Dear Competitors, We are thrilled to be offering FREE live streaming of all our competition events this year, for all levels, all styles, especially for those of you who have friends and family who will not be able to join us in person! The live stream, complete with moderated chat, will be up on our homepage http://ballroom.mit.edu/comp/ starting Saturday morning. We are excited to see you at the MIT Open this weekend! Shannon McArdel & Esther Rheinbay 2011 MIT Open Competition Coordinators

Dear Competitors, Please take a moment to read this email which contains critical information for the MIT Open this weekend. 1. Lecture & Show 2. Registration 3. Schedule 4. Eligibility enforcement 5. Parking 6. Housing 7. Food 1. Lecture & show Buy your ticket for a special lecture by Franco & Oxana on "The Quality of Dancing"; space is limited! For more information on this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and to buy a ticket visit (Note: the link where you buy your lecture ticket is different from the regular comp registration and show site and can be found at the bottom of the page): http://ballroom.mit.edu/comp/show.shtml Lecture attendees must have a valid photo ID with them in order to check in. Two guides will leave the information desk at the competition site to the lecture venue 20mintues and 15minutes before the start of the lecture. Please watch for announcements at the competition. If you miss the guides, you can walk to the lecture venue: http://whereis.mit.edu/?go=NW86 We are using a receipt system for the show again this year for show tickets bought with registration. After you check in at the registration desk, you will receive a neon pink receipt that your show ticket is paid for. You will need to trade this receipt in for a show ticket at the ticket desk before 6:30 pm. You can buy advance additional show tickets (e.g. for friends and family) at http://mit.universitytickets.com/user_pages/event.asp?id=161 (until Thursday, 5pm). Tickets will also be able for sale at the door. 2. We will be offering early check-in on Friday night from 7-10pm in Rockwell cage (the competition venue) again. Pick up your envelope then to avoid waiting in line on Saturday morning! Also, online payment (http://mit.edu/mitbdt/www/ecommerce/bdt_MITOpen2011.html) will close tonight, 11:59pm! 3. An updated schedule is available at http://ballroom.mit.edu/comp/schedule.shtml. Please not that newcomers also dancing Standard on Saturday morning should be prepared for a quick change as newcomer Rhythm will start right after the Standard finals. 4. We will be strictly enforcing eligibility rules. Any dancer dancing down will be disqualified, and can be so even after the event. 5. Public parking is available on Vassar St in the West Garage for $5: http://whereis.mit.edu/?go=W45. More information on parking is available on http://ballroom.mit.edu/comp/directions.shtml 6. Housing. Please contact your host as soon as possible, and remember to bring a sleeping bag, pillow and towels! Also: If you find that you do not need competitor housing anymore please let your host know ASAP! 7. Food: Dunkin Donuts in the Student Center will be open at 7:30 am on Saturday and Sunday. An Au Bon Pain is located in the hallway by the Vassar St entrance. In the Student Center there are additional food venues including La Verde’s grocery store and Subway. Further options are available within a 10-15 minute walk from the competition venue. For a full description of options, check out: http://web.mit.edu/visit/eat.html Also, please remember to bring a padlock to secure your belongings in the locker rooms. Updates will be posted on our website so check back frequently! We are excited to see you at the MIT Open in just a few days! Shannon McArdel & Esther Rheinbay MIT Open 2011 competition coordinators

Hello Competitors! I've collected a lot of useful information for you, to prepare you for Cambridge and the 2010 MIT Open. Scan the contents below to see what is useful for you! See you this weekend, Shannon McArdel 2010 MIT Open Competition Coordinator - Directions to MIT - Avoid the Red Sox Traffic - $5 Parking by the Competition Venue - Registration Packet Pick Up on Friday - Schedule Update - Competitor Show Ticket Pickup **IMPORTANT** - Buying Additional Show Tickets - VIP Seating - Lecture Tickets and Venue - Housing - Scholarships for Open Finalists - Secure your Belongings—bring a padlock! - Heel Covers are Required - Vendors - Food _____DIRECTIONS TO MIT_____ The comp is at Rockwell Cage, 106 Vassar St, Cambridge MA. http://whereis.mit.edu/?selection=P26&Parking=go There are 2 entrances: one on Vassar St, and one on the south side by the Student Center _____RED SOX GAMES_____ There are Red Sox Games at 7:10pm on both Friday and Saturday; 1:35pm on Sunday. Allow extra time if you plan to arrive near the start or end of these games and try to avoid routes through downtown Boston. Kenmore Square will be extremely slow, as will Storrow Drive. _____PARKING_____ $5 parking is available on Saturday and Sunday in the West Garage on Vassar St, right across from the competition Venue. http://whereis.mit.edu/?selection=P25&Parking=go If this garage fills up, you may park in the West Annex: http://whereis.mit.edu/?selection=P26&Parking=go If you need to exit and re-enter the garage during the day, request a ticket from the attendant. However, this will not guarantee you reentry as the garage may fill up. _____REGISTRATION PACKET PICK-UP_____ The registration desk is inside Rockwell Cage: http://whereis.mit.edu/?selection=P26&Parking=go Avoid the morning rush and pick up your registration packet on Friday evening, between 8:00 and 10:30pm. You will not be able to get your competitor number and compete until you have paid for registration. On Saturday and Sunday, the Registration Desk will open at 7am. _____SCHEDULE_____ The first event each morning (Beginner International Waltz on Saturday and Beginner International Cha Cha on Sunday) should be in line in the on-deck area at 7:50am. For all following events: please use this schedule as a guide, and be prepared to dance **45** minutes before your scheduled start time. Saturday 7:15 - Doors Open 8:00 - Beginner Standard 9:00 - Intermediate Standard 10:00 - Advanced Standard 1:00 - Newcomer Latin/Rhythm 1:05 - Advanced Rhythm 1:30 - Open Rhythm 2:45 - Newcomer Standard/Smooth 3:00 - Advanced Smooth 3:15 - Open Smooth 4:30 - Pre-Champ Standard 5:30 - Champ Standard 6:30 - *** Clear the Ballroom! *** 7:00 - Performance by Mirko and Edita 7:45 - Pre-Champ Latin 8:45 - Champ Latin 10:00 - Good Night! Sunday 7:15 - Doors Open 8:00 - Beginner Latin 8:15 - Intermediate Latin 10:15 - Advanced Latin 1:00 - Beginner Rhythm 2:00 - Intermediate Rhythm 5:00 - Beginner Smooth 6:00 - Intermediate Smooth 7:30 - Good Night! _____SHOW TICKETS_____ To get your Competitor show tickets, you will need Photo ID and a Show Ticket VOUCHER. Vouchers are included in your registration packet, and serve as a receipt for payment. Please present this voucher along with photo ID to the Will Call Desk, in exchange for your show ticket, between 11am and 6:30pm on Saturday. _____BUYING ADDITIONAL SHOW TICKETS_____ Online ticket sales are now closed, but Student, Adult and VIP tickets will be available on Saturday for $15, $25 and $65, respectively. Tickets may be purchased at the Ticket Sales Desk between 11am and 6:30pm. _____VIP SEATING_____ On Saturday afternoon and evening, the first row of seats is reserved exclusively for VIP ticket holders. This will be enforced throughout the evening session; please do not occupy these specially-marked seats unless you have a VIP badge visible or readily available upon request. _____LECTURE TICKETS AND VENUE_____ This year’s lecture will be held at 1:30 pm (note the 30-minute time change), in the Sidney Pacific Multipurpose room, which is located in this building: http://whereis.mit.edu/?go=NW86&go=W33&zoom=16&lat=42.36127108986245&lng=-71.09986782073975&open=object-NW86&maptype=mit It is a 12-minute walk from the competition venue. Paper maps and human guides can be found at the Information Desk, on Sunday. Tickets for the lecture are available for purchase online at http://web.mit.edu/~mitbdt/www/ecommerce/lecture2010.html and will also be on sale at the competition venue on Saturday afternoon, if capacity permits. _____HOUSING_____ Did someone volunteer to let you sleep over this weekend? Make sure to contact them, plan in advance, figure out where to park overnight (if necessary) and bring your pillow, sleeping bag, toothbrush, etc. Maybe even consider a little thank-you gift like cookies or hugs. _____SCHOLARSHIPS FOR OPEN FINALISTS_____ If you are the recipient of one of our scholarships, you will receive a form to fill out with your name, mailing address and SSN. Your scholarship will be mailed to you after we confirm your eligibility for the event in which you competed. _____SECURE YOUR BELONGINGS_____ MIT and the MIT Ballroom Dance Team are not responsible for any lost or stolen goods. As in any large event or venue, please ensure your belongings are supervised. Consider bringing a padlock to the competition, to secure your valuables in one of the day-lockers available in the locker rooms. _____HEEL COVERS ARE REQUIRED ON THE DANCE FLOOR_____ Lack of heel covers can result in disqualification and removal from venue. Heel covers are required on all ladies shoes. Suede stars will be available for free at the information desk. Additionally, our vendors may have heel covers for sale. _____VENDORS____ Patterson’s will be selling shoes and dancewear on Saturday. Take the Lead will be selling merchandise on Sunday. Consider stopping by! _____FOOD____ Dunkin Donuts in the Student Center will be open at 7:30 am on Saturday and Sunday. An Au Bon Pain is located in the hallway by the Vassar St entrance. In the Student Center there are additoinal food venues including La Verde’s grocery store and Subway. Further options are available within a 10-15 minute walk from the competition venue. For a full description of options, check out: http://web.mit.edu/visit/eat.html

The 2010 MIT Open Ballroom Competition will be held on April 24 and 25, 2010! It will again be held again in the Rockwell Cage at MIT. More information will be on the comp website at http://ballroom.mit.edu/comp as it becomes available. Hope to see you there! FIL

Hi, On behalf of the MIT Ballroom Dance Team, we hope you enjoyed our competition! We have many items in our lost and found. If you had lost something, please describe it and we will see if we have something matching that description. Email Jeff about this directly at jeffrey.mccollum@fmglobal.com Hope to see you again next year! FIL