Recommendations for dancing in Oz April 2008

[Mr Fitz]

Me and the missus (who met across a crowded dancefloor) are honeymooning in Oz in April 2008.

We'll probably be there 16th to 27th April, planning on starting in Sydney area and heading up the coast to Queensland. Just wondering if it was worth packing the dancing shoes.

Seems a waste to go all that way and miss a chance of experiencing Ceroc Aussie Style and dancing with some of you wonderful Aussie people. Is there anything going on round then that would be worth a visit, weekender, parties etc, or even just a club night that we can swing past. Suggestions please

[Martin]

Originally Posted by Mr Fitz

Me and the missus (who met across a crowded dancefloor) are honeymooning in Oz in April 2008.

We'll probably be there 16th to 27th April, planning on starting in Sydney area and heading up the coast to Queensland. Just wondering if it was worth packing the dancing shoes.

Seems a waste to go all that way and miss a chance of experiencing Ceroc Aussie Style and dancing with some of you wonderful Aussie people. Is there anything going on round then that would be worth a visit, weekender, parties etc, or even just a club night that we can swing past. Suggestions please

Nah, nothing going on. Aussies can't dance.

For 11 days it is a long way to travel.

[Alice]

Don't listen to him! :P

Depends which day(s) but I'd suggest (for Sydney) Willoughby on a Thursday and Mosman on a Monday..... best to check out the websites though

Those are CMJ venues - haven't been to Ceroc Australia for a while but I think their main night (also Thurs) is now in Ashfield.

For the rest, there are many more that are much more well-travelled than I

[SteveK]

Originally Posted by Mr Fitz

Me and the missus (who met across a crowded dancefloor) are honeymooning in Oz in April 2008.

We'll probably be there 16th to 27th April, planning on starting in Sydney area and heading up the coast to Queensland. Just wondering if it was worth packing the dancing shoes.

Seems a waste to go all that way and miss a chance of experiencing Ceroc Aussie Style and dancing with some of you wonderful Aussie people. Is there anything going on round then that would be worth a visit, weekender, parties etc, or even just a club night that we can swing past. Suggestions please

If you are around the Gold Coast, the Friday night classes are fairly busy & fun. (Ignore Martin's comment - he's actually very nice and friendly when you meet him). Where are you thinking of visiting in Oz in April - although if you are honeymooning, shouldn't you be thinking about "other" stuff than dancing

[NZ Monkey]

All I can say is try to make at least one of the CMJ venues while you're in Sydney. I was there on holiday a couple of months ago myself and a good number of the girls there are simply dancers .

They lost Alice a while ago unfortunately, but that's just Londons gain...

[Martin]

On a more serious note... pack your shoes!

For Sydney

Ceroc Australia Dance Company - Learn to Dance, Partner Dance, Like "Dancing with the Stars", Modern Jive
My favorite night in Sydney is Thursday at Ashfield, because it has a lot of advanced dancers and good music

Ceroc & Modern Jive Dance Company. Learn to Dance, Partner Dance Ceroc Modern Jive
Not sure on the best nights here, as have not been for a while.

Nuroc Dance Company & C & M's Dance Studio
Main night Tuesday, very friendly people.

Sydney generally has a dance party every Saturday.

Newcastle (2 hours north of sydney on the way up the coast)

CLUB JIVE NEWCASTLE
Not sure on the best night as I have not been to the classes for a while, but e-mail them for details, this is the biggest Newcastle dance company with quite a few advanced dancers.

Home
Fairly new as a dance company, but friendly people and they used to do a Friday that was well attended, not been for a while, e-mail them for details.

Gold Coast, Brisbane and Sunshine Coast

www.lestep.com.au
Gold Coast, I go on Fridays and Wednesdays - I would recommend both nights, more dancers go on the Friday, both nights are very friendly - demograhics different here, 50% or more dancers being 17 to 26.
Good music.

Brisbane from what I have heard best night is Monday, best to e-mail or ring to check.

Sunshine Coast is fairly new, but offers somewhere to dance if on the Sunshine Coast, best to e-mail or ring.

There are also other dance companies in the Queensland area.


All opinions my own... Good music IMHO is a mix, with challenging tracks and slower tracks included.

If you want more details please feel free to pm me. If you can tell me what type of music and what type of dancers you are after, what type of lessons, easy, challenging, dangerous, impossible, or just plain stupid... I can tell you more on a pm.

Martin

[Mr Fitz]

Many thanks folks that was exactly what I was looking for it has been a tremendous help The dance shoes are definitely getting packed.

I've had a good trawl through the websites and there seems to be plenty going on so once we get a bit more organised with the rest of the itinerary then we can slot in some dancing too.

(Everyone seems young, slim, tanned and beautiful,....are these a specially edited selection of photos or is there some sort of stringent door policy we should know about....)

Many thanks again, Mr Fitz

[Mr Fitz]

Thanks again for the tips folks, just back from the honeymoon, had a great time in Oz, only managed the one night of dancing in Ashfield unfortunately, but what a night! Absolutely fantastic.

The folks there were ultra friendly, the top man Mark Harding was there, and a massive thank you to him. Such a great guy, lined up a few dances for us both and even chauffered us back to the hotel. By the end of the night it felt like we were all like old friends.

As for the night itself, the dancing was excellent, the standard is really high, and I mean really high. Some truly fantastic dancers, just a shame you wonderful folks are all 10,000 miles away. Thanks again for a great night

[Martin]

Originally Posted by Mr Fitz

Thanks again for the tips folks, just back from the honeymoon, had a great time in Oz, only managed the one night of dancing in Ashfield unfortunately, but what a night! Absolutely fantastic.

The folks there were ultra friendly, the top man Mark Harding was there, and a massive thank you to him. Such a great guy, lined up a few dances for us both and even chauffered us back to the hotel. By the end of the night it felt like we were all like old friends.

As for the night itself, the dancing was excellent, the standard is really high, and I mean really high. Some truly fantastic dancers, just a shame you wonderful folks are all 10,000 miles away. Thanks again for a great night

Glad you made it to Ashfield

Before I moved to the Gold Coast in September this was a regular Thursday night for me. (and I do miss it - the only consolation, is that the Gold Coast venues are also ultra friendly with fabby dancers)

It is always good when people go out of thier way to ensure visitors are made welcome and Mark was really pleased you made it, he phoned me the next day and said you had turned up.
I had not told him in advance that you might, what you got was "normal" reaction to visitors turning up.

I turned up in Australia on a Thursday morning, in 1999, knowing no-one, went dancing Thursday night, met Mark Harding, who then invited me out for drinks for someones leaving do, the following day.
Mark came and picked me up, took me to the leaving do, introduced me to everyone and then drove me back to my accomadation (even though it was out of his way), he then arranged a lift for me to the dance party the following night.
Now that is a great host, even though he did not know me.

So it was worth packing your dance shoes in the end?