The road to Ceroc.

[Minnie M]

Originally posted by Martin
You remain a "smooth" dancer which always appeals to me...
Marty

Wow ! gee thanks, I think I will cut and paste this and keep it - after a really really bad week, that has made me feel FANTASTIC

[Daisy]

Iv'e just found this thread and Iv'e really enjoyed reading it......it's taken about 30mins. but it's time well spent. It's also one that Andy Mac hasn't found yet....is that possible?

I, like Lory am comforted by Lily's story......I also thought that it was just me! Sometimes it's a good job I have Ray with me although there are times when I have a fight on my hands to keep him, he is very popular with the ladies.

We, that is Ray & I first went to Ceroc in Guildford three and a half years ago. We loved it and booked a workshop. That day Annalisa encouraged us to enter the Ceroc champs as beginners and we won!.......we never looked back. After that Rob May told me to dance with as many 'good' men as poss if I wanted to advance and that's what I did.........sorry guys. Ray & I have used competitions as a goal to aim at, this way we have to work at improving and moving forward.

As an observer I see what happens to Ray at freestyles. He is constantly in demand and sometimes hardly gets a break for a drink. Women will stand and wait for him and even queue for a dance.
At the end of the evening he's been sorry that he didn't get a chance to dance with someone.....for instance Lily or Divissma. Such is the plight of a good male dancer.

Marty...you are on my hit list for the future. I haven't managed to grab you again since I first danced with you at Shoreham about 3yrs ago. I didn't get chance when we were in Oz this Sept. so maybe you will put me on your dancecard next time you visit the UK.

Loved your team event at the Ceroc Oz champs by the way.

[Martin]

Marty...you are on my hit list for the future. I haven't managed to grab you again since I first danced with you at Shoreham about 3yrs ago. I didn't get chance when we were in Oz this Sept. so maybe you will put me on your dancecard next time you visit the UK.

Loved your team event at the Ceroc Oz champs by the way. [/b]

Sure you are on the dancecard , don't know when I'll be back, I normally try to match it up with a Camber W/E
It was a shame we could not get the "Bring it on" team over for the Ceroc champs earlier this year, not everyone could make it. There is also a question in my mind as to whether we would be "chosen" to compete as Myself and Clinton both applied to do a showcase at the champs and were turned down.

Marty

[Daisy]

Originally posted by Martin
Sure you are on the dancecard , don't know when I'll be back, I normally try to match it up with a Camber W/E
It was a shame we could not get the "Bring it on" team over for the Ceroc champs earlier this year, not everyone could make it. There is also a question in my mind as to whether we would be "chosen" to compete as Myself and Clinton both applied to do a showcase at the champs and were turned down.

Marty

Theres always the Blackpool Champs in March 04? or Ceroc. It would be good to see you guys over again.

[Pete]

Er, um, Hello!

I haven't been doing Ceroc very long (since spring 2003) but it has entered my all time list of 'best things I've ever done'. Before I started Ceroc I was a bit of a non-dancer. No, make that "I was a TOTAL non dancer" and now I find I can go up to, gulp, attractive women, and lead them through my trusty repertoire of 5 beginners moves (over and over again):sorry . One day, some day, I'd like to be able to do an intermediate move in freestyle. I've done about 5 intermediate classes now and have yet to use one of the moves in earnest (most of the ones I've learnt seem to involve a lot of complicated arm intertwining).

Pete

[skyedancer]

A friend of mine rang me up and said that she " needed a dance partner for this thing called Saroc , or something with a similar name!". I said I had never heard of it, and she thought it was being done "somewhere in Aberdeen". So, after many blind alleys, having been offered everything from Ballroom dancing to Salsa, I tracked it down with the right name to Peterculter! I agreed to go along for a look. We did this, but our shifts meant we could never get there, again. In October, we split. I decided to take the bull by the horns and go back on my own. I needn't have worried because I was immediately made welcome by everyone. I am now hooked on Ceroc. Thanks to everyone for maintaining my morale and providing so much enjoyment!

[Lynn]

New to this forum so thought I would add my bit to this thread. I went on a holiday in September, saw some really good dancers in action (thanks Will & co!) and thought 'I want to learn that'. But there was no ceroc here in Northern Ireland.

Not ready to give up, I tracked down a couple of dancers, just at the point when they were thinking about starting a modern jive class... good timing! I also started learning salsa, so within two weeks of the holiday I was going dancing twice a week. Still very beginner (6 weeks!) but having a lot of fun!

[Ian W]

Originally posted by Lynn
New to this forum so thought I would add my bit to this thread. I went on a holiday in September, saw some really good dancers in action (thanks Will & co!) and thought 'I want to learn that'. But there was no ceroc here in Northern Ireland.

Not ready to give up, I tracked down a couple of dancers, just at the point when they were thinking about starting a modern jive class... good timing! ...

Where is the jive class in Northern Ireland?

My sister (from Whitehead) is visiting me in Edinburgh this week so I took her along to a Ceroc class last night. She loved it, and was asking me if there was any Ceroc in NI.

Ian

[Lynn]

Originally posted by Ian W
Where is the jive class in Northern Ireland?

Tried to PM this...

The class is at Queens University in Belfast, in the Drama studio (in the main quad) 9-10pm on Fri nights. There is about 20 in the class each week (though more if everyone was there at once) and its been running for about 6 weeks.

If you sister wants more details you could email me or pm. If she wants I can meet her outside the main QUB entrance just before the class. (But not this week as will be in London)

There is a Scottish connection as the guy who teaches used to ceroc in Scotland!

Sorry guys to get off the thread topic...:sorry

Lynn

[Tazmanian Devil]

Originally posted by Pete
Er, um, Hello!

I haven't been doing Ceroc very long (since spring 2003) but it has entered my all time list of 'best things I've ever done'. Before I started Ceroc I was a bit of a non-dancer. No, make that "I was a TOTAL non dancer" and now I find I can go up to, gulp, attractive women, and lead them through my trusty repertoire of 5 beginners moves (over and over again):sorry . One day, some day, I'd like to be able to do an intermediate move in freestyle. I've done about 5 intermediate classes now and have yet to use one of the moves in earnest (most of the ones I've learnt seem to involve a lot of complicated arm intertwining).

Pete

Hello Pete you are not alone with the whole begginers thing, Many men take a while to feel confident doing intermediate moves on the dance floor, But dont worry it WILL come to you!!

originally posted by skyedancer
A friend of mine rang me up and said that she " needed a dance partner for this thing called Saroc , or something with a similar name!". I said I had never heard of it, and she thought it was being done "somewhere in Aberdeen". So, after many blind alleys, having been offered everything from Ballroom dancing to Salsa, I tracked it down with the right name to Peterculter! I agreed to go along for a look. We did this, but our shifts meant we could never get there, again. In October, we split. I decided to take the bull by the horns and go back on my own. I needn't have worried because I was immediately made welcome by everyone. I am now hooked on Ceroc. Thanks to everyone for maintaining my morale and providing so much enjoyment!

You definately done the right thing dancing is a passion to me now. I started 2 years ago and now make time to go 4,5,6 times a week. Stick with it, it only gets better

[Dan]

Originally posted by Pete
Er, um, Hello!

I haven't been doing Ceroc very long (since spring 2003) but it has entered my all time list of 'best things I've ever done'. Before I started Ceroc I was a bit of a non-dancer. No, make that "I was a TOTAL non dancer" and now I find I can go up to, gulp, attractive women, and lead them through my trusty repertoire of 5 beginners moves (over and over again):sorry . One day, some day, I'd like to be able to do an intermediate move in freestyle. I've done about 5 intermediate classes now and have yet to use one of the moves in earnest (most of the ones I've learnt seem to involve a lot of complicated arm intertwining).

Pete

You are doing exactly the right thing Pete. I often discuss Ceroc with my female friends and they have a distinct preference for male dancers who do the moves properly. So may men try to impress them by doing endless complicated and badly led moves they prefer quality over quantity. You could practice one of the intermediate moves that you like the best until you get very smooth at it and then introduce it to your repertoire. When the ladies give you a smile, that will boost your confidence and you can move on to the next addition.

Do not forget to enjoy yourself!

Andre

[Purd]

I had been attending Ceilidh classes where I met and made much younger friends who dragged me along one night to CEROC and then I was hooked! The trouble is I am on and off dancer so still trying to master beginner's moves and pass on to the dizzy heights of intermediate.

[ChrisA]

Originally posted by Purd
The trouble is I am on and off dancer so still trying to master beginner's moves and pass on to the dizzy heights of intermediate.

Hi there!!

I was like that too, once (well, still trying to master the dizzy heights).

I predict that once you feel yourself getting better you'll get totally obsessed, give up wussy Ceilidh dancing, dance every night, and finally end up losing all non- dance-related social skills.

That's what happened to me, anyway. Or was it just that I had no non- dance-related social skills anyway?

Conveniently, I forget

Welcome to the forum, anyway.

Chris

[Divissima]

Originally posted by the outrageous Chris A:
give up wussy Ceilidh dancing

Oi! I'm sensing a traumatic ceilidh experience in your past, Chris! The last few I have been to in Camden have been fairly boisterous - and certainly not for the faint of heart. And those men in their lovely kilts

[ChrisA]

Originally posted by Divissima
Oi! I'm sensing a traumatic ceilidh experience in your past, Chris!

Actually no... fortunately all such memories are false ones.

[Stuart]

I took up Ceroc as a result of getting bored with Top of the Pops about and flicking around the channels with my remote.

I came across that series that Deborah Bull, the ballerina, did about different forms of dance. This particular programme was about jive, and she started off at a Ceroc class. They stressed that it didn't matter if you had two left feet and that you didn't need to go with a partner. I thought it sounded fun, looked it up on the Internet and went along to a class.

I haven't looked back!

[chrissiem]

Hi my name is Christine and I started Ceroc in Jan 2004 because I had heard people raving about it and also that it was a good way to meet new people, plus I love dancing! So went along to St Stephens in Edinburgh with my friend and had a blast. I like the way it is taught (well done Opi) and that everyone gets to have a go and not sit out for too long. Everyone is really nice as well. I've also been to Marcos on the nights I can't get to St Stephens to keep up the practice and that's good too, a lot busier but plenty of dance partners. I've now been doing it for 7 weeks and just started the intermediate so getting a bit more confident with each week passing. I've been interested to read some of the earlier comments about not getting chance to dance with some of the "better" guys because other women monopolise them. Interesting. I hung back a bit the first few times and waited to be asked, sometimes I was, sometimes I wasn't and I felt I was missing out on dancing, so now I am getting a bit more brazen and proactive and asking the guys. As soon as you finish with one, grab another and keep going! Its not difficult...

Have fun all,
Cheers - Christine

[under par]

Originally posted by ChrisA
Hi there!!


I predict that once you feel yourself getting better you'll get totally obsessed, .......skip..., dance every night, and finally end up losing all non- dance-related social skills.

Chris

It is amazing how it creeps up on you, the confidence thing, then the obsessional wish to dance every night.

This follows a very long period of uncertainty and doubt.
not sure whether it is ever going to get any easier
and wondering if giving up would be the best course of action.

BUT perservere it will all be worth it.

[Rougeforever]

Originally posted by under par
It is amazing how it creeps up on you, the confidence thing, then the obsessional wish to dance every night.

This follows a very long period of uncertainty and doubt.
not sure whether it is ever going to get any easier
and wondering if giving up would be the best course of action.

BUT perservere it will all be worth it.

...oooh, I'm glad you said that.

I'm at the "I'm never going to be able to do this - I'm just not a dancer - there's just no point in me carrying on" stage.

I've pretty much got most of the beginner moves, and am really trying to focus on my technique - but am struggling with too many things.

Added to this I'm becoming self-conscious ...oh dear. Maybe I just think too much about these things and don't enjoy myself enough.

[bigdjiver]

Originally posted by Rougeforever
...oooh, I'm glad you said that.

I'm at the "I'm never going to be able to do this - I'm just not a dancer - there's just no point in me carrying on" stage.

I've pretty much got most of the beginner moves, and am really trying to focus on my technique - but am struggling with too many things.

Added to this I'm becoming self-conscious ...oh dear. Maybe I just think too much about these things and don't enjoy myself enough.

"Dance as though nobody is watching" includes you. Enjoy!