Helloo Jellos!
My quick review of WBBC 2014:
Hotel:
It was perfect! We appreciate that there was food downstairs, shuttle transportation to our practice venue, and ample outdoor space to run through formations (without getting in trouble with security). They also let us hang out in the lobby after the after party and police didnt come chasing after us with batons or anything! (Bruin 2005 shout out. Holler.)
Mixer:
I thought the idea of being paired up with your competition and wearing match up tshirts was great! I loved the spirit of the event, etc. While the rehearsal time after the mixer was nice, I wonder (in retrospect) whether it took away from the fun of the mixer. It felt like there was not as much actual mixing/friend making going on because people were focused on their run through times, etc. Or maybe it is just that I am so old that nobody wants to be friends anymore. Hmm. Also, the food could have been better. But the space was perfect and the committee was incredibly helpful and accommodating.
Judges:
I think Faizan does a phenomenal job of coordinating the judging for this competition (also true from my perspective as a judge last year). Holding meetings with each team, allowing for questions, allowing for revisions of the rubric in light of team concerns--all of this provided for a more collaborative process than most comps. In addition, the post competition feedback meetings were efficient and helpful. And the stats packet is great! It is really helpful to teams to see where they rank against others in each category, how certain judges score certain categories, etc.
Query: going forward, should the judges should self select for upper and lower level judges to cater to individual preferences? E.g. If Judge A always focuses on formations, consistency of energy level, flow of routine, etc. and then is asked to be a lower level judge and focus more on things like nakhra, performance, etc. whether that person may unconsciously attribute success in one category to success in another. Maybe this has already been discussed in one of the ONE MILLION posts on btf about judging. I started to read all of them and then I...whats that? What did you say? Traditional? Modern? Oh that's right, I EXPLODED.
Logistics:
Working with Ankush, Jaggi and Disha (aka Dishes) to get ready for the comp was a pure joy. They are professional, poised, efficient, strategic and direct. You couldnt ask for better people to do this sort of thing. You ask a question, they give you the answer. In the weeks leading up to the comp I received almost immediate responses from these three about literally any concern we had. They were strict when they needed to be about deadlines, but very understanding that last minute changes come up and were accommodating.
Setting up banners and props the morning before the show was delayed/slow, but that is attributed to the venue and not the organizers. The delay in the morning led to a delay for the rest of the day, but unlike lots of other competitions, the committee knew how long this set them off by and when we could expect to be shuttled to the next place, etc. There was never a minute where I thought to myself "this situation would be better if the Committee had just done x." Except when we got our lunch late on Saturday afternoon. Then I was cursing all of their names while running around in the lobby screaming "GIMME THAT BAGEL! IM HUNGRYYYYY" scaring all the children of CMU and Cornell. Sorry, kids. (Hello, I am being sarcastic. I didnt yell. I just snatched the food right out of their hands, duh. Okay, still kidding. But really, we were hungry and that was my sole complaint for the day.)
Ankush was on point when it came to running tech time. We knew how much time we had, we trusted that he was listening and understood when we discussed music cues, lighting cues, etc because he has lived this. The same was true with regard to the show. I had little concern that our music wouldnt be played loud enough, etc. He also got us Vitamin C. Good looking out, cuz.
Finally, huge shout out to Raj. He had a lot of responsibility (clearly) over the weekend but wanted to ensure everyone was happy and taken care of. He drove us to venue in the am, offered to stop at Dunkin Donuts, followed up with us, and constantly has a smile on his face. He is the kind person you want to see succeed. Shout out to the dhol boyz ent van.
The show:
The backstage space was no bueno. Very (very) cramped, difficult to get ready in, not enough bathrooms, no real warm up space, etc. The committee did their best to keep things organized and flowing, but it was tough. Being last in the show, there was little time between our tech time and the beginning of the show and we were crammed back there for a longggg time.
After party:
Dudes on poles spraying champagne on people. And my hot pink sneakers are covered in black stuff that I cant get off. So overall, a typical bhangra after party.
GTV:
I cannot get on my soapbox enough about what this man has done for the bhangra world. I don't even need to say it again, but I will: Harjot has revolutionized the scene. I am so thankful that WBBC worked hard to support his needs and think it speaks to the integrity of the competition that they provided him with help. On a personal tip, Harjot has facilitated, through his videos, my connections with people all over the world and I am forever grateful.
OKbyebye
Kept us entertained, but didn't do like looooooong skits or anything
