photo, Michael Hanscom [flickr]

Let’s just say that it is actually possible to underestimate the popularity of a Dance Off. While this is good news for dancers, dance fans, and fans of non-violent resolution to complicated world problems, it was not good news for Team Metroblogging, who showed up far too late to get in to see the action.

Luckily for us (and you), ace photographer Michael Hanscom was there to capture the whole event in pictures. He sent this brief report:

Closer competition than I figured, too…National Pleasure won by just 66 votes. I think MP3 would have won again (they were last year’s winners) if National Pleasure hadn’t been there, and they were both excellent, but NP had a hilarious Cold War theme going that stole the show (Nikita Kruschev and Fidel Castro scheming to the “Be Prepared” song that the Hyenas sing in ‘The Lion King’…that’s hard to beat!).

Check out his photoset [flickr], which tells the story of long lines, untrained dancers, the victory of “national pleasure” and their representation of the Cuban Missile Crisis through dance, and the glorious afterparty. It’s not quite the same as being there, but it’s a nice consolation prize.