Dayton Smackdown - Mix and Match

For the second year in a row, I competed in the Dayton Smackdown Mix and Match. Mix-and-matches pair partners randomly with each other. There are usually 3 songs, with new partners for each song. I have competed in 5 mix-and-matches to date: Lindy Focus ‘23, Dayton ‘24, Rush Hour ‘24, Second City Swingout ‘24, and Dayton ‘25. In the link below, I show up a couple of times, wearing a salmon colored shirt and black pants.

Dayton Smackdown 2025 - Mix and Match

Competing in a mix-and-match feels very different from social dancing. The competitive aspect amps up the adrenaline. Because of that, I end up paying less attention than I would like to both my partner and the music. I tend to take fewer risks, and fall back on moves I am comfortable with. I’m hoping that soon I will have a mix and match experience that feels more like a social dance.

My mind was pretty blank during the Dayton Mix-and-Match. I know I was swinging out regularly, and varied those swingouts fairly regularly with outside turns and Texas Tommies. I would have liked to incorporate some runaways and over and under rotations. Three-wall swingouts are a stretch goal. I did some Frankie Sixes and some switches. I incorporated some Charleston, but nothing more than basic side by side and tandem. I forgot to try out the stuff we learned in the classes. I would have liked to be more creative and responsive, but I’m still developing the skill of dancing freely under pressure.

I did not make it out of the prelims, but several Chicago dancers did. Cole, one of my team’s coaches, won the competition as a lead.