Summer Hummer - DESPITE Hurricane Irene!





Pictures courtesy of Jim Chow



 Only Bill Cameron could invent a party like Summer Hummer.

The best dancers (and/or) most wonderful people in the world have been converging in New England for the past 18 years to celebrate summer.



 
This year we proved that nothing - not even Hurricane Irene - is big enough and bad enough to go up against a really good west coast swing party!

Steve Wilder & Diana Lyn Cote

This event has gotten a lot better organized. We always shrugged off the delays and goof ups because - well - Bill is Bill!

He's sort of a Jimmy Buffet-esq character with glasses.

Despite the hurricane, competitions ran smoothly and the party was kept going using laptops running on batteries.

We danced right through it! 

The talent this year was outrageous!!!

Tessa Cunningham & Robert Royston in foreground
Katrina Branson & Benji Schimmer in back

There were the regular favorites who come out several times a year: Arjay Centeno & Jennifer DeLuca, Robert & Nicola Royston, Melissa Rutz, Ben Morris, Benji Schwimmer, Jessica Cox, Brennar Goree & Torri Smith, Kyle Redd & Sarah Van Drake.

Tessa Cunningham & Myles Munroe so rarely get out here – we were just delighted to have their lessons and watch them perform!

Kat Branson & Benji Schwimmer

Michael Kielbasa introduced the very lovely and talented Katrina Branson.

Her father is Florida UCWDC champ Kal Branson – and this peach didn’t fall far from the tree!

Dancing every night was unbelievable. We had awesome DJs - Victor Loviera, Wildman Louie, Anthony DeRosa - enough space on the floor and the numbers of leaders and followers were very even.

In past years it was a battle to get on the dance floor and stay there!

There was a second room downstairs where Leif E. Green caused quite a sensation.

Leify, “The Leify Green Conspiracy” is a current hit maker who reinvents such classics as “DJ Got Us Falling in Love Again” by Usher – and produces some original music as well.

He is quite charismatic and appealing. People who normally don't care for dancing to live music, found themselves drawn. 

Even though the air conditioning left a lot to be desired, the room was packed and everyone seemed to love dancing to the simple vocals and guitar accompaniment!
 www.leifygreen.com/

There was an attempt to have a "Blues Room" but it turns out that the concept is synonymous with John Festa and didn't work without him. That should be good news - after all - there really is only one Festa Delight!

Randy Payne & Dora Erdos
Picture courtesy of Jun Ogata

There were plenty of competitions but the days of waiting to dance until midnight are long gone thanx to “Genius” Ken Merick who introduced the concept of dancing DURING the event!

Social dancing was tucked in between EVERYTHING – all day and all night.





Marlon Mills & Michele Blaikie

Because of the number of cancellations due to Hurricane Irene, there were fewer competitors than usual.

The numbers in Novice of leaders and followers was almost even.

Bill just tagged a couple of guys from the first heat to dance in the second heat.

There were 10 judges - which made many of us question the process. Someone – somewhere – needs to come up with a better way to do this.


Nobody has clue as to what the judges actually want from us!

Hey Bill  – you are already in the dance floor business – why not enter the iPad rental business too? Faster/easier scoring - space for a comment and after a time, the iPad entry data could be analyzed.

Beats trying to read the judges' minds!

Kai Qu & Kristia Lesher

Newcomer and Novice winners deserve a special congratulations because this is way too hard!

Newcomer

1. Jason Zwolak & Catherine Miu

2. Kai Qu & Kristia Lesher

3. Mark Bolter & Jacqueline Joyner

4. Jack Flynn & Eveleen Sung

5. Martin Erdos & Dani Mullin

Tony Hurtado & Maylena Chaviano
Novice Finals

Novice

1. Andrew Mastin & Sara Mouchon

2. Robert Day & Victoria Andromalos-Dale

3. J. P. Marchand & Rachel Martin

4. Pierre Katz & Lynsey Kent
5. Ludovic Franc& Kendra Zara

Performances by the pros were such a pleasure to watch. Tessa & Myles had a routine that put everyone in awe. They aren’t just dancers, they are athletes, acrobats and gymnasts!

Tessa and Robert Royston danced in the Pro J&J and she may even have out danced him.





Every time we see Tessa, she just gets better!

Every effort was made to entertain us since the pool party was cancelled due to Hurricane Irene. The hotel was too dopey to cook all the food they already bought for the BBQ and got this cockamamie idea to make an $18 buffet in the restaurant.

Its not the first time they tried this idea and it never works!

The definition of insanity – by the way - is doing the same thing over and over again while expecting different results (like the J&Js). 

After a long, hard day of dancing, we must go where the food is.

If hotel management had the common sense God gave a chicken  - they would have simply set up a buffet outside the ballroom and we would have participated in the “pool party” activities. They could have broiled burgers and hotdogs, dished up a pile of fries and set up a bar.

Without food we could not go on – so we all left. Duh!

Many excellent restaurants exist within a 6 mile radius of the hotel - including Legal Seafood, where we had an excellent meal! If you came by plane, the hotel shuttle will provide transportation, too. 

Sunday night was the main event for Hurricane Irene so most people planned to stay over. Power stayed on – conveniently – until most of the competitions were over.

In the dark, we were treated to the comedic team of Rob & Bob (Rob Glover and Robert Royston. These two guys are among the best MCs and never miss an opportunity to get in front of an audience even when no one can see them!

Most of us, however, headed out on the roads in search of food. Every place was packed and none planned for big dinner crowds. Luckily, we found a TGIF. Really hit the spot – comfort food and a bar!

Steve Wilder & Pam Marshall
Pic Courtesy of Jun Ogata

By the time we got back to the hotel, the power was back on and a Hurricane PARTY had begun in the ballroom. It may very well have been the highlight of the weekend!

All the competitions and performances were over and everyone was relaxed. Even the pros came to hang out. This party went on all night long!

Bill Cameron has really created and ran a STELLAR event. There was no way to have a bad time. We totally enjoyed ourselves. But, the hotel left a lot to be desired.

Frankly, Bill could only be using this dump (Sheraton Framingham) because of the pool. New England is not noted for swimming pools and to have a pool party is a major highlight - especially the way Bill throws one!

While the hotel staff are nice enough, they seem to be zoned out on wacky tobaccy. Its easier to communicate with a dog than the hotel staff. Don't blame the hurricane – we’ve been to this hole before.

The hurricane really showed how bad the shape of this hotel really is. Recently bought out, the first change to be undertaken is the modernization of the elevators. Good thing too, the rain was actually coming through the ceiling of one of the cars. The whole hotel leaked and the lobby was a patchwork of buckets, bins and puddles.

Getting to Framingham, MA is no easy task. Only Greyhound Bus actually has it on the route but it is a ride through hell and you STILL have to CHANGE BUSES at South Station in Boston. For crying out loud!

Megabus and Bolt go to South Station and there is a shuttle to the same Logan Express that Greyhound/Peter Pan go to near the hotel. I learned this THE HARD WAY! It is just shameful, the hotel staff had no clue.

As for any sort of shopping or dining, there is very little within walking distance from the hotel. Across the street is a Dunkin’ Donuts which is a life saver in the mornings. The hotel has crappy coffee and is seriously overpriced.



Not for nothin’ – when a hotel doesn’t have a Starbucks in the lobby – it’s a serious quality clue!

Anthony DeRosa & Lemery Rollins

The bottom line is Summer Hummer is a great party – with a fantastic group of people – enjoying one of the BEST mutual interests that has ever been created. 

Anthony DeRosa coined the phrase "West Coast Swing is not just a dance, its a lifestyle."

That about sums it all up.


http://www.wcsny.com/

Kim Lashley, Jim Chow, Cali Buntin


Summer Hummer is an
American institution!
http://www.dancepros.net/

We will be back next year. Despite the nightmare of traveling to Framingham, MA – no matter how bad the hotel is – regardless of hurricanes, tornados and earthquakes.