Ballroom / Latin weekender

[Paul F]

It looks as if MJ'ers have a multitude of weekenders to choose from.
Salsa also has a great number of weeknders and congresses (if thats a word) to choose from.

How about the other major force in dancing in this country - Ballroom(standard) + latin

Is there scope out there for a weekender dedicated to this? Does one exist?

When i first started with B+L I would have loved something like this, an intensive learning weekend if you will. Now I am more competent in it I would still love the opportunity to make a weekend of it.
Now i realise a lot of MJ weekenders do tasters in various, mainly latin, styles but they are just that, tasters. How about workshops dedicated to learning figures, style points, competition tips etc.

Would love to know what everyone thinks of this idea.

I can see one of the main issues is that most people learn b+l in partnerships and rarely dance outside of these partnerships. Ok, I know NoSequins is doing well with the Ceroc formula but would this extend to a weekender?
Even if people didnt dance outside of their partnerships that doesnt mean the social side would suffer does it?

There HAS to be interest out there .......surely

If such a weekend was hosted should it target beginners, advanced or both?

[Minnie M]

Ballroom weekenders have been going on longer than the MJ ones, but they are soley for the Ballroom market.

Last March I put on a "One Dayer" of Ballroom/Latin & WCS (No MJ) classes / workshops mainly for Modern Jivers and the evening dance had the main hall strict tempo and the smaller hall for MJ. It was very sucessfull, I am surprised no one has followed it up.

[Tessalicious]

Originally Posted by Minnie M

Ballroom weekenders have been going on longer than the MJ ones, but they are soley for the Ballroom market.

The ballroom market defined as what? If one has done most, or all, of one's B=L at 'squins, does that make one less than part of the true ballroom scene, and if so by what criteria? The slightly superior attitude held by a lot of ballroom dancers at most 'studios' i've come across is what put me off carrying on with ballroom in London until 'squins came along, does this choice of venue disqualify me from being able to go to a ballroom weekender because I won't be 'good enough' or just because I'm not part of the usual crowd?

It was very sucessfull, I am surprised no one has followed it up.

Well if you run another where 'squins dancers are welcome, or anyone else does for that matter, I'm so there!

[David Bailey]

Originally Posted by Paul F

There HAS to be interest out there .......surely

If such a weekend was hosted should it target beginners, advanced or both?

I'm not sure about a B+L-only weekender.

However, I would love to see a "mixed dance" weekender, with rooms and classes for:
- MJ
- Salsa
- Ballroom + Latin
- tango
- etc.

My feeling is this would appeal more to the MJ crowd, who are adaptable and ecletic, than to most other crowds. I for one would go one such a weekender.

There was a hybrid MJ/salsa weekender on a few years ago, great fun - but I don't think there's been one since.

[Sparkles]

Originally Posted by DavidJames

However, I would love to see a "mixed dance" weekender, with rooms and classes for:
- MJ
- Salsa
- Ballroom + Latin
- tango
- etc.

This is a brilliant idea!
OK, it's already partly being done, where MJ weekenders are now incorporating more different dancing styles into their events; but to have a real mixed dance weekender would be fab!
S. x

[Paul F]

Originally Posted by Minnie M

Ballroom weekenders have been going on longer than the MJ ones, but they are soley for the Ballroom market.

Last March I put on a "One Dayer" of Ballroom/Latin & WCS (No MJ) classes / workshops mainly for Modern Jivers and the evening dance had the main hall strict tempo and the smaller hall for MJ. It was very sucessfull, I am surprised no one has followed it up.

I do remember this now you mention it.

I was thinking more along the lines of a full weekender though. After looking at some of the b+l websites it appears that certain people run "holidays" with a few workshops thrown in. I cant seem to find one that is as intensive as an MJ one though - workshops all day - dancing in the evening (2/3 days).

I hadn't considered the issue of elitism. Thats an interesting one. Would people in the B+l world stay away thinking that its just beginners? Would beginners stay away thinking its just for advanced?
I would sincerely hope that the venue people are learning at wouldnt even be an issue but its a good point. To me, one of the strengths of the Ceroc model is that you get to dance, and adapt to, many different leads/follows. I havn't tried it but I can only imagine doing the same in this style (nosequins) would help wouldnt it?

When it comes to who to target, I was thinking that targetting the Mj community would automatically suggest it is a 'beginners' weekend. Nothing wrong with that if it would work but it would eliminate the ability to put on workshops for the intermediate/advanced wouldnt it?

[Tessalicious]

How about a weekender where beginners, intermediate and advanced classes for each dance are taught simultaneously on the first day for each dance, so that beginners can pick up the basics of say 6 of the core ballroom and latin dances, and non-beginners can do more complex moves depending on confidence, then the next day have improvers/advanced classes going on with at least one latin and one ballroom dane at a time so people have more choice? That might appeal to different levels of dancer enough to get a good mixed crowd.

[Lounge Lizard]

we have a 1 hour Latin class (with Nicole Cutler) every wednesday at Twickenham followed by MJ classes & freestyle
At Hastings we have offered ballroom & Latin in a seperate hall as an alternative to MJ - neither are/was a big success it seems

It is very hard getting interest from dancers and numbers are often lowwhen we try new things (which is the way of things)
It looks like the standard pacxkage of MJ format is what dancers want - many including ourselves, Gus, hipsters etc. try to offer an alterternative but it seldom catches on in the same way or success as a MJ night .

I went to a Salsa MJ weekender, the MJ were really unwanted guests - the Salsa dancers wanted to get on with Salsa and neither group could not dance (their own style) to the 'others' music

Peter

[Paul F]

Originally Posted by Lounge Lizard

we have a 1 hour Latin class (with Nicole Cutler) every wednesday at Twickenham followed by MJ classes & freestyle
At Hastings we have offered ballroom & Latin in a seperate hall as an alternative to MJ - neither are/was a big success it seems

Peter

Thats dissapointing to hear. I would have hoped something like that would do really well, especially with Nicole teaching. I have never been to her class but i have just been watching a video of her and her partner. Awesome!

I was thinking more along the lines of whether the weekend format that is used in MJ would work for ballroom rather than the issue of attracting people.
I would imagine you would have to target people directly through dance schools etc to get interest. I was just wondering whether it would be feasible.

It looks like the only way this would even be slightly possible is if it was targetted to the accomplished dancers? It appears that this is how an MJ weekender is run as there is no concept of beginner workshops in MJ, only tasters in other styles.

Could it be that the only reason MJ weekenders work is because MJ dancers are much more free-thinking than other dancers?

[Minnie M]

Originally Posted by DavidJames

However, I would love to see a "mixed dance" weekender, with rooms and classes for:
- MJ
- Salsa
- Ballroom + Latin
- tango
- etc.

This was the contents of my "All Dayer"

Classes in Waltz / Quickstep / Samba / Rumba / Salsa / Argentinean Tango / West Coast Swing PLUS evening dance and Cabaret - Two Halls for dancing - practice recent new moves, add to your MJ repertoire or Le Roc / Ceroc the night away to modern jive music

There were about 65% modern jivers there, 20% Ballroom/Latin/Tango and 10% virgins/muggles

About 120 to the workshops and another 50 to the evening dance which was just the right amount given the size of the halls, couldn't have had many more - I thought it was a good turn out seeing it was a new venture.

I am not an organiser, didn't really want to do that one, but did it in conjuction with a dance school in Brighton, who provided most of the teachers, we did have the wonderful David & Lily teaching WCS and Miguel teaching Salsa and a very cute Argentinean chap teaching you know what..

I think, based on this sucess a weekender would go down well, not sure if I want to do it though

BTW this is one of the better Ballroom Link

NOTE: Andy McGregor was my MJ DJ and he did a good job, people moved from hall to hall, however, the MJ hall was full most of the evening and bobgadget was my ballroom etc., DJ, he too did really well and I think it was a first for him

[David Bailey]

Originally Posted by Minnie M

This was the contents of my "All Dayer"

There were about 65% modern jivers there, 20% Ballroom/Latin/Tango and 10% virgins/muggles

About 120 to the workshops and another 50 to the evening dance which was just the right amount given the size of the halls, couldn't have had many more - I thought it was a good turn out seeing it was a new venture.

I am not an organiser, didn't really want to do that one, but did it in conjuction with a dance school in Brighton, who provided most of the teachers, we did have the wonderful David & Lily teaching WCS and Miguel teaching Salsa and a very cute Argentinean chap teaching you know what..

Damn, I missed it.

Originally Posted by Minnie M

I think, based on this sucess a weekender would go down well, not sure if I want to do it though

Understandable, it's a heck of a lot of stress. But if you ever run another one, that sounds like my All Dayer From Heaven, so put me in for it. Cost no object

[Ballroom queen]

Originally Posted by Tessalicious

How about a weekender where beginners, intermediate and advanced classes for each dance are taught simultaneously on the first day for each dance, so that beginners can pick up the basics of say 6 of the core ballroom and latin dances, and non-beginners can do more complex moves depending on confidence, then the next day have improvers/advanced classes going on with at least one latin and one ballroom dane at a time so people have more choice? That might appeal to different levels of dancer enough to get a good mixed crowd.

A ballroom weekender would be FAB, like Mike and Linda's strictly ballroom in minstead, but all weekend, I'll be there, and I could name at least 4 or 6 others - guys as well as girls who would be interested!

[Minnie M]

Originally Posted by Ballroom queen

..........like Mike and Linda's strictly ballroom in minstead..........

and Chiswick Town Hall..... I remember them well ........... the good old days ....