Have you ever read the words to Frank Sinatra’s song Chicago? The song, which came out in 1922, was written by Fred Fisher and has been recorded by a whopping 82 different artists and groups. –Yep, Frank was not alone and…Yep, I counted them on Wikipedia).
The song goes like this:
Chicago, Chicago that toddling town
Chicago, Chicago I will show you around
I bet your bottom dollar you’ll have some fun in Chicago, Chicago
The town that Billy Sunday couldn’t shut down
On State Street, that great street, I just like to say
They do things they don’t do on Broadway
You’ll have the time, the time of your life
I saw a man who danced with his wife
In Chicago, Chicago my hometown
So, what does this mean? Let’s go line-by-line and figure it out. By the way, this song seems to be short of punctuation, but let’s not dwell on that.
“Chicago, Chicago that toddling town…” I bet you thought “toddling” was a little, made-up word for the song. Well, it’s not. The “toddle” was an early 1920’s dance in which — Heaven forbid! – a man danced with a woman. It had a series of hops and back kicks to it. Scandalous? No, it kind of sounds like Quickstep. Well, it was very popular along with the Charleston and Lindy Hop. Picture Louis Armstrong, who was also in Chicago, playing the trumpet with his band, and the whole club going berserk. Better yet, picture the whole city going berserk.
“Chicago, Chicago I will show you around. I bet your bottom dollar you’ll have some fun in Chicago, Chicago…” Let’s come back to these in a minute.
“The town that Billy Sunday couldn’t shut down…” You guessed it. Billy Sunday was a real person, and he wasn’t a gangster like Al Capone (also Chicago-based) if that was what you were thinking. Quite the opposite… Billy Sunday was a baseball outfielder for the Chicago White Stockings, and yes, I did say White “Stockings” – The team became the White “Sox” in 1904. Hmm…Wonder why?? Anyway, Billy, around 1917, became a very influential conservative preacher who was prominent in the movement to prohibit the sale of liquor. He also denounced a middle-class amusement called “dancing” and despised jazz. Sounds like a fun guy! Lucky for us, he lost his popularity in the 1920s.
“On State Street, that great street, I just like to say…They do things they don’t do on Broadway…” State Street was constructed in the early 1830’s to connect Vincennes, Illinois, to Chicago. The Street runs along Chicago’s east side and is the city’s retail corridor. It is also home to Chicago’s cultural district, with the Chicago Theatre anchored at the corner of State and Lake. Frank Sinatra must have had a premonition about this because, in 2000, State Street became the home to “Broadway in Chicago.” (Frank died in 1998.) Then again, we all knew Frank was rumored to have interesting connections.
“You’ll have the time, the time of your life…” Let’s come back to this one in a minute too.
“I saw a man who danced with his wife…In Chicago, Chicago my hometown…” I bet it’s all making sense now, isn’t it?
Now that you know all about Chicago’s past and this popular song, when was the last time you went to Chicago? Chicago DanceSport Championships Organizer Andrea Zaramella and the USA Dance Chicago Chapter are waiting to… (back to the song)…“show you around.” Wasn’t that clever? And they hope you are ready to “toddle”. OK, I’m kidding. How about Quickstep, Jive, Tango, Foxtrot, or Mambo?
Chicago DanceSport Championships has made some changes this year. They have new dates, October 13-15, so, you might not be in costume or dancing “Thriller” – Darn, right? However, you will be able to get home for trick-or-treaters this year. Hopefully, the organizers will still have chocolate bars at the registration desk.
The hotel has also changed. This year, the event is at the Sheraton Suites Chicago O’Hare, so if you are a Marriott points person, this is your year! The hotel is 2.8 miles from O’Hare Airport, and there is an Airport Transit System if you do not have access to private ground transportation. The current hotel rate is $159 per night but be aware that the Competition Room Block closes September 22. The hotel has a large fitness center, a full in-hotel Starbucks, and their Flight restaurant is open from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. If you like to get out and about, there are many dining opportunities within three miles of the hotel. When you aren’t competing, there is so much to do outside the hotel…including everything from indoor skydiving to the theater.
The competition has also changed its name to the “Chicago DanceSport Championships,” and the competition is a USA Dance Regional Championship. What does that mean? It means that Chicago is a Nationals-qualifying event. (A little background in case you missed this part. This year, there are five Regional Qualifying events in the United States – One is past, and one is this week. Chicago is the third and then there are only two more. You can read more about qualifying here. Oh, and you can see a full list of USA Dance competitions here). Still not getting it? It means that time is running out and you need to sign up for Chicago.
Zaramella and his team are ready to “bet your bottom dollar you’ll have some fun in Chicago, Chicago…” They are putting together a great schedule and have lined up a fabulous judging panel led by Chairman of Judges Sami Yli-Piipari. Ruslan Wilder will serve as the Master of Ceremonies, Kevin Guy as the Music Director, Daniel Dilley as the Scrutineer, and Myra Coffield as the DanceSport Rules Official.
“You’ll have the time, the time of your life…” And yes, you may dance and compete with your wife, husband, partner, or anyone else you wish. Events will include an Open International Team Match and Open – separate from USA Dance events – International Championship-Level Events called the Tony Zaramella International Open Scholarship Events. There is also a Saturday night Gala Dinner and Show!
But that’s not all! Zaramella is holding a Dance Camp and promises a fabulous team of instructors and great classes. STOP!! Required disclosure statement — This is not a USA Dance-sanctioned camp…but WHAT A DEAL! The cost of the camp is only $100, which includes five group classes. Private lessons will be available for camp attendees with lecturers on a first-come, first-served basis. Please note: Dancers must purchase access to the camp to reserve private lessons.
So, what are you waiting for? Early registration for the Chicago DanceSport Championships is already closed, and regular registration closes on September 30. Think about it this way: Great city, great Chapter, great competition, great camp… 82 artists and groups sang about this “toddling town”. It’s the place to be!!
