Event Dates

Road Trip

Indiana Challenge is a large amateur, pro/am, and professional competition. Darrell and Sarah began competing together at Indiana Challenge just a few years ago! Competitors come from across the country to compete here. Shop numerous vendors for dance shoes, all manner of accessories, clothes, and dance costumes.

Bring your camera for still photography – shooting video is strictly prohibited.

Carpool

Drivers will be provided an allowance for tolls and fuel.
Our carpool departs from the Dutch Mill Park and Ride lot in Madison, WI (located at Stoughton Road and the Beltine) – map below – leaving Madison promptly at 3pm.

Friday Evening Events

• American Rhythm Freestyle and Scholarship Events at Silver, Gold, and Open Levels for Amateur and Pro/Am couples
• Professional Showdance Competition
• Professional Rising Star Competition (Smooth, Rhythm, Standard, and Latin)

Saturday Daytime Events

• Solo Exhibitions (choreographed partner performances)
• International Standard (all levels Amateur and Pro/Am)
• International Latin (all levels Amateur and Pro/Am)
• Amateur Open Scholarship (Smooth, Rhythm, Standard, and Latin)

Saturday Evening Events

The ballroom is always filled to capacity for Saturday Evening. This is where you will see some of the best dancing:

• Open Professional Events (Smooth, Rhythm, Standard, and Latin)
• Amateur Salsa Competition
• Top Three Showdance Exhibition
• Professional Show (World Champions Gherman & Iveta)

Competition Details

Competition Location

Carpool Location

Related pictures based on the following tags: competition,hotel,indiana-challenge,overnight,road-trip

You have already read Dance Cruise Checklist – Part 1 and Part 2. Proper planning ahead of time will help to guarantee a relaxing vacation.

General Checklist (continuted)

• One Week Out
• • Communication Plans: Let your friends, relative, or neighbors know how to reach you. Your cruise documents will specify how to contact you by phone or fax. Be advised the charges may be very high for both you and the caller!

    Designate one person as the prime point of contact. That person should know your ship, room number, booking number, ship phone, ship fax number and the best times to reach you (take time zone changes into account). Tell the rest of your friends and family to use this person as the point of contact in any emergency.

    For non-emergencies, use e-mail. Internet cafes are readily available on today’s ships. You can use your own email address, or the lines will assign you a free email if you don’t have one. You will still pay for usage charges. Often the Internet is a better and less expensive communications tool than a telephone.

    Many ships have added cell phone service at sea. Ask your travel agent or cruise line. Roaming charges apply, but it can be less pricey than calling from your room.

    In port, many cell phones will work just fine; call your carrier a week before departure to see if your phone is international in nature and whether you can send and receive calls from specific ports.

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  • Keys, Alarms, and Other Tasks: Give a key to your home or business to a trusted friend/neighbor. Make certain they keep your keys in a secure place – not just out in plain sight. Arrange for that person to check on your house, water your plants, verify that your pet service is performing as expected, shovel the sidewalk (if it is winter time), and other similar tasks.

    Let your neighbors know that someone will be watching your home while you are away. Make arrangements with your alarm/security company and designate a temporary contact person in case your alarm should go off. Your trusted friend/neighbor should also know your alarm code (provide him/her with a temporary code, or change your code when you return).

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  • Finalize Your Luggage: You have been looking at your intended items for several weeks now. Consider all of your clothes, shoes, and accessories. Eliminate one-time use items. Match colors. Imagine yourself carrying your luggage though the airport and from the baggage claim to the taxi stand. Then edit some more.

    Do not pack cruise documents, airline tickets, film, cameras, jewelry, medication or valuables in checked luggage. (Ever try to get a bag back from an airline after it’s checked? The same problems occur with cruise lines.) If you accidentally check the bag and then remember your camera or medication is in it, you likely will not see it for several hours after embarkation. Worse yet, your luggage could be lost.

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  • Stock Up on Film, Video Tape, or Digital Media: These items are usually available on board or in ports of call, but at a considerable premium over your local prices. Pack plenty of batteries and remember the charger for your digital items.
• The Day Before Departure
• • Finalize Your Luggage: Attach cruise line luggage tags to your bags. Have proper identification inside and out,and include a copy of your itinerary inside all bags.

    The night before departure, close up your suitcases and finalize your carry-on bag. Place passports, cruise documents, air tickets or e-ticket confirmations, medication, camera and film supplies, and any other important information like medical records in your carry-on.

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  • Take Enough Cash: Always take cash, especially small bills for tips to porters, taxi drivers, and tour guides. Do not rely on traveler’s checks and credit cards, alone. Vendors in ports of call may not take credit cards or travelers checks. If you arrive during a bank holiday, you may not be able to cash your travelers checks anywhere. On board ATM may run out of money (or have high surcharges).
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  • Get Your House In Order: Run the dishwasher. Discard leftovers and other food items that will not last until your return. Pay bills that will be due while you are away. Set your thermostat to an energy efficient “hold” temperature. Water your plants. Make sure pets have food and water (even if a pet sitter is planned.)
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  • Reconfirm Arrangements: Reconfirm child and pet care, limo service, house sitters, and airline departure times.
• Day of Departure
• • Lock your home. Set your alarm. Draw the shades. Pack your keys in your carry-on. Make certain your passport, cruise documents, and airline tickets/confirmations are in your carry-on – NOT on your kitchen counter! Give yourself enough time to get to the airport.

    You have planned carefully. Now enjoy your vacation!

Return to Dance Cruise Checklist – Part 1.

You have already read Dance Cruise Checklist – Part 1. Proper planning ahead of time will help to guarantee a relaxing vacation.

General Checklist (continuted)

• Short Term
• • Pack Only What You Need! Most cruise cabins are smaller than hotel rooms. Travel agents say most cruisers over-pack and regret it later. Waiting to pack until the night before your departure means you will likely bring extra items “just in case”.

    Set up your travel luggage in an area of your home and begin to place your intended items in piles next to your luggage, remembering to consider shoes and toiletries. Over the next few weeks, evaluate what you really need to bring and start eliminating the excess.

    If you do not really need formal wear (or you are planning to skip formal events anyway), you do not need to bring those items. You may want to have five or six interchangeable outfits. If you have not worn something in years, you probably will not wear it on board.

    By avoiding over-packing, you also avoid the hassle of having airport security disrupt you overstuffed luggage if they choose to inspect it. You also reduce the chance of excess baggage fees.

    Some cruise lines have a fee-based baggage service that will pick up your bags from your home, and the next time you see your luggage it will be in your stateroom.

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  • Medicines and Toiletries: Make sure your prescriptions are up to date and you have refills. Bring an extra week’s worth of medication in case there are flight delays or winter storms that delay your return home.

    Follow TSA guidelines for your over-the-counter items (liquids less than three ounces, everything packed together in clear zipper bags). Place your non-essential items in checked luggage. You may want to bring Alka Selzer, Pepto Bismol, or other remedies with you instead of purchasing them while on board (where the prices are likely to be higher than at your local drug store).

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  • Medical Records: If you have significant medical issues, bring a copy of your medical records and test results. These can be extremely helpful if you require a doctor while on board. It may take a few weeks for your doctor to assemble these records for you.
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  • Pets: Arrange for boarding or in-home pet care, and put any instructions in writing, including the phone number for your vet and any pet insurance documents and vaccination certificates. Let your vet know that your pet care provider has your permission to make decisions on your behalf.
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  • Transport to the Airport: If you are planning to travel by limo from your home to the airport, book this early – particularly if you are traveling during busy times for limo services (like prom, home coming, or weddings).

Dance Cruise Checklist – Part 3 (one week out)

Go to sea with other ballroom dancers! A dance cruise, as the name implies, is a vacation on a cruise ship that brings ballroom dancers together. Most dance cruises are booked through companies or travel agents who market cruises specifically to ballroom dancers.

From the US, many Alaskan, coastal, and Caribbean cruises are possible throughout the year.

General Checklist

• As Early as Possible
• • Make certain your passport is valid! Apply for expedited service if necessary.
• Three Months to Six Weeks Out
• • Shore Excursions: Your cruise documents will include a “shore excursions” booklet. When you book your excursions well in advance, your excursion tickets will be waiting for you in your stateroom or they will be delivered to you at dinner on your first night on board. You will not have to wait in potentially long lines on the ship for excursion tickets, and you are more likely to get the excursions you want when you book in advance!
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  • Spa and Salon Appointments: If you can book these early, make your appointments on sea days. This allows you to potentially have more time in ports of call.
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  • Embarkation Gifts: If you are celebrating a special occasion during the cruise (like a birthday or anniversary, etc), you cruise documents will inform you how to book gifts, special packages, champagne and hors d’ouevres for your stateroom, spa packages, or onboard gift cards.
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  • Airline Tickets: Make sure your name is correct and that your flight dates and times correspond to your cruise departure and return. Try to get a seat assignment from the airline in advance to help avoid being bumped from your flight.
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  • Credit Card Planning: The cruise line will ask for a credit card upon embarkation to cover on-board expenses. Upon check-in, the cruise line will perform a “credit card authorization”, which is not a charge to your card, but a hold on your available credit line.

    The amount may be from $50-$200 per day of the cruise, or even more. Of course, you will not be charged unless you actually buy additional on-board services, but the hold on your credit line reduces the purchasing power of your card. If you have a low credit limit or if you already carry a balance, your card may be declined when you use it during shore excursions.

    If you rented a car prior to your cruise, there may be other “credit card authorizations” that further affect your purchasing power

    It is wise to have multiple credit cards – use one for cruise line check-in and on-board purchase, and use another for shore excursions.

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  • Arrange a House Sitter:
  • Arrange for Child Care: Do you have someone locally who can care for your children, or will they need to fly somewhere to stay with your extended family? Book their travel early.

Dance Cruise Checklist – Part 2 (two-to-four-weeks out)

Background

• Nine Questions You Should Ask About Dance Camps

Some Ballroom Dance Camps

• Superstars of Ballroom Dance Camp (February) Not Scheduled for 2012 [details]
• Los Angeles Dance Camp (May)
• Las Vegas Dance Camp (June)
• Independence Day Ball Dance Camp (July)
• BYU Adult Dance Camp (July)
• BYU Youth Dance Camp (August)
• Ballroom Vermont Dance Camp (August)

If you start planing (and saving) now, you can definitely include a dance camp in your summer plans.

Event Dates

This camp offers a full week of dance classes, social dances, and well-recognized guest instructors. Private lessons are available. Beginners are welcome.

I have never attended this camp, but I know that it exists. I encourage you to check out their website and give them a call.

I have no relationship with the camp or with the organizers. I am posting it here so that you may consider adding a dance camp to your summer plans.

Event Dates

Every summer, Brigham Young University in Provo, UT (50 miles south of Salt Lake City) hosts a Ballroom Dance Camp for Adults and a Ballroom Dance Camp for Youths.

Many years ago for several consecutive years, I attended the adult camp and had a fantastic time. Not only is the access to quality instruction superb, but the instructors are the very people who often judge at the competitions Sarah and I attend.

Adult Camp
    23-27 July 2012
    Registration begins Wednesday, 01 February, 2012, at 9:00 a.m. MT.

The adult camps offer a full week of dance classes, social dances, performance, and full immersion into ballroom dancing. The organizers limit enrollment to ~250 participants. In the years I have attended, there have been about 30 participants under age 30, with most of the participants ages 40 and above.

The camp is attended by mostly amateur dancers, most of whom do not compete in dancing, but rather enjoy dancing as a great hobby. Classes are offered in beginner through advanced levels and are taught by skillful nationally (and internationally) prominent dancers and dance teachers.

Private lessons are available with any of the instructors. (Look at the website links, above in the white box, to see who is teaching.)

I have never attended the youth camps – intended for HS students – so I do not know first-person details about them. I suspect they are quite similar to the adult camps in quality. HS students may attend the adult camps, and each year I was there several HS students were participants.

I have no relationship with the camp or with the organizers. I am posting it here so that you may consider adding a dance camp to your summer plans.

Event Dates

This camp offers a long weekend of dance classes, social dances, and internationally-prominent instructors. Private lessons are available. Beginners are welcome.

I have never attended this camp, but I know that it exists. I encourage you to check out their website and give them a call.

I have no relationship with the camp or with the organizers. I am posting it here so that you may consider adding a dance camp to your summer plans.

Event Dates

This camp offers a full week of dance classes, social dances, and nationally-prominent instructors. Private lessons are available. Beginners are welcome.

I have never attended this camp, but I know that it exists. I encourage you to check out their website and give them a call.

I have no relationship with the camp or with the organizers. I am posting it here so that you may consider adding a dance camp to your summer plans.

Event Dates

This camp offers a long weekend of dance classes, social dances, and nationally-prominent instructors. Private lessons are available. Beginners are welcome.

I have never attended this camp, but I know that it exists. I encourage you to check out their website and give them a call.

I have no relationship with the camp or with the organizers. I am posting it here so that you may consider adding a dance camp to your summer plans.