Jonathan & Zoe's Alleycatz hosted their annual Melbourne Open & $1,000 Shoot Out R&R dance competition last weekend. Unfortunately, I couldn't be there to witness it this year but have done so in previous years. From all reports, the R&R dance event was a great success featuring very high level, competition style rock n roll dancing.

Once again, the featured "Shoot Out" event with the winner taking home $1,000 was won by dancers from the Sydney Swingcatz dance school headed by Justin Di Paolo. Their dancers have been making a habit of winning all the featured events at the Melbourne Open and VRRDA Rock n Roll Dance Championship in the last few years, and well deserved too. This dance school combines the best of rock n roll and swing to produce a unique dance style featuring showbiz and very high level dance moves that is equally attractive to watch.

The "Shoot Out" winners were a young dance couple, Samantha Cannistra and Orlando Mae, from Sydney Swingcatz. This couple is also part of the school's dance troupe and features regularly in their public performances and in R&R festivals. I first saw this couple danced at last year's VRRDA R&R Dance Championship when they easily took out the Junior Titles. They then went to compete in the World Boogie Woogie Dance Championship in Europe. They did very well to enter the Finals in their event. Can't wait to see them perform again for the Seniors Titles next year at the VRRDA R&R Dance Championship.

Here are some of the Youtube videos from the Melbourne Open R&R Dance Championship. The videos were filmed on the night by the Sydney Swingcatz.