*Contest registration is now open! Register at this link!
**All contests at The Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown are open to anyone of any level. There’s no other major contest in the world where the amateurs can dance next to the pros. We think that’s pretty damn special!
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THE ULTIMATE LINDY HOP SHOWDOWN:
A DOUBLE ELIMINATION LINDY HOP TOURNAMENT
$50 per couple entry fee
$2500 prize for the last couple standing
Double elimination means that after the first battles, losers of those battles get a 2nd chance to stay in the game and get to the end.
Misc Contest Info
*All contest rounds are danced to live music.
*Music will be FAST. Start training now.
*How many phrases/choruses/etc will be told to you by the MC when you get on the floor. You will not get this info in advance. Be adaptable.
*The dance floor is wood, but it is hard, rough, dirty, & imperfect. Bring shoe options.
*You will not know if you made the 2nd round until the moment it happens, and your name is called or not called. There is no pre-posting of finalists anywhere.
*If you aren’t in the room when your name is called for a battle, you forfeit your spot in the battle.
*Prelims are judged on paper by a panel of judges.
*Quarter final and semi-final battles are judged on the spot by a panel of judges.
*Finals of all contests are audience judged.
Prelims
Contest Day/Time: Friday at the top of the 2nd set.
Info: Danced in heats. Number of heats will depend on the number of couples who enter.
Quarter Finals
Contest Day/Time: Friday at the top of the 3rd set.
Info: Top 8 couples from the prelims will battle head to head to see who goes to the “losers bracket” and who stays and keeps dancing in the “winners bracket” that night. Losers during this round will head straight to the loser bracket rounds on Sunday night.
Winners Bracket Semi-Finals
Contest Day/Time: Friday night during the 4th set.
Info: Winners of the top 8 rounds will battle each other to see who heads to the final round on Sunday night. Losers of these rounds will head to the losers bracket rounds Sunday night.
Losers Bracket Semi-Finals
Contest Day/Time: Sunday at the top of the 2nd & 3rd sets.
Info: Losers of all rounds will battle each other until only one remains. The one remaining will battle the winner of the winners bracket. (Note: the 2nd to the last loser bracket battle will no longer be double elimination)
Final Round
Contest Day/Time: Sunday at the top of the 4th set
Info: Final battle to see who wins top prize!
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SOLO BATTLE
$25 per person entry fee
$800 prize for the last person standing
Prelims
Contest Day/Time: Saturday at the top of the 2nd set.
Info: Danced in heats. Number of heats will depend on the number of dancers who enter.
Finals
Contest Day/Time: Saturday at the top of the 3rd set.
Info: Top 3 dancers will select a musician soloist from a hat and will partner with them and dance to that soloist every time they play. In the event of a tie, top 2 dancers will battle immediately.
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SCHEDULE OF CONTEST ROUNDS
Friday, April 14th @ The Ogden
Featuring NOJO5
7:30pm: Doors open, contest registration, and contest check-in begins.
9pm: Showdown prelims
10pm: Showdown top 8 head to head battles
11pm: Showdown winners bracket semi-finals.
Saturday, April 15th @ The Ogden
Featuring Mark Braud’s Jazz Giants
7:30pm: Doors open/Solo Jazz Battle registration & check-in
9pm: Solo Jazz Prelims
10pm: Solo Jazz Finals
Sunday, April 16th @ The Ogden
Wendell Brunious & The Dream Team
8pm: Doors open
9:30pm: Showdown loser bracket semi-final battles
10:30pm: Showdown loser bracket semi-final battles
11:30pm: Showdown final round!
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TINY SWING OUT CONTEST
Lindy hopping in New Orleans means navigating crowded floors full of tourists, local music fans, as well as swing dancers.
We think tiny swingouts aren’t just necessary….we think they’re fun as hell.
This contest is free to enter. Held at the Saturday night after hours dance. No advance registration required. Just show up to after hours and jump on in.
The audience will decide your fate. We’re getting the measuring tape out for this one.
Prize: Bragging rights as master of the rare and elusive tiny swingout!
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A brief history of The Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown
The Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown is the one that started them all! If you’ve ever danced in a phrase battle to live music or went head to head in a battle with another couple, you have The Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown to thank for that. Born in 2002, Showdown was/is a no-holds-barred, no rules, audience judged contest that set fire to the bleak contest landscape of the early aughts.
This year we’re going back to our roots. No classes (though we are curating some free taster classes at FQF), killer music, and rough, sweaty, packed, imperfect dance floors.