New Modern Jive Night In Fife ?

[Stubob]

Hi All,

I've heard there is a new modern jive class starting tonight in Dunfermline. Does anyone have anymore information, ie is it Ceroc / Leroc, when and where?

Thanks
Stubob

[John S]

The classes (Tuesday in Dunfermline, Wednesday in Lochgelly) are being run by Rab & Ellie Mclauchlan, who have their own commercial enterprise (ie neither Leroc or Ceroc) but the dance taught is the same, ie Modern/French Jive.

Rab & Ellie used to run classes in a number of places in Central Scotland, and introduced quite a few new people to Modern Jive, for which they are to be congratulated. However, for one reason or another they stopped running all of the classes after a while - which was very upsetting for those who had started to learn and to enjoy their dancing.

BUT - don't be confused! If you want to dance Modern Jive on Tuesdays in Fife, it's already here!!!!

I would very strongly recommend that you come along on a Tuesday to Rosyth Civil Service Club in Hilton Road (junction with Admiralty Road) - this club has now been running for about 2 years (it was one of the venues opened and then abandoned by Rab & Ellie), it is well-established, is run along standard Ceroc lines and has first-class teachers and DJ. I see no purpose at all in attending the new venue a few miles away on the same night - but it's a free country!!!!!

[SwingSwingSwing]

Originally posted by Stubob
Hi All,

I've heard there is a new modern jive class starting tonight in Dunfermline. Does anyone have anymore information, ie is it Ceroc / Leroc, when and where?

Thanks
Stubob

Stubob,

The Dunfermline venue is the Brucefield Manor Hotel on Woodmill Road, Dunfermline. Starts at 8pm.

The Lochgelly venue (on Wednesdays) is Torley's Function Suite, 38 High Street, Lochgelly.


SwingSwingSwing

[SwingSwingSwing]

Originally posted by John S
(it was one of the venues opened and then abandoned by Rab & Ellie)

John,

Venues come and go, it's part and parcel of dancing.

I was disappointed when Franck closed Ceroc Falkirk. My partner even more so as, for her, it was the second time she had seen a Falkirk Ceroc venue close. And all the Livingston dancers probably weren't too happy when Ceroc Livingston closed. Likewise I was disappointed when Planet Leroc closed their venues.

But I don't think I'd regard any of those closures as an abandonment. Closing a venue is, I'm sure, one of the toughest decisions anyone involved in a running a dance night has to make. It's not pleasant for those involved but you have to respect the decision.

(in a strange sort of way, both of these events helped me become a better dancer. After Ceroc Falkirk closed, I started going to Glasgow and Edinburgh Ceroc/Leroc, 4 nights a week rather than 1 night a week at Falkirk. After Planet Leroc closed their Falkirk venue, I started doing Lindy Hop, which I now love)


SwingSwingSwing

[John S]

Originally posted by SwingSwingSwing


John,

Venues come and go, it's part and parcel of dancing.

SwingSwingSwing

Absolutely - there is a commercial side to the provision of dancing, and those of us who just go along and pay our money have to recognise that. If someone takes a commercial decision to close a venue then it is a matter for his/her judgment, and we can't argue about it. All we can reasonably expect is that it is done with a bit of notice and that those who come along are encouraged to attend a similar dance venue (such as has obviously worked well for SSS)

However, if a decision to close a venue (ie Rosyth) is taken - whether or not the decision was taken on commercial grounds - and then the venue subsequently survives under new "management", it does seem strange to open a new venue on the same night a few miles away and specifically write to those attending Rosyth, inviting them to attend the new venue instead.

I could be wrong (it does happen!) but I don't believe the Dunfermline/Rosyth area has enough potential to cater for 2 classes on the same night, and the purpose of my email was to encourage people to come to Rosyth on a Tuesday, rather than go to a new venue which will possibly dilute the commercial viability of Rosyth. If history were to repeat itself, this could soon leave us with no Modern Jive classes at all in West Fife, which isn't in anyone's interests.

But as I said - it's a free country - and we can all vote with our feet!!!

[Gus]

Originally posted by John S


it does seem strange to open a new venue on the same night a few miles away and specifically write to those attending Rosyth, inviting them to attend the new venue instead.

Hate to say that its a sad reality of dance, and Modern Jive in particular, that if a club us seen to prosper then people try to move in for a piece of the action, sometimes in a very direct way.

To a lesser degree its quite common to see 'chancers' start up freestyle nights to cream off profits form the regular clubs that have provided the dancers in the first place. Having gone through the blood, sweat and tears to build up a succesfullfranchise over 2 years, it can be heartybreaking to see individuals (often from within your own club) start to cut in. Club nights often make very little money .. it was the feestyles that kept our club viable for the first year.

OK ... finished my little rant, bit of a sore nerve ... that's why I quit the frnachise game, trust me there's a lot of hard work put in by the likes of Franck that you will never see yet you guys get the benfit in the long term ....