred smoothly and sedately across the stage. An immaculate display of neat Heel Turns, sound Telemarks, powerful Reverse Waves, controlled Feather Finishes, long-lined Contra Checks and a swooping exit - deserved much more than a 3rd place, but maybe her white soft Waltz dress might have brought out the blossoms.

Bianca Slabbert's Argentine Tango with Pierre van Niekerk won the Female Scholar section, which also invites her to compete in the 2001 Top20 exhibition contest. Although Bianca projected the silky, sultry image this dance needs, which suits her style nicely, her slight bounce, a jerky action and their  uncertainty of one or two moves distracted me somewhat.

Brenda Carstens' Waltz glittered with good advance technique, i.e. neat, tight Heel Turns, sharp lounge-lines, fancy Fallaways, powerful Pivots, stylish Rotations and she executed the patterns with tremendous confidence from start to finish - a polished all-round performance.

Johan Dippenaar & Angelique de Almeida Matos' (trainer Michelle Loots) Cha-Cha proved one important point, it's better to dance the basic patterns, styles and actions well, than look unsure churning through an intricate, complicated routine. J & A won the "Couple" section by executing the basics with dynamic force. They characterised the Cha-Cha superbly with natural rhythm, passion and exuded tremendous confident. Qualifies for the 2001 Top20 contest.

Daleen Spies & Brenton Watt jitterbugged their Jive with sprite and youthful spring - very interesting choreography and a moost entertaining performance. Their moves were crisp, spins fast and they swivelled with a la everything. But the cherry came when D sat on B's knee and he did a lateral shift to the east with her. I want to borrow that one.

Pat Redelinghuys' Tango produced a tango quality not seen in most on the day - Level Progression. Her demo exemplified all the advanced dramatic styles; arrogant posture, sharp head movements, clinical lines, stylish fans, snappy head movements and a flawless, harmonious display of all the Advanced Tango variation required of this standard. What an exit... 3 kick-pivots followed by a devastating lunge, spot on with the music. Pat's performance won the "Golden Greats" award which qualifies for the 2001 Top20 contest.

The demos that almost scored a video 999%:

Liana Grobler's East coast Swing oozed with atmosphere, animation, excellent style and many wholesome swivel actions. Her drag and slide looked sharp until, for some spooky reason, she almost went sliding off the stage, then recovered miraculously without losing a beat, but it cost her a few points.

Dion Meiring & Gayle Etsebeth (trainer Brenton Watt). Great Freestyle choreography, Samba-ed in WOW & wicked outfits - looked stunning. Their demo won two awards; "Most Entertaining" and "Best Acting" and earned 6th place for the Most Appropriate Outfit. This could easily have won the "Couple" section, had they not lost their rhythm at times, and Gayle has the yuggie habit of looking very unsure even when she's doing it perfectly. At times I though their demo appeared a little over-complicated, causing them to lose rhythm and unity of movement, the judges must have felt the same. Spectacular ending, and did you see their Brazilian Roll.

Julie Van Zyl's Tango with Pierre van Niekerk had some very nifty choreography, and Tango is definitely Julie's dance.  No, give Julie any tune from the 1920's and she fits in hand-in-glove. Their classical music and their sleek interpretation thereof made this one very special. Two niggles; they bounced too much and their leaving the stage seemed a laborious task. Julie's performance won the "Golden Greats" award which qualifies it for the 2001 Top20 contest.

Carin Leita's Salsa Freestyle demo with Brenton Watt included many sexy Lambada hip sways, done with great feeling. Their outfits radiantly adorned the video, and their music and the arrangement of their steps intrigued.  Had Carin presented her actions with confidence and used her arms more effectively and consistently, hers could have topped the video chart in the Female Scholar section.

Jan & Rienie Heath's Softshoe Shuffle ensemble lit up the stage with resplendent charm. Great presentation plus slick outfits to match. She in black, he in white and both wielding a black & white striped umbrella which they co-ordinated extremely well. A glitch or two unfortunately blemished their almost perfect show.

Lize Cronjé's Tango with Brenton Watt; great leg line, neat posture and snappy movements. Lize has a lovely feel for this dance. I can visualise her doing an exquisite silky Argentine Tango. Must eliminate the  stiff-knee appearance and the slight bounce she has. GREAT ending - sharp.

Ronel Grobler's Softshoe "viva difference" evoked loud applause from the audience. Had the ending been carried out as per plan, this too would have received a video 999% for precise unisons, a great get-up, good musical interpretation and lots of self-assurance - mega entertainment

Christell Dippenaar's cheeky, chirpy Cha-Cha with Brenton Watt displayed a unique arrangement of figures and they danced these with snap and confidence. This girl has the ability to go far, and will soon be a great contender for first place in her section - tremendous floor personality and presentation.