Highs & Lows in 2002

[Bill]

Now that we are entering the last few weeks of 2002 I just wondered what memories everyone will have of the Ceroc year!

Maybe we should skip over the 'low' - no doubt in my mind what that was ( sorry Franck! ) but what about one - or a few of the real highlights from the year !

Was it the first Scottish Comp ? Was it Blackpool ? Dancing with someone for the first time ? Learning a new move ? Seeing someone else dance ?

To start off with I suppose I have a few - some of which seem like years ago now but ................

* Competing in the Advanced section with Fran in Blackpool
* doing double trouble in Blackpool
* being asked to compete in the Scottish team for London -and winning
* doing the double trouble with Fran and Denise - and having fun
* demo-ing with Lorna in Aberdeen
* all the blues dances I've had over 12 months


Lows :

* Anniversary party
* Missing the second round in London
* Missing Beach Boogie

Hope there are a lot more highs than lows !

[TheTramp]

What a nice idea for a thread Bill.

I hope that everyone has many more highs than lows....

Highs.
* Teaching a couple of classes at Bognor (with about 600 people in the blues one)
* Coming 2nd in the UK blues competition at Beach Boogie. Having only decided to enter it about 9pm - and being drugged up on painkillers due to the foot (see the lows)
* DJing at Camber, and having so many people tell me that they enjoyed the set
* All the other teaching, DJing and cabarets I've done this year
* Meeting so many nice people all over the UK at dancing, including the party, even if it was so crowded
* Finding this Forum (thanks Lisa & Laura), and getting to know you all better (sorry if I talk too much)
* And finally, like Bill, all the great dances I've had over the year. Thank you to all the people who've danced with me.

Lows:
* Damaging my ankle at Beach Boogie, 30 minutes after I arrive, playing volleyball...and the fact it's still not healed now
* Not being able to find a regular dance partner who is and can be as committed to doing things as I am (and who doesn't live many miles away)

Steve

[Wendy]

Highs :

- having a magical birthday party in January with Franck doing a class and dancing my socks off all night with all those wonderful men - thanks to everyone who came !!! (Do I really have to wait another 10 years before I get another one !!!)

- the Scottish Comps - I was just soooo excited to be there !!!

- dancing in the cabaret team at the comps - scary but fantastic

- being told by Gus that he thought I'd danced well in the cabaret team !!!! (God the fact he noticed me at all !!)

- getting into the final of the lucky dip (thank you Paul !!)

- watching the Dundee team perform at the comps - brilliant !!

- getting to know and dance with my fellow slappers for Franck's birthday surprise (that was the Pans People moment I've been waiting for all my life !!!)

- getting to know some people better (too many to mention and Stuart would cry again if I missed him out by mistake !!)

- THAT workshop in Aberdeen with H and Kirsty - that was just .... better than "better than chocolate" if that's possible !!!!

- inventing BTC and people using it on the forum (it WAS me, wasn't it Bill !!!) - just waiting for the OED to incorporate it in the next edition

- learning THAT Lydia move (still need to practise - as long as you don't mind guys !)

- someone telling me I was the sexiest dancer he'd ever seen (he didn't even charge me much !!)

- staying up really late and talking a load of mince to ErickLondon (I just have to laugh !)

- watching Brady dancing the girl's part with Bill and Brian

- seeing Brady blossom into a fabulous dancer (and I bet he'll just get better and better!)

- dancing with all my heros - who know who you are !!! Thanks Guys for some magical moments

Lows :

Just the one....

Wx

PS Highs for next year will be :

- learning Blues

- learning how to follow !!!

[TheTramp]

having a magical birthday party in January with Franck doing a class and dancing my socks off all night with all those wonderful men - thanks to everyone who came !!! (Do I really have to wait another 10 years before I get another one !!!)

Was that your 20th then Wendy?? Maybe you could have another one when you turn 21?? (Maybe I could get an invite next time!)

Steve

[Wendy]

You smooth talker, you !!!! If I have a party of course you'll be invited !!! But you have to promise not to talk - you'll have to DANCE all night !!! Oh and you'll have to form a cabaret team with kilts ..... and some very entertaining choreography !!!

Now get back on topic or I'll have to take you outside !!!!

Wx

[Dave Hancock]

High's

- Getting the opportunity to dance in Aus and New Zealand

- Scottish championship's in October, especially the Caberet (thank's to Bill for organinsing us all

)

- The 3 beginner's workshop's I've demo'ed at - had great fun at them all - thanks to Lorna

- H's workshop in Aberdeen and Gus's in Glasgow, very different in styles but both fantastic fun

- Finally just getting to meet lots of other fabby dancers at various venues and parties - thanks for all the dances

Lows

- Only reaaly one and it happened about the 23rd of Nov

[Fran]

some of mine would echo Bills -

Best.

Dancing with Bill at Blackpool in our first comp together.

Comming 4th in the "take a chance" at Blackpool cant remember his name, but thankyou.

The whole event of Blackpool - especialy the massages and the reflexology!!- thank you for making the event possiable chance 2 dance!

Being involved in the Scottish team caberet in London, everyone worked so hard - we all had so much fun becoming friends and no fall outs!! ( it was also fabby to win!!!!!!!)

cottish Competition - winning double trouble with denise and Bill - such fun - thanks Laura

Blues workshop in January - yummy!!! along with the dances through the year.

The Pitlochery weekend this september - loved every minute -very relaxing, great classes & teachers , lovely hotel, great company & massages what more could one ask for?

The edinburgh party last saturday - it just felt great fun.

At Boden on a Blitz night during July - had some fabby dances. It was the best night I had had while visiting new venues - they made me feel so welcome when we went.

Watching Bill and Brady have a dance last saturday.-priceless!


Not so great.


being disqualified in London because Bill & I were getting changed for the team event and missed our round.

23rd

Not being able to make Beach Boogie this year

so much to lookforward to next year!!

franxx

[Wendy]

Just saw currently active users :

Gus, Bill and Wendy

nearly fainted ...

Wxxxxx

[Curtain]

My highs would have to be ...

1. Knowing Bill
2. Working with Lorna
3. Watching Lisa graduate from taxi dancer to teacher
4. Being a Ceroc Deejay (better than normal deejaying)
5. Having a laugh on the forum
6. Deejaying at the 10th Anniversary (I thought it was great)

My Lows would have to be ...

1. Knowing Bill
2. Listening to Blues music

[Sandy]

[quote]Originally posted by Bill
[b]Now that we are entering the last few weeks of 2002 I just wondered what memories everyone will have of the Ceroc year!
QUOTE]

Letting Sandra talk me into going to a ceroc class - has changed my life - honestly!

First dances with Bill and Franck - Wow!

Meeting all the new folk at Ceroc at weekly classes, home and away

Going to the Ceroc parties

Going to the Scottish championships, being **** scared and I wasn't even competing! (managed to head butt Dave H and fall off chair as well!)

'H' workshop on Sunday in particular

Being able to dance at all and finally having the confidence to ask fabby dancers like those mentioned above and others like Dave H, John S and many many more

Watching Lorna's tummy go from very round to flat and slim! Taking a class right up to the end almost of her pregnancy.

Lorna, Bill, Mark and Paul doing the Ceroc party for Sandra's birthday - fab night

Discovering forum but tend to rabble!

Lows -

Head butting Dave H at championships!

Taking too long to ask good dancers to dance

Not being able to go to all the parties - especially Xmas ones!

Not being able to dance like Lorna, Lisa etc but will keep on trying

Sandy

[Lorna]

Hi all,

here are some of my highs for the year:

1. Giving birth to my daughter on the night of the National Ceroc Championships. (5th May, reckon I gave that final push just as Scotland were winning the team cabaret)

2. Being asked to teach on a ceroc holiday next November in Las Palmas.

3. Being the luckiest Ceroc teacher in Scotland as I have the coolest demonstator ever, Bill.

4. Having a new partner in crime, the lovely Lisa.

5. Having such a laugh on stage with DJ Curtain, he truly is a funny guy.

6. Holding the title of 'Brady's favourite Ceroc Teacher' for all of one night when he demoed for me at 'that' Aberdeen party.

7. The forum

8. The Scottish Champs

9. The 10th Anniversary Party.

10. Finally, he does have his moments, but working with original Cerocer himself, Franck.

Lotsa love Lorna x-x

[Jayne]

Surely it can't be the end of the year already???!!

My dancing highs (in no particular order) are:

- The Scottish Competition - wasn't it a great day? Great to meet and dance with so many people, great atmosphere and it did my confidence the world of good!

- Taking part in the Glasgow Cabaret - hard work but *definitely* worth it!!

- Celtic connections ceilidhs back in January - so many nice young men in kilts.... *sigh*

- Starting to learn some Argentinean Tango - so much more to learn....

- The ceroc busk in Glasgow city centre - such a hoot! And it was on one of the four sunny days we had in Glasgow this year!!! (Thanks to the firemen I discovered that I can "spot" when I spin... )

- Winning the Burt Bacharach tickets at Vegas with Stuart. (I guess the limbo win also goes in here...)

- The V&L workshop and THAT move....

and finally,

- Appreciating that there was more to dancing than moving. Sounds odd and I guess I've always known it but it's only recently that I've really appreciated it. In with this is discovering the meaning (and dancers!!) of B.T.C.

Thank you for all the good times!



As for the dancing lows of the year...

...can someone please explain the oxymoron "dancing low" to me please???



Already brushing up the shoes for another fun and dance filled year next year!


Jayne

[Bill]

Originally posted by Curtain
My Lows would have to be ...

1. Knowing Bill
2. Listening to Blues music

You are just so witty Mr Curtain........

Just when you finally start playing some decent music as well !!!!!!!..................mind you most of the good ones are mine

Keep going ......... one day you'll really enjoy the blues

[SwingSwingSwing]

Great question Bill. It certainly got me thinking about things.

Anwyay, here's my dancing highs and lows for 2002.

Highs

• Learning some smooth style lindy
• My general lindy improvement
• Hasse & Marie's Boogie Woogie workshops at Chateau Jive
• Entering the twilight world of a dance DJ
• People liking what I play when in the dance DJ twilight world
• Finally getting my Shorty George's looking right
• Seeing Steven Mitchell dance in the flesh at Coventry

Lows

• The Ceroc 10 year anniversary
• Damaging my calf muscle in May. (and it's still not fully healed)
• Not going to Herrang
• Still not being able to do a Shim Sham (although I'm getting there)

Cheers

SwingSwingSwing

[Lindsay]

Highs

Herrang dance camp, Sweden
Hasse & Marie- Boogie Woogie at Chateau Jive- out of this world.
Sultans of Swing- Steve and Virginie
Scottish Ceroc comp- a great day


Lows

Glasgow bash
Beach Boogie- just wasn't the same without Fran, Bill and Flo!

[SwingSwingSwing]

Originally posted by Lindsay
Highs
Herrang dance camp, Sweden

Talk about kicking a man when he's down. You're just rubbing it in aren't you.

Right, that's it. I'm not dancing with you tomorrow night.


SwingSwingSwing

[Lindsay]

It was amazing... so many fantastic teachers under one roof (or should that be tent).... It truly was BTC and perhaps even BTS. . .?? rub rub rub...

You are such a stylish swing boy these days, SSS, you just HAVE to make an appearance at THE biggest annual dance event in the world!! You can' t miss it next year dude! Hasse, Marie, Stevie, Virginie, Chester, Rhythm Hot Shots, Cookie, Chazz, Frankie, Janice, Skye.... The jamming sessions were something else! www.herrang.com

Re. 2morrow night - of course u will! Especially BW numbers if Ruth doesn't grab you first

[Gadget]

Took me a while to consider this since 99.999% of my dancing ceroc has been a 'high'

• Highs:
• starting Ceroc again at Culter; took an extended break, came back to a great venue
• every night I can dance.
• dancing at a party with people that had never danced (ceroc) before and being able to lead them. (Although several of the husbands/partners didn't approve; they were being nagged for days afterwards to take it up! )
• Dancing to cool music (well most of the time anyway )
• 10th anniversary party - may be listed in some people's lows, but I had a great time!
• Dancing new moves.
• Being able to pick up routines quicker now than at the beginning of the year.
• Being asked to dance by anyone.
• Every compliment on my dancing I receive. (rare enough to deserve a mention)
• Dancing with everyone.
  
  Lows:
• being stupid enough to get blisters by wear new shoes to Ceroc instead of breaking them in first
• getting all revved up to dance & not being able to make it.
• getting phone calls every evening I'm going to dance saying "do you have to go?"
• knowing I will have to give up Ceroc again for an extended period in February. (May give up this forum as well; no point in getting envious of you lot )

[CJ]

High:
Top C in Bat Out of Hell

Low:
Bottom G in Ol' Man River. (just once though.)

[Jon]

Highs
- Making so many new Ceroc friends
- Going out with those friends for non dancing evenings
- First time at Camber Sands. What an experience.
- Learning Blues with Nigel & Nina at Camber
- Finding a dance partner who I dance extremely well with. And having so many people say we look good together.
- Learning the lady moves
- Becoming a Taxi dancer
- Surviving my first Taxi night. What a high (definately a chocolate moment)
- Seeing people I know become Taxi dancers / Demonstrators
- Watching peoples style change for the better
- Filling in on stage for the regular demonstrator
- Doing a Dirty Dancing workshop with 2 of my favourite Ceroc teachers.

Lows
- Loosing my dance partner for the next year due to a knee operation
- Ceroc venues closing on Dec 24,25,26. What will I do!