My Top Dance Experiences First published 2010 & updated 2011 - 268 views to Jan 2013
New additions in italics
Curly Wurly Sundays - I'm pretty sure that even if I sat here for a week I couldn't come up with a word or couple of words that sums up the Curly Wurly Sunday experience. One might conclude that Lisa Garydon's ideas all contribute: social media discounts, the unique chocolate focus brings in some, the half time jelly is essential refreshment for others, the location in Huddersfield, midway between Manchester and civilisation, helps too. Many will point to the music and I'd agree that Dave Graydon has the most astonishing talent for mixing music across the dance spectrum and finding tracks including obscure cover versions of unique quality. He's certainly a DJ we want and need to hear at weekenders. The quality of the dancers there is special - brash show-offs would not find this venue conducive to their needs. Good humour is a must, reticence will not serve you well here. Quality music also deserves acute musicality too: bass beat demons will not enjoy an easy ride. But I suppose what Dave and Lisa maybe don't realise is that this night can never be copied because they are the key ingredients about this night. It is extraordinary and you should try it.
Rochester - The Dance Junction venue is a superb facility for dancing - the floor and sound are great, the bar is big, the chill out area is capacious, parking is free and its right next to the motorway. The themes of the freestyles help jolly things along - if you like that sort of thing - bringing a special buzz to the night. But the themes also allow Garry Turner to search out gems from a life time of musical interest and business. What Garry finds is a key part of this night: it maybe very familiar - but he will build around that the rarely heard and distantly remembered but it will all be eminently dance-able. Steve Thomas is a genial host - who puts a deal more thought into these enterprises than many and Alison Saunders provides the kind of glamour which frankly eludes Messrs Turner and Thomas. Once again this is a place where the dancers just get on with it: locals, Londoners and invaders from Essex and beyond beat a path to this venue cos they are guaranteed a great night. And those of us who stick around a bit later are grateful that the art of the good kebab is not lost locally too.
Swingers Hour Southport - a short mention here for what I know for many is an acquired taste. Swing music and the forms of fast popular dance music that it stems from and that came after it are if nothing else, a test of one's stamina. To dance at Southport in the sun to fast tracks is brilliantly exhilarating and challenging. The ladies who chose to dress in big colourful swirly dresses have turned the session into a spectacle and its a joyous fun-filled blur of colour, music and movement. At its heart lies two contrasting DJ's - both fantastically knowledgeable about the music but both brilliant dancers who know what will work when. If you can't do the dance - come enjoy the tracks that Mike Ellard and Chris Uren play. If you can do the dance - come enjoy the life-enhancing thrill of surviving this session - which, after a midday breakfast, is the only way to wake up!
Sunrise in Southport – there are few experiences quite like dancing outdoors as the sunrises at the seaside. There’s not much that can beat that soft glow as the sky brightens and the committed but maybe exhausted dancers who enjoy slow tunes. The Southport weather and the vagaries of dew on the floor sometimes prevent this kind of dancing - but when the humidity and temperature are right, it is a unique experience. Dancing, like the music which drives it, is but a passing moment. Dawn heralds a new day of such experiences and to see that new day begin as you dance is certainly “of the moment” - as all our dancing should be. That dawn is unique -as every dance should be.
The Blues room at Berko - for relaxed dancing the Blues room at Berkhamsted (Berko) is an oasis in the barren dancing landscape that is Sunday night. Its a regular Ceroc night with classes but in a back room, like-minds get together to do Blues dancing - generally aided and abetted by Ms Rachel Pears and Mr Marc Foster. It is not cliquey or generally very busy: but it is calm and relaxed and friendly. There's nothing loud or brash here: indeed it might even be called sedate, but there's a place for quiet calm in our dancing and its surprising how far people will travel to find it.
S’Funk with Vince Silva - by contrast to the calm of Berko there is the exuberant joy that brings countless weekends of dancing to life when Vince is in charge of an afternoon S’Funk session - whether in the dark basement of Camber, the bright sunshine of Southport or the air terminal waiting area that is Brean’s Blues room. Vince brings energy and variety to the weekender with choices from a collection which can marry Donny Osmond with Stevie Wonder. The emphasis is on life-enhancing music; driven, optimistic and happy - and dancing has to match that. Its not to everyone’s taste: but if you dive in wholeheartedly, it is infectious and it sets you up for the rest of the day. And if Ceroc isn’t working for you: try good old fashioned handbag dancing!
Sara Whites Blues night, Buckden - there are two remarkable features of Sara White’s Blues nights - first there’s a level of care about proceedings and people involved that can only be described as exemplary. Sara notices things and puts them right: and she works with a team of people who share the belief that everything is about making the dance experience the best it can be. So once in their care, all you need to think about is the dancing. The second feature of any night run by Sara is a feeling of adventure in particular pushing the dance boundaries, of challenge and a glorious sense of exploration. The music is challenging because the DJs Sara puts before us are trying to push those boundaries too. A regular set will not do. And because like minds are gathered, the whole room is full of dancers pushing themselves to try something different. The sense of exhilaration at the end of such a night is fantastic and shared. Its a remarkable thing that Sara does with so little fuss or fanfare - but it is to be treasured. Sara's thought provoking, dance provoking blog is here
Minstead, New Forest - is one of dancing’s best kept secrets. In the New Forest, in a quaint village of chocolate box cottages, the small traditional village hall stands surrounded by ancient woodland. It is a 1920’s type build, four feet or so of brick and a wooden shoebox shape on top. All of this is important in making one of the best dance venues I’ve visited. The hall is effectively on top of a huge resonant space which holds the sound and also allows for a sprung floor -well those are my theories anyway! It is an intimate but glorious setting for dance: it does get hot but the porch allows one to cool off looking out into the forest. The dancers of that part of the world have been well served over the years and a Friday night freestyle is packed with great dancers who treasure this venue and its long tradition in one of those special places in the Forest.
Hogmanay, Perth: I think its safe to say that there is nothing quite like dancing with the Scots in Scotland: they have a national tradition of dance which puts the English loss of its folk dancing roots to shame. Their dancing in my experience is unabashed, cordial and generous as a result. And there is nothing like a party (as they call freestyle dance nights) hosted by Franck Pauly and Sheena Assiph. And there is absolutely nothing like seeing the New Year in Perth at an event hosted by Franck and Sheena. In 2009 Perth was 8 inches deep in snow as a backdrop to Hogmanay, there was dancing (Ceroc, line- and trad Scottish), there was/were stovies to warm and energise the dancing, there was laughter and most of all there was hospitality beyond measure.
In 2010 the weather was kinder and the night enlivened by the prescence of more Englanders. It was a fine party, filled with a communal joy which is a shraed sense of being together that dispersed peoples enjoy and a natrual aspect of living in Scotland. Aleks and Izy enthralled us with their showcase and joined in teh traditional dancing before midnight. Its a hoot!
The Boat, London: there are - to be blunt - a lot of reasons why you wouldn’t go dancing on HMS President - it’s often crowded, the dance surfaces can be dodgy and even treacherous, there are other things to do on Sunday afternoon and there is free cake and tea so you might just end up chatting and do no dancing at all. On the other hand: there are very few other opportunities to dance on a boat with its cambered floor in the ballroom and its a great social event bringing people together from far and wide. In the summer there are few things nicer than being out on deck in the cool air on the mighty Thames and in the winter the views as dusk falls and London is lit up are breathtaking. And for London residents we often forget we dance in the centre of one of the most vibrant cities in the world. The Boat is a unique experience and we should treasure it.
Welsh Champs - The first Ceroc Welsh Championships may seem an unlikely contender for inclusion in this list. There's little of a proven track record to go on....but sometimes you work into a place and the atmosphere hits you with a sledge hammer and it just feels right. Lyndsey, Mark and team created the day out of nothing: teaming up with Franck and Sheena was a masterstroke. They chose a fantastic venue in the Coal Exchange in a newly redeveloped part of Cardiff but a venue that still retains much of its Gothic Revival architectural splendour. The competition aspect was well fought and victories hard won. The large contingents from Scotland and England made it a truly a UK Championships - not to mention dancers from France and Poland gracing the later stages in several categories. But what made this event and the freestyles between and at the conclusion - was the atmosphere, the friendliness of the Welsh dancers and layout of the space - the audience were in touching distance of the dancers on three sides and up close and vocal. An electric blend of partisan support, technical appreciation and tangible crowd/competitor interaction made for a exhilarating experience. What is most important for me - as someone who isn't really into competitions is that all these aspects split over into the freestyles which were similarly highly charged. The day flew by and the celebrations and commiserations were heart-felt, but even those who didn't compete felt like they had played a part in a real and important event. It raised the bar for these events and I fully expect next year to be even better.
In 2011 Mark Kerr, Lyndsey Chivers and their team moved to a different venue, Barry Memorial Hall, and spread the event over three days - an ambitious undertaking. The Coal Exchange was an intimate venue and some of that was lost in Barry. The new Hall was packed and this was tribute to the success of last year's event - but some of the atmosphere was lost - the gain was a bigger and better competition. Steve Thomas co-hosted and demonstrated that his huge natural talent once more.
The dance highlight of this weekend, for me was Sunday's tea dance - in Pennarth Masonic Hall. Mark Kerr and Nick Stephens combined to provide 4 hours of funk in a venue with one of the best floors I've danced on all year. And the bleary eyed party animals, judges and competitors let their hair down between cups of tea and gorgeous cakes. It was another great combination of the right music and the right atmosphere and I'd been keen to go there again.
Burton Upon Trent: Fresh 3 - this is a big event. Its ambitious: with three rooms for fast/classic Ceroc, Tango and Blues. The rooms are well filled and the DJs work hard to maintain a balance between new and familiar tracks over a long sets (5-6 hours). Even weekenders don't offer such easy access to different forms of music so close to each other. The experienced dancer can be assured that the best from both East and West Midlands are available to enliven their evening and for the less experienced it a chance to try out something new without the perceived intensity of a weekender audience. The welcome is warm, the atmosphere friendly and rooms lend themselves to socialising as well as dancing. The tone of any good freestyle is set the moment you walk in the door: the hard work is not just set up of the venue but the smiles with which each new dancer is met. Kali and Jeff get the balance just right and I would recommend it very highly if you haven't been.
The Admiral Lord Nelson School in Portsmouth is home not only to a great dance venue but some inspiring dancers who mix Jive with all manner of dance styles, a friendly bunch too. And this venue also has a great dance teacher, Kev Hembry. Saturday nights at ALN come with showcases of all sorts to inspire and this just adds to the creativity on show. Couple with this the inspired "temporary" bar and the super organisation by Modern Jive Portsmouth and it makes for a grand night out. The hall is a big school assembly room, high ceilings and wide floor makes for spacious dancing and superb sound - because the speakers are big enough to fill it. Too many venues skimp on sound systems - but the system at ALN makes a lovely noise. The walk to the loos reminds us we're in a school and the kid's art work generally lines the walls: its kinda inspiring. It's well worth the trip.
New additions in italics
Curly Wurly Sundays - I'm pretty sure that even if I sat here for a week I couldn't come up with a word or couple of words that sums up the Curly Wurly Sunday experience. One might conclude that Lisa Garydon's ideas all contribute: social media discounts, the unique chocolate focus brings in some, the half time jelly is essential refreshment for others, the location in Huddersfield, midway between Manchester and civilisation, helps too. Many will point to the music and I'd agree that Dave Graydon has the most astonishing talent for mixing music across the dance spectrum and finding tracks including obscure cover versions of unique quality. He's certainly a DJ we want and need to hear at weekenders. The quality of the dancers there is special - brash show-offs would not find this venue conducive to their needs. Good humour is a must, reticence will not serve you well here. Quality music also deserves acute musicality too: bass beat demons will not enjoy an easy ride. But I suppose what Dave and Lisa maybe don't realise is that this night can never be copied because they are the key ingredients about this night. It is extraordinary and you should try it.
Rochester - The Dance Junction venue is a superb facility for dancing - the floor and sound are great, the bar is big, the chill out area is capacious, parking is free and its right next to the motorway. The themes of the freestyles help jolly things along - if you like that sort of thing - bringing a special buzz to the night. But the themes also allow Garry Turner to search out gems from a life time of musical interest and business. What Garry finds is a key part of this night: it maybe very familiar - but he will build around that the rarely heard and distantly remembered but it will all be eminently dance-able. Steve Thomas is a genial host - who puts a deal more thought into these enterprises than many and Alison Saunders provides the kind of glamour which frankly eludes Messrs Turner and Thomas. Once again this is a place where the dancers just get on with it: locals, Londoners and invaders from Essex and beyond beat a path to this venue cos they are guaranteed a great night. And those of us who stick around a bit later are grateful that the art of the good kebab is not lost locally too.
Swingers Hour Southport - a short mention here for what I know for many is an acquired taste. Swing music and the forms of fast popular dance music that it stems from and that came after it are if nothing else, a test of one's stamina. To dance at Southport in the sun to fast tracks is brilliantly exhilarating and challenging. The ladies who chose to dress in big colourful swirly dresses have turned the session into a spectacle and its a joyous fun-filled blur of colour, music and movement. At its heart lies two contrasting DJ's - both fantastically knowledgeable about the music but both brilliant dancers who know what will work when. If you can't do the dance - come enjoy the tracks that Mike Ellard and Chris Uren play. If you can do the dance - come enjoy the life-enhancing thrill of surviving this session - which, after a midday breakfast, is the only way to wake up!
Sunrise in Southport – there are few experiences quite like dancing outdoors as the sunrises at the seaside. There’s not much that can beat that soft glow as the sky brightens and the committed but maybe exhausted dancers who enjoy slow tunes. The Southport weather and the vagaries of dew on the floor sometimes prevent this kind of dancing - but when the humidity and temperature are right, it is a unique experience. Dancing, like the music which drives it, is but a passing moment. Dawn heralds a new day of such experiences and to see that new day begin as you dance is certainly “of the moment” - as all our dancing should be. That dawn is unique -as every dance should be.
The Blues room at Berko - for relaxed dancing the Blues room at Berkhamsted (Berko) is an oasis in the barren dancing landscape that is Sunday night. Its a regular Ceroc night with classes but in a back room, like-minds get together to do Blues dancing - generally aided and abetted by Ms Rachel Pears and Mr Marc Foster. It is not cliquey or generally very busy: but it is calm and relaxed and friendly. There's nothing loud or brash here: indeed it might even be called sedate, but there's a place for quiet calm in our dancing and its surprising how far people will travel to find it.
S’Funk with Vince Silva - by contrast to the calm of Berko there is the exuberant joy that brings countless weekends of dancing to life when Vince is in charge of an afternoon S’Funk session - whether in the dark basement of Camber, the bright sunshine of Southport or the air terminal waiting area that is Brean’s Blues room. Vince brings energy and variety to the weekender with choices from a collection which can marry Donny Osmond with Stevie Wonder. The emphasis is on life-enhancing music; driven, optimistic and happy - and dancing has to match that. Its not to everyone’s taste: but if you dive in wholeheartedly, it is infectious and it sets you up for the rest of the day. And if Ceroc isn’t working for you: try good old fashioned handbag dancing!
Sara Whites Blues night, Buckden - there are two remarkable features of Sara White’s Blues nights - first there’s a level of care about proceedings and people involved that can only be described as exemplary. Sara notices things and puts them right: and she works with a team of people who share the belief that everything is about making the dance experience the best it can be. So once in their care, all you need to think about is the dancing. The second feature of any night run by Sara is a feeling of adventure in particular pushing the dance boundaries, of challenge and a glorious sense of exploration. The music is challenging because the DJs Sara puts before us are trying to push those boundaries too. A regular set will not do. And because like minds are gathered, the whole room is full of dancers pushing themselves to try something different. The sense of exhilaration at the end of such a night is fantastic and shared. Its a remarkable thing that Sara does with so little fuss or fanfare - but it is to be treasured. Sara's thought provoking, dance provoking blog is here
Minstead, New Forest - is one of dancing’s best kept secrets. In the New Forest, in a quaint village of chocolate box cottages, the small traditional village hall stands surrounded by ancient woodland. It is a 1920’s type build, four feet or so of brick and a wooden shoebox shape on top. All of this is important in making one of the best dance venues I’ve visited. The hall is effectively on top of a huge resonant space which holds the sound and also allows for a sprung floor -well those are my theories anyway! It is an intimate but glorious setting for dance: it does get hot but the porch allows one to cool off looking out into the forest. The dancers of that part of the world have been well served over the years and a Friday night freestyle is packed with great dancers who treasure this venue and its long tradition in one of those special places in the Forest.
Hogmanay, Perth: I think its safe to say that there is nothing quite like dancing with the Scots in Scotland: they have a national tradition of dance which puts the English loss of its folk dancing roots to shame. Their dancing in my experience is unabashed, cordial and generous as a result. And there is nothing like a party (as they call freestyle dance nights) hosted by Franck Pauly and Sheena Assiph. And there is absolutely nothing like seeing the New Year in Perth at an event hosted by Franck and Sheena. In 2009 Perth was 8 inches deep in snow as a backdrop to Hogmanay, there was dancing (Ceroc, line- and trad Scottish), there was/were stovies to warm and energise the dancing, there was laughter and most of all there was hospitality beyond measure.
In 2010 the weather was kinder and the night enlivened by the prescence of more Englanders. It was a fine party, filled with a communal joy which is a shraed sense of being together that dispersed peoples enjoy and a natrual aspect of living in Scotland. Aleks and Izy enthralled us with their showcase and joined in teh traditional dancing before midnight. Its a hoot!
The Boat, London: there are - to be blunt - a lot of reasons why you wouldn’t go dancing on HMS President - it’s often crowded, the dance surfaces can be dodgy and even treacherous, there are other things to do on Sunday afternoon and there is free cake and tea so you might just end up chatting and do no dancing at all. On the other hand: there are very few other opportunities to dance on a boat with its cambered floor in the ballroom and its a great social event bringing people together from far and wide. In the summer there are few things nicer than being out on deck in the cool air on the mighty Thames and in the winter the views as dusk falls and London is lit up are breathtaking. And for London residents we often forget we dance in the centre of one of the most vibrant cities in the world. The Boat is a unique experience and we should treasure it.
Welsh Champs - The first Ceroc Welsh Championships may seem an unlikely contender for inclusion in this list. There's little of a proven track record to go on....but sometimes you work into a place and the atmosphere hits you with a sledge hammer and it just feels right. Lyndsey, Mark and team created the day out of nothing: teaming up with Franck and Sheena was a masterstroke. They chose a fantastic venue in the Coal Exchange in a newly redeveloped part of Cardiff but a venue that still retains much of its Gothic Revival architectural splendour. The competition aspect was well fought and victories hard won. The large contingents from Scotland and England made it a truly a UK Championships - not to mention dancers from France and Poland gracing the later stages in several categories. But what made this event and the freestyles between and at the conclusion - was the atmosphere, the friendliness of the Welsh dancers and layout of the space - the audience were in touching distance of the dancers on three sides and up close and vocal. An electric blend of partisan support, technical appreciation and tangible crowd/competitor interaction made for a exhilarating experience. What is most important for me - as someone who isn't really into competitions is that all these aspects split over into the freestyles which were similarly highly charged. The day flew by and the celebrations and commiserations were heart-felt, but even those who didn't compete felt like they had played a part in a real and important event. It raised the bar for these events and I fully expect next year to be even better.
In 2011 Mark Kerr, Lyndsey Chivers and their team moved to a different venue, Barry Memorial Hall, and spread the event over three days - an ambitious undertaking. The Coal Exchange was an intimate venue and some of that was lost in Barry. The new Hall was packed and this was tribute to the success of last year's event - but some of the atmosphere was lost - the gain was a bigger and better competition. Steve Thomas co-hosted and demonstrated that his huge natural talent once more.
The dance highlight of this weekend, for me was Sunday's tea dance - in Pennarth Masonic Hall. Mark Kerr and Nick Stephens combined to provide 4 hours of funk in a venue with one of the best floors I've danced on all year. And the bleary eyed party animals, judges and competitors let their hair down between cups of tea and gorgeous cakes. It was another great combination of the right music and the right atmosphere and I'd been keen to go there again.
Burton Upon Trent: Fresh 3 - this is a big event. Its ambitious: with three rooms for fast/classic Ceroc, Tango and Blues. The rooms are well filled and the DJs work hard to maintain a balance between new and familiar tracks over a long sets (5-6 hours). Even weekenders don't offer such easy access to different forms of music so close to each other. The experienced dancer can be assured that the best from both East and West Midlands are available to enliven their evening and for the less experienced it a chance to try out something new without the perceived intensity of a weekender audience. The welcome is warm, the atmosphere friendly and rooms lend themselves to socialising as well as dancing. The tone of any good freestyle is set the moment you walk in the door: the hard work is not just set up of the venue but the smiles with which each new dancer is met. Kali and Jeff get the balance just right and I would recommend it very highly if you haven't been.
The Admiral Lord Nelson School in Portsmouth is home not only to a great dance venue but some inspiring dancers who mix Jive with all manner of dance styles, a friendly bunch too. And this venue also has a great dance teacher, Kev Hembry. Saturday nights at ALN come with showcases of all sorts to inspire and this just adds to the creativity on show. Couple with this the inspired "temporary" bar and the super organisation by Modern Jive Portsmouth and it makes for a grand night out. The hall is a big school assembly room, high ceilings and wide floor makes for spacious dancing and superb sound - because the speakers are big enough to fill it. Too many venues skimp on sound systems - but the system at ALN makes a lovely noise. The walk to the loos reminds us we're in a school and the kid's art work generally lines the walls: its kinda inspiring. It's well worth the trip.
Comments
Post a Comment