2018 Competitions: Zone competition

This year, my zone event was held a little differently. The location, format and scheduling were all changed since last year. We had two weeks more to prepare for the district event but I felt that it neither helped nor hindered improvement. The schedule for the day also changed. The open teams were first followed by the novice and intermediate teams. Previously, novice/intermediate teams preceded the novice/intermediate champion lady event, then the opens had teams and championships in the late afternoon. 

The format this year also changed and we performed to a front-facing audience. Fortunately, I had the chance to practise to an onlooking audience at the club competition. The experience for the audience was better this way and it was educational in the sense that onlookers could watch from judges’ perspectives. 

Medal with "curly" edges

After watching the open teams’ remarkable performances, the floors were reset with crosses on the ground for the novice and intermediate teams. Since there are marked spaces for the eight dancers in a team, novice teams weren’t able to creatively use other formations. Considering the amount of memory already needed for reconvening on our spots, I am glad to keep it simple. My team placed and I am very proud of everyone for achieving this feat. One of the ladies mentioned that awards at this level had 'curly' edges, it's been very special to our team. 

The individual competition affectionately known as "champion lady" ran from noon to night. By the time the novice/beginner ladies marshalled it was already early evening. No semi-finals for me this year but it was a tough section with 6 heats and over 80 competitors. My friends from my club achieved personal bests from competing in a team for the first time to qualifying for nationals in Sydney, well done! Popular leotard colours this year were red and fluoro orange. Next year I am moving up to the 'intermediate' category and it'll be my fourth year of physie.


Read an in-depth description of zone proceedings and recounts of the 2017 championships below:
2017 Zones Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5

Competitor's number

Labelling physie keepsakes

By this time of year, you may have already accumulated a few medals, certificates and numbers from competitions. At my club's annual competition, we have a march-past where we wear our sashes accessorised with our colourful medals. With similar-looking badges from year to year, it can be hard to pinpoint the exact competition when it was earnt. This is why I label my keepsakes. This is also a good measure to prevent lost badges. In the case that it gets unlatched, you will be able to identify your handwriting.

Medal:

• Date
• Interclub host/ type of competition

Number:

• Date/day
• Interclub host/ type of competition
• Placing (if applicable)
• Age group/ category
  At the moment, I don't label my category but I keep the program booklets to follow what level I'm in.

I keep my certificates, numbers and programs in a display folder. The medals with lanyards are hung up on a bookshelf until it is time to attach them to my sash.

Labelling the back of my number and medal.

Zone championships (part 5)

We marched along the blue taped box on the sports floor. As the marching music progressed, the gap between me and the lady in front increased. It was the luck of the draw. The lady with the shortest strides might go first. This was a fairer system than at some interclubs where taller ladies might be continually assigned to march first.

The tape on the ground had changed. Three different colours were available forming a left lane, right lane and middle staggered lane. I ended up in the middle lane which meant that I had many ladies in my peripheral vision. Since starting physie, I've improved at not looking at my competition; however, this innate habit still exists.

I danced remembering most of the corrections that I had written down the week before after watching a clip of myself at my club competition. For example, I remembered to not spread my legs so far for the final pose of warm-up and to lead with my hips instead of chest when marching.

My heat was over and it was time to hear the songs re-looped another four times before the announcement of the finalists. In the marshalling room, all novice ladies sat in their heats again. Numbers were called out starting from heat one. They'd already moved onto the heat after my one. Clearly, I had not made the cut and therefore no semi-finals for me this year. Bring on 2018!

Zone championships (part 4)

We huddled in the marshalling room where the process of organising the heats began. I had already forgotten this process since last year but soon relearnt it.

1. Line up with our club
2. Headcount to decide how many heats
3. Number off, split off into heats (standing in club lines ensures members are spread)
4. Once in heats, draw playing cards to determine marching order

I had overheard that two years ago my zone did not have a separate beginner ladies' section. This year there were three beginner heats and seven novice heats! I had at least 30 minutes to spare, so I went snacking.

Crackers, a fruit plate, chocolate slices and dips lined our club's table, enough physie fuel to last well into the night. Then came the decision whether to go to the bathroom or not. Being in a leotard and fishnet stockings was hard enough, but with a stiff competitor's number already pinned on, I decided that it was better to wait until after my heat. Not long afterwards, my heat was finally called...

Zone championships (part 3)

At the presentation of the teams' competition, we sat in columns. Each team nominated one representative to collect the prizes if they'd received a place or an honourable mention. No place for my team but I am incredibly proud to have danced with these fabulous ladies.

It was just past 11 am by this stage and we lined up for the change rooms. Luckily, I had already predicted the situation and got changed swiftly after the presentation.
"Beginner, novice and intermediate ladies to registration!"
An unprecedented number of novice ladies lined to put their name down for the heats. There were so many of us [novice ladies] that the organisers ran out of competitors' numbers initially.

Ladies donned leotards in various colours and styles. Sleeved designs also made a comeback. Time dragged on and the changeover afforded us enough time to have lunch. The first heat did not commence until noon.

Zone championships (part 2)

At 9 am the team events began. Thick white tape drew eight crosses on the floor. The taped makers were in a configuration of 3 - 2 - 3 (front, middle, back). I'm not sure if the arrangement can be changed to 4 - 4 or if there were different markers that I was oblivious to.

When it was time to dance, direct and peripheral vision - affectionately known as 'team eyes' - set in. Unlike my club's hall, this venue had lined floors which amplified the problem of spacing if we weren't in line with our teammates in front, side or diagonally. Luckily, our team eyes allowed for quick, subtle adjustments to set us back in clean, straight lines.  

From my limited team experience, I've concluded that the first 32 counts of warm-up must include travelling steps so team members can move from a starting formation to the set configuration.

Throughout the routines, I felt that time slowed down. Perhaps this was the result of having an impressive venue, sound took longer to reverberate from the walls.

The get-on and get-off allows for creative choreography usually set by the teacher (I've heard that these components are not judged). My novice ladies' team had a comparatively straightforward get-off. Other teams had fancy, cabaret-esque, theatrical moves with half the members in alternating positions, for example, four with hands up and four with hands down. Mexican waves were also popular among well-rehearsed teams.

Zone championships (part 1)

It's a tradition at my club to have a pre-competition gathering at one lady's home. At this occasion, we do each others' hair and physie daughters play with each other. Styling hair the night before makes me wonder if I'd ever fall asleep. The concoction of hairspray and volumising powder as I sleep is not a scent that I prefer. Amazingly, once you fall asleep you do not realise the scent nor the pain until you are woken up by stabbing bobby pins and hair being stretched.

I would like to thank P for your hospitality, welcoming us to your home every year, and K for making my hair look physie.

In the morning, I was woken up by my phone's alarm. The hair survived the night. I ate some breakfast, put on some makeup sans lipstick and headed off to the venue. Upon arrival I found my club's area. Some other clubs' areas were left vacant as they did not have novice or intermediate teams which were the first events of the day.

I checked out the hair accessories. Team events are the only time that BjP allows ladies to wear headbands, ribbons, flowers and other decorations in our hair. Some clubs used club coloured flowers and scrunchies which I thought were very clever. 

With the draw order up on the walls, I realised that there were quite a few more intermediate teams than novice. Two floors ran simultaneously and the same club never competed at the same time allowing teachers and supporters to give their full attention when one of their teams were performing. 

5 words for 5 routines

Two weeks to go until my first interclub for the year and for me that means only two lessons to go. By now routines are memorised and I do not have to think of what the next count is. With that being said, I still have to make sure that I maintain technique such as posture and pointed toes.

In this self-improvement post, I want to share with you how I will be simplifying my approach, dancing five routines with five memorable words. For several weeks, I asked myself what expression or message I wanted to convey with each routine. Now I have one word to focus on for each routine that will hopefully bring out my best dancing. This simple approach clears your mind so that you can be in the zone to dance. I highly encourage you to try this activity.

In the zone

The basics

It's October and zone championships are under way for the Bjelke-Petersen School of Physical Culture! Zone championships consist of team and individual competitions where girls and ladies strive to qualify for the national championships held in Sydney or simply have a fun time with all their physie mates. A zone comprises 8-12 clubs grouped together according to geographical/administrative regions. Locations with insufficient clubs to make a separate zone may be grouped into a distant zone, for example, clubs in Western Australia travel to Victoria for the championships.

Out of your comfort zone

Medallion for girls and ladies who competed individually.

Ladies in lycra,
oh so brave.
You are the ones,
who rock the physie stage.

Whether you are competing in a team with seven other inspirational ladies or individually on the floor with ladies who you do not normally dance with, all physie ladies are awesome just for getting out there.

In the zone

Once you've gotten out of your comfort zone (or stayed within your comfort zone) and decided to compete in teams or champion lady, it's time to get in the zone. So go ahead and immerse yourself in the world of physie.