The road to Ceroc.

[Franck]

Hi all,

I was wondering how you all got started / introduced to Ceroc (or dancing in general)...
Were you actively looking for a dance class, was your arm twisted by a very enthusiastic friend?

Post your story (short or long) here...

Personally, I first got the bug when I saw the film "Dirty Dancing", and I thought one day I'll find a class and learn.
It took me a couple of years, but eventually, a friend mentionned that a Jive class in Glasgow needed extra men, and I thought, why not... I got hooked pretty quickly (one night a week, then 2 then 3 and eventually 5 nights a week...). 2 years later, I started teaching at the first Ceroc night in Glasgow. The rest is history

Franck.

[Fox]

well....2 years ago Jackie and Wendy from Dundee had a joint birthday party at the Bonar Hall, Jackie being my sister in law...well I had to go. I went along with some trepidation but thoroughly enjoy the night even though I didn't have a clue what I was doing..(somethings never change ...lol). Some months after that we agreed to go along to the xmas party and we went along to the classes for some lessons.....never looked back since..

cheers
Fox

[Tiggerbabe]

My supervisor at work happened to mention seeing these people dancing in the city square. Having spent the best part of every night out trying to persuade Alex to teach me how to jive, I thought - that sounds like the very thing! So, off we went (myself and another girl from the office) to the Craigtay and I loved it - many thanks to Bill from Aberdeen who was taxi-ing that night and asked me to dance after the beginner's class.
When the following Wednesday came, my colleague had a list of reasons for not going - I couldn't believe it, how could I not go back? So, I decided that I would just have to be brave and go by myself (I am naturally very shy and this was a difficult thing for me to do). I did, I was hooked and the rest as they say...................

[John S]

For me, it was mainly because a lady in our Manchester office told me about "french jive" and thought I would like it - me who had never danced since doing the pas-de-bas in primary school. So she got details of the Ceroc classes in Edinburgh and sent them to me.

So (because I kinda fancied this lady - Marion - and wanted to impress her) I went along to St Stephens completely ignorant of what I was letting myself in for - I had a vague idea that because it was a church hall there would be a musty old lady at a tinkly piano with geriatrics (like me :rolleyes) hirpling around. It wasn't quite like that - and as Sheena says, the rest is history!!

[John S]

Originally posted by Sheena
I am naturally very shy.

Sheena, that's your most endearing characteristic.:p :p

[Tiggerbabe]

Dear John!

Thanks babe, xx

[Fox]

Shy Shy???........Shy???!!!!...




is this the same Sheena!!!???

hehehehehe....just teasing Sheena

Fox

~elbows Sheena playfully~

[filthycute]

WOW! i can't believe i missed this thread!
For me dancing was always a big love of mine. I always wanted to do couples but living in Dundee this was next to impossible! So i went solo for 5 years doing line dancing After watching my teacher Elaine & her sister Paula jiving on several occasions, and doing a Lindy workshop with Simon Selmon i instantly loved Swing. Then Elaine told me about ceroc...the way she explained it, i was a little doubtful....but i really never expected it to be so...erm..."Swingy" It was merely the fact that i was getting the opportunity to dance with a partner that made me go I have to say though i felt such a fool the first week and nearly never came back. I didn't have a clue what i was doing and couldn't get the beat of the music for the life of me! But thanks to the many supportive (brave) men around i fumbled my way through and never looked back since

PS. i'll put the rest of my Autobiography on the next thread :p

filthycute x x

[jiveoholic]

Here is my offering.

When I separated after 17 years, I decided that I had to plan my life. Being an scientist, I constructed a matrix with possible things to do down the left hand side and attributes that I wished my life to have across the top. Dancing beat all the rest hands down - gets you out, physical exercise, legitimatly touch ladies and may even score(!).

Anyway I went to ballroom dancing classes and I think halved the average age when I walked though the door and all we did was quickstep to some dreadful grandparents music!

My X told me that there was something called Ceroc which was "French jive". I looked it upon the internet (so it must be true!) and found that it was "the closest thing to sex in public with your clothes on. Well that got me interested. Needless to say it isn't, indeed I find it very difficult to "date" on the dance floor. I think that I like the fact that its more of a sport than a night-club.

I found it very difficult, having hardly ever danced and believing that I had two left feet. After the first night, I ordered the Ceroc cards from HQ in London and practiced the rhythm with a piece of string and a door knob as this was the best substitute for a lady that I had!

[Emma]

Endlessly nosy, me.

I first heard of Ceroc when some people from Bromley came into the school I was teaching at and did a class with my group of 9 year-olds. I was immediately desperate to try it out myself, but was too busy surviving in the blackboard jungle ( ...poor little me!!!).

Four or so years later, newly free from the teaching profession (hurrah!) I wanted to dance. I'd forgotten all about Ceroc, but saw a car sticker and did a search on the web. That was six months ago....and every now and again I think about how I could have ended up at a tap dancing class......

How about the rest of you? Someone must have a better story than that!

[Sandy]

Originally posted by Emma
Endlessly nosy, me.

How about the rest of you? Someone must have a better story than that!

Don't know about a better story but I got involved when my friend Sandra suggested we try something different for a regular night out. The last time she did this we ended up at a belly dancing class! never did make the jewel Anyway we went along not having a clue what it was about and after the first hour I almost ran out the class but by the end of the night we were both hooked.



Sandy

[John S]

Originally posted by Sandy

we ended up at a belly dancing class! never did make the jewel

Nothing to stop you wearing your jewel and flimsy veils at the next Ceroc party night, Sandy.

[Emma]

Originally posted by jiveoholic
the closest thing to sex in public with your clothes on.

Hee hee hee...

so..did it come up to your expectations?!

[Alexis Beuraud]

I started being interested in partner dancing three years ago. One year ago I moved to Munich for 6 months. Since I didnÕt know lots of people there I went to some ÒStammtischÓ. A ÒStammtischÓ is something very common in Germany, it is a regular event (usually in the evening) with a specific topic. Everybody who would like to come and speak about the topic is welcome. I first went to a French Stammtisch (IÕm French), it was really friendly, but I thought ÒWhat a pity, IÕm in Germany but I speak my own language. LetÕs try an English Stammtisch, it wonÕt improve my German, but I need to practice my English as wellÓ. I found on the Internet a German-English Association. They have a whole program of interesting events, one of them is called French Jive.ThatÕs how I got addicted. As soon as I moved to Aberdeen in April, I went to the Ceroc classes, which is another name for the same dance.

[Sandy]

Originally posted by John S
Nothing to stop you wearing your jewel and flimsy veils at the next Ceroc party night, Sandy.

I think the best place for that image is firmly in your imagination John! But will definitely be at the next Aberdeen party, seem to have got a bit hooked on them.

Will be going to Dundee on Wednesday, pity you won't be there but I'm sure it will be the first of many visits.



Sandy

[Heather]

I'm sure you will enjoy yourself in Dundee on Wednesday, we are a friendly lot!! Remember to introduce yourself and ask for Sheena, Melanie( Filthycute) and myself!!

[John S]

Thanks, Alexis, that was really interesting and I've bookmarked the Munich Jive website for future reference (Monday nights if anyone fancies a long weekend there!!!)

[Sandy]

Originally posted by Heather
I'm sure you will enjoy yourself in Dundee on Wednesday, we are a friendly lot!! Remember to introduce yourself and ask for Sheena, Melanie( Filthycute) and myself!!

Hi Sheena et all at Dundee

We had a brill time and will definitely be back. thanks for a great night.

you were right, it was hot! but well worth it

Cheers



Sandy

PS hope to see you seen at one of the Aberdeen venues

[Franck]

To bring this thread back to what it is supposed to be about (ie everyone sharing their story of how they got into dancing), how about all of you who have just joined the Forum (and some of you who still haven't told us), do not be shy, it does not need to be long or fancy

Franck.

[Gus]

Originally posted by Franck
To bring this thread back to what it is supposed to be about

do not be shy, it does not need to be long or fancy

Franck.

OK ... many moons ago when I wa DJing at the IVC in London .. noticed an improvement in one of the guys dancing .... he usualy looked like a beheaded chicken on acid ... yup, not pretty. Then noticed him doing dubious things like taking hold of women whilst dancing.

Long story short he dragged me along to the Central Club in Tottenham Court Road, London (for the newer Cerocers, this WAS the place for Ceroc, with people like Viktor and Mike Allard teaching ... and where Nigel A first started Cerocing I belive)....

ANYWAY ..started the classess ... OK so far, then got persuaeded to ask one of the lasses to dance freestyle .... she looked me up and down then said NO Exit Gus stage right with ego in small jar vowing never to return. Couple of months later dragged back kicking and screaming ... started to get on OK with it but freetsyling was totlay beyond me. Then made the huge mistake of going to Hammersamith freestyle ... spent whole night as billy nomates not getting a dance ... and so ended Cerco for me .. or so I thought.

Went on the Dance and Ski hols (1997?) and got taken under the wing of a willing woman who showed me what it was about (and the dancing wasn't bad either ... JOKE!) Then left London and moved to Peterborough where the friendly natives helped me get my act together ... and the rest ... as they say is history.