New in 2010
In 2010 The Australian Salsa Classic is proud to inform you of the steps that have been taken to ensure the ASC 2010 is the most highly respected salsa competition in Australia and The World. Integrity, fairness & objectivity being the hallmarks of any great competition has been our vision. Feedback, experience and learning’s from previous years, have brought the ASC & Australia to new heights to move onwards and upwards. Thank You Australia, you have spoken and the Australian Salsa Classic has listened.
The ASC 2010 is actively advocating “Unity within the Australian Salsa Scene” along side the inspiring quote:
"The principle is competing against yourself. It’s about self-improvement,
about being better than you were the day before."
Steve Young
And we are proud to announce exciting new and updated elements to the ASC!!!
- Rules & Regulations
- Schools Trophy Removed
- New Venue
- The Australian Salsa Classic Advisory Committee - ASCAC & The National Advisory Board (ASCNAB) Partners
- Judges Re-education
- Public Re-education
- Result Tallying
- Immersion Courses
1. Rules, Regulations & NEW Freestyle
Extensive consultation has been undertaken with several major Salsa Schools to ensure that the Rules & Regulations and format of the event are unbiased, accepted and understood by all. Additional measures have been taken to reduce the margin for error with regard to results.
It has been noted that the previous structure of this competition allowed quite easily for a dancer who was ignorant of salsa to become Australia’s Salsa Champion. This has occurred because the criteria for judging so far has failed to place sufficient emphasis on those elements which define salsa as a separate and recognisable style of dance within its own right. It focuses on good general dance techniques NOT unique to Salsa. The previous structure and judging criteria had set out to find the best dance performance, NOT the best dancer of the genre of Salsa specifically. This was identified through an independent assessment to be applied specifically to all categories comprised of couples on their own; both professional and amateur, On1, On2, Cabaret and youth.
As Salsa dancing is about more than just performance, the ASC 2010 will see additional weighting given to the freestyle heat of the competition with the Freestyle heat being judged equally to the Performance heat (50% of overall points score for each heat) for all couples divisions, including Professionals On1, Professionals On2, Cabaret, Amateur & Youth Divisions. Couples will be competing onstage individually in the Freestyle heat as well as for the Performance heat. We want to find the best Salsa dancers, not just the best performers of choreography. To win at the ASC this year, competitors will have to demonstrate a true understanding of the music and rhythm of Salsa and interpret it in a creative way in both heats. Weightings of most Judging Criteria have also been amended. See the Rules & Regulations for full details.
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2. Schools Trophy
In the interest of Unity within the Australian Salsa Scene, the Schools Trophy has been abolished. Our aim for the ASC and indeed our theme for the event is to genuinely promote unity within the Australian Salsa scene and to celebrate and appreciate the talent that we as Australian Salsa dancers see around us every day! This talent we believe is to be celebrated regardless of what school the dancers represent. We look forward to a friendly, successful competition where all Schools come together to not only compete with each other but also to support each other and recognise the talent in all of the competitors.
The Schools Trophy has had an excellent running life and will now lay to rest. Competition will be focused on individuals competing with themselves as well as for the opportunity to represent Australia at the World Salsa Competition.
3. New Venue
ASC Finals 2010 will take place at the Petersham Town Hall located at 107 Crystal Street, Petersham, Sydney, NSW. A magnificent Art Deco Town Hall, this is one of the few that has been maintained in original condition with grand entrance foyers and an amazing wooden floor and stage that dancers will be itching to spin on! Some of the flamboyant dancing scenes from director Baz Lurhmann's 1992 film Strictly Ballroom were even filmed in its main auditorium! No stone has been left unturned with our new location, competitors and spectators alike will be able to enjoy all the creature comforts of this magnificent performance palace!
(see Venue
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4. The Australian Salsa Classic Advisory Committee - ASCAC
The Australian Salsa Classic has invited 3 of Australia’s leading industry members to represent & be the ‘voice’ of the greater Australian Salsa Community through an unbiased board of members who have no direct interest or gain from being associated or involved in the Australian Salsa Classic Competition, i.e. competition results should not benefit or adversely affect the Advisory Board member’s person or entity.
These board members bring together a range of diverse professional experience, skill, personality and age groups with the sole purpose of creating a holistic event, methodology and purpose behind the Australian Salsa Classic as well as ensuring the greater good for our Industry within our Australian Salsa Community.
Thus far the ASCAC has been prominent in supporting the ASC in creating a quality event that will be an unforgettably rewarding experience for all people involved, spectators to judges, party goers to volunteers.
The Australian Salsa Classic is Australia’s competition & representative to the World. The advisory committee will see to the exceptional experience of all involved & professional representation of our country, competitors and competition abroad.
The Australian Salsa Classic National Advisory Board (ASCNAB)
The Australian Salsa Classic 2010 is Brought To You By
The ASCAC & ASCNAB
The Australian Salsa Classic Advisory Committee (ASCAC) made up of highly respected Australian Salsa Industry Leaders
Karl Brudell, sydneysalsascene.com,
Alexis Meza, VIVA Magazine &
Natalie Reis, AusLatin Productions
The Australian Salsa Classic National Advisory Board (ASCNAB) & Partners. These partners and board members are made up of highly respected Australian Salsa Industry Leaders from each state of Australia.
Sharon Pakir, Melbourne
Joao Pereira, Northern Territory
Juan Rando, Western Australia
Rafael Sanchez, NSW
Debbie Smitts, QLD &
Ben Benedictos, ACT
This National Board, the first of it's kind in Australia, represents the future of the Salsa Industry & Competition in Australia.
These two boards have worked tirelessly to bring AUSTRALIA the Competition & Party Of The Year! These members integral contribution to the development and final approval for the Australian Salsa Classic 2010 Competition is your guarantee that Australian students, schools, businesses, party people! & most importantly competitors NOW has a voice. That voice is the Australian Salsa Classic National Advisory Board.
With objectivity, fairness & transparency being the Hallmarks of A World Standard Competition, it is with great pride that the ASCNAB, the ASCAC bring YOU a world class competition in Australia.
It's time for change...
A new era in Australian Competition has arrived...
That change is...
The Australian Salsa Classic 2010
5. Judges Re-education
Up until this point freestyle has been seen as a lesser measuring tool than choreography, but as we have seen, this is has allowed the true genre of salsa to be overlooked in favour of the art of performance. This means that judges too will have to be re-educated in detail as to how to recognize the skills that the ASC is looking for. This is important because at Nationals the judges need to be able to trust that the freestyle component has been judged adequately at state level.
In order for Judges to cope with the workload and ensuring judges keep concentration and focus throughout, the ASC is to separate the criteria and give part judges half the criteria and half of them the balance. This can has also been used in the selecting of judges, so that the most appropriate judge is judging their area of expertise.
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6. Public Re-education
Further to the ASC’s commitment of running a hallmark competition, the public will also be re-educated as to the importance of freestyle and why the ASC 2010 has moving in this direction through adding equal weighting to Performance and Freestyle. To do this the ASC will run ‘Jack & Jills’ with a twist! The ASC will be running “Romeo & Juliettes’ as a means of informing the educating the Australian Public and having FUN whilst we do it!
Keep an eye out for ‘ASC Romeo & Juliettes’ around your state.
7. Result Tallying
A new computer system within a program has been developed for the specific purpose of adding & tallying the results of the ASC. Mr. Karl Brudel (sydneysalsascene.com) Mr. Alexis Meza (vivamagazine.com.au) & Ms. Branka Zeljic (artistafamosaevents.com.au) have each accepted the great responsibility to monitor, calculate & cross check the ASC 2010 results. Each member ensuring that maximum care & precision has taken place. All State Titles & Australian Salsa Classic results are FINAL. Once the results have been announced, that will be considered final. Each individual judges scores for the top 6 competitors will be placed on the ASC website with the relevant judges names for public viewing 1 week after the event.
8. Immersion Courses
From your suggestions, the ASC team have organised “boot camp” sessions for you to learn a new style from fundamentals to learning turn patterns for the dance floor. All you need to do is set aside half a day and you can add a new style (like zouk/bachata/) or dance embellishments (like body movement/shines) to your repertoire. These courses will be held over the weekend of the ASC finals, so keep an eye out for new information on this site as details are confirmed.
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