Feature Story

The USA Grand Nationals - Hot dancing in Hotlanta!
By Gerry Zonca – USA Swing Dance Network
 

In a word - it's sensational.  But a single adjective is inadequate to describe this annual Dance Celebration on Memorial Weekend.  Let's add "breathtaking, electrifying, inspiring, classy, and funny."

Hosted by veteran National Shag Champions, Charlie Womble and Jackie McGee, the USA Grand Nationals is referred to as "America's Biggest Swing and Shag Party."  But it also features some of the top Lindy and Cabaret dancers in the country.  And it also caters heavily to the 1,400+ Social dancers who attend this "grand" event.  It has something for everyone.

The USA Grand Nationals is held at the magnificent Renaissance Waverly Hotel in Atlanta, Georgia, perhaps the best overall facility on the entire Swing Dance circuit.  It features a scenic 20-story atrium and attached Galleria shopping mall.   Another atrium marks the entrance to the ballroom and is encircled with dozens of vendor booths offering popular dance-related items. 

The USA Grand Nationals has an 18,000 sq. ft. Main Ballroom and a second Social Dance Ballroom with a combined total of 5,000 sq. ft. of dance space - active till 4 AM each day! 

For staging, the Grand Nationals sets up a stage backed by a 15’ high velour backdrop that spans the length of the ballroom.  In the center is a 10 foot-high neon logo panel which is flanked on either end by 9' x 12' projection TV screens.  They are used to feed "live coverage" of the competitions from three Sony digital cameras manned by the pros at Thumbs Up Video.  All this is backed-up by an enormous sound system that keeps everyone's heart pounding each time the competitors performed their energetic routines. 

As for hospitality, you won't find better hosts than Charlie and Jackie.  They're gracious, personable, entertaining, and well-organized.  They run a smooth show and they provide some nice perks, too!  Everyone is treated to free bottles (3,456!) of Anqet natural spring water all weekend long and they can also "chill out" at the free Ice Cream Social on Saturday and Sunday.

As always, the audience for the Grand Nationals is SRO.  They come to see the many superstar dancers from all across America and they also come to compete themselves in one of the many divisions offered at this prestigious Holiday Weekend event.

In addition to distributing over $40,000 in prize money, Charlie and Jackie present each Division Winner with an elegant 16-inch glass-blown statuette which is entitled, “Dancing as One”.  It beautifully depicts two dancers with bodies intertwined while moving across a dance floor.  These magnificent trophies are fitting symbols of the stature of this event. It is not to be missed. 

One new features at the USA Grand Nationals is the addition of a Lindy Division to expand the already successful Swing, Shag and Cabaret competitions.  It has become a huge crowd favorite.  The energy that the Lindy dancers bring to the room is fabulous.  Bodies fly up, down and all around as the music tempo soars well past 170 bpm.  The crowd is simply mesmerized by all the acrobatic movement and creative choreography.

Finally, to acknowledge “another” form of excellence among their dancers and to help support the local community, the USA Grand Nationals annually presents the Dewey Kennedy Scholarship Award to a deserving dancer-student. It is a nice philosophical touch to further enhance the spirit of this very special event.

Charlie and Jackie are viewed by many as the “ultimate dance convention hosts”, not only for the quality, texture and scope of their production, but also for the incredible warmth and thoughtfulness they extend to all dancers who attend their event.  Whether behind the microphone or face-to-face in the lobby, they are always expressing their appreciation to the dancers, the spectators and the staff.  They greet as many people as possible and always have time for anyone who comes up to them to chat.  They are the “uncrowned” Champions of this event.  Skippy Blair said it best:

“Charlie and Jackie are a unique couple who exude graciousness, dignity and personal concern.  The hotel, the whole event and the way they handle the competition is all FIRST CLASS."

What does the event mean to them???

"The USA Grand Nationals is more than just a dance event to us.  It is our opportunity to bring the various Swing dances together in both a social and competitive environment.  We sincerely hope that, though this exposure, others will find joy, excitement, fun, friendships, and appreciation for other dance forms.” 

So don't miss the USA Grand Nationals.  It’ll be another fun-filled weekend of Swing, Shag, and Cabaret competitions, lots of Social Dancing, terrific workshops, and the usual measure of down-home hospitality.

There will be “Hot Dancing in Hotlanta” on Memorial Weekend.  Expect a record crowd and the best entertainment ever. Ya’ll better make plans to be there, ya hear?!!!

Member of the USA Swing Dance Network