Can it really be a year since our last Christmas party?
After very positive feedback from last year we once again ventured to the Springfield hall for the annual Duesbury Aldred Christmas bash. It was great to see so many there with a few new attendees and some familiar faces who we haven’t seen for a while. It’s a great opportunity to mix with friends and reacquaint ourselves with people we’ve not met for ages. Judging by the smiles on people’s faces I would say a good time was had by all and it was good to see that everyone had dressed for the occasion .
We then had the studio Christmas Dance giving everyone the opportunity to enjoy a relaxed social evening as well as revisit some seasonal favourites such as the Lancers and the Paul Jones, which was the last act of another busy year. It was lovely to welcome some newbies here too who were enjoying this event for the first time and we hope to see them again at future events.
Boris will soon be jetting off to Bearmuda once more for his Christmas break with family and freinds before arriving back fully refreshed for the New Year which soon kicks off with the first ISTD qualifier at Bedworth early in January.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their loyal support over the past year and wish you all a very happy Christmas and a healthy and sucessful New Year. We look forward to seeing you all again soon.
The NATD exam session took place at the weekend and It was the last official engagement for Boris this year. He does enjoy seeing everyone dressed in their best and watching how they have improved through the year. This year was a special treat as the Christmas bears also got to be involved too!
The examiner was very complimentary about the overall standard and expressed that she had very much enjoyed her weekend with us. The presentation dance is 16th February so you won’t want to miss that.
The festive season now begins in earnest with the Christmas party on Saturday evening which we are sure will be a night to remember. A chance to enjoy meeting up with our dancing friends in a relaxed environment. This will be followed by the Christmas dance in the studio the following Tuesday after which Boris will be jetting off to visit friends and family in Bearmuda once again.
We then have our Christmas break before things start up again in the New Year with the first competition, an ISTD qualifier on 19th January.
For many of the team this was the last competition of the year. Not long after attending Blackpool for the ISTD event we were thinking about qualifying again for Blackpool next summer and we are are pleased to say everyone did so. That said there was a good turnout and some decent competition, in some of the sections. All of the juveniles and most of the juniors needed a recall to make their finals and many of the adults had other dancers to try and beat.
Rosie had two new dances (to her) to perform today, the quickstep and jive which are tricky when you are only six year’s old. Nevertheless she danced them both admirably and secured a final place finishing third in her quickstep.
Ashleigh finished second in both of her events whilst Brooke, Tabatha and Megan were all recalled to both their finals. Brooke took first place in her ballroom and second in the latin, Tabatha was third in ballroom and sixth in her latin and Megan was placed fourth in ballroom and fifth in latin.
In the adult section there were first places for: Paige, Alison T, Lisa and Kathryn whilst Rebecca and Karen won both of their events. All of the adult events were straight finals and Craig, Chris, Paul, Stephen, Angela and Hazel, sadly had no competition but it is still good practice to get out on the floor and dance in front of an audience in a competition setting and try and put into effect what has been learnt in lessons.
Boris and friends, of course, were in attendance and it will also be their last formal gathering of the year so they were excited to all be together once again. They do like this event as they get to sit on the table, have room to spread out and get a good view of everyone’s dancing!
Still to come, we have the NATD exams in a few weeks before the party season kicks in so Boris will be kept busy.
Another weekend, another trip to Blackpool this time for the ISTD Grand Finals. Always a tough event with dancers from across the country qualifying to take part in this national event. With ballroom, sequence and Latin, as well as two new open events involving the Viennese Waltz and Paso Doble, there was plenty to test our team of dancers.
The juveniles were first in action with Rosie, Alisha and Olivia taking to the floor. With several heats from the first round and some tricky dances, this was not going to be easy. Alisha and Rosie both danced a lovely tango, Rosie making the semi final but sadly Alisha didn’t get a recall this time. Olivia also danced nicely in her event but again missed getting a recall. The sequence followed and both Rosie and Alisha took to the floor with the Veleta, the first time this event had been danced at Grand Finals. In the final Rosie was placed third and Alisha sixth. In the Latin everyone danced nicely again but unfortunately no one managed to secure a recall this time. Rosie also paired up with a girl from another dance school for an impromptu couples partnership and despite having little practice to sort out a routine received a recall in their ballroom event and made the semi final of the Latin, an excellent result.
The juniors followed and in the team today we had regular attendees, Chloe, Kaitlyn, Tabatha and Brooke with the addition of Megan and Ashleigh, for the first time at this event. Again they all had to navigate several heats and rounds to progress further which they all did. With Ashleigh, Megan and Tabatha reaching the semi final of their events. In the open Viennese Waltz Ashleigh, Tabatha, Chloe and Brooke all received a recall with Tabatha again securing a semi final place.
In the sequence events Brooke, Tabatha, Kaitlyn and Chloe all reached the final being placed second, third, fifth and seventh respectively. A great achievement and well deserved. Some of our dancers were also pleased to come in on Saturday especially to partner our friends from Barbados in the sequence events, to help support and encourage them in this style. A lovely gesture which I know they appreciate.
In the Latin only Chloe managed to secure a recall in the graded events but in the open Paso event Tabatha, Megan and Ashleigh were all recalled to the next round and once again Tabatha made it to the semi final, a brilliant achievement dancing against higher graded dances all performing open choreography.
Sadly none of our junior couples received a recall in their events despite some good performances. However, Ashleigh and Megan had teamed up together and danced with confidence in spite this being their first outing together, a daunting place to make your debut, even for seasoned competitors.
So ended day one and there was time for a quick meal before returning to the ballroom for the evening social dance and get together. Tonight was a tribute to Liz, the former DJ for many years at these events who we sadly lost recently and it was great to see everyone joining in and having fun.
Day two saw another early start and it was back to the ballroom for another epic day and it was the turn of our adults to see what they could do. Once again we had some first timers at this event, Rebecca, Stephen and Angela. The day began with the sequence events and here we had our first winner of the weekend with Craig taking first place closely followed by Grace, Emily, Paige and Charlotte in second, fourth, fifth and sixth respectively. Chris was the winner of his event but had to perform a solo demonstration to achieve it (no easy task on the Wintergardens floor). Whilst Serena, Lisa, Carla, Andrew and Neil filled second to sixth places in that order in their event. Finally Rosalind finished second in her event with Dawn and Hazel taking the next two places. We were off to a good start.
In the ballroom events there were semi finals for Rebecca, Serena and Allison and making their finals were Angela (sixth), Lisa (fourth), Paige (sixth), Craig (second), Hazel (fifth) and Grace, who made the final of both her graded and open event finishing in fifth place in both. We also had our second winner of the day with Rosalind in her ballroom graded event. Almost everyone else received at least one recall which was pleasing to see as the standard was high, as it always is.
The latin section followed and this time there were semi finals for Stephen, Kathryn, Paige, Craig, Emily, Serena and Carla in both of her events. We also had further finalists with Lisa securing a sixth place, Rosalind second and Hazel eighth.
Next came the couples events in which we had Rebecca & Fearn, Chris & Lisa, Andrew & Dawn, Craig & Grace, Charlotte & Emily, Hazel & Kathryn and Stephen & Angela dancing. Rebecca & Fearn were delighted to get a recall in their tango. Andrew & Dawn were placed second in their ballroom event with Chris & Lisa made both ballroom and latin finals finishing third and fifth. We then had our third win of the weekend with Craig & Grace securing a win in their ballroom event and they also made their latin final being placed fourth.
A great weekend for everyone and as always there were some personal successes and a few disappointments. It is tough of course but gives our dancers the opportunity to mix with some of the country’s best dancers in their respective age and grade categories and helps them understand what is needed to progress further.
As always we need to acknowledge the tremendous effort and dedication of our team of partners and assistants including some who were stepping up for the first time at these events. Many thanks therefore to Luke, Liam, Ruth, Grace, Craig, Emily, Charlotte and Paige. I am sure everyone appreciates the hard work you all put in on their behalf which is not just about partnering on the day but also learning dances and routines, attending lessons and being available as required throughout the weekend. In addition, Ruth of course keeps us all in check with the clipboard, a vital role, as is keeping us supplied with tea and coffee so thank you to Julie for that. Finally, all the family and friends who support our dancers both on and off the floor it can’t be done without you.
Boris, naturally, was in attendance from the first steps to the last, along with his chums, a couple of whom were seasonally attired. He was pleased and excited to see our dancers perfoming to their best ability and delighted to welcome our new team members. He was also delighted to see the return of Michael who had returned from his adventures and he kept a close paw on him to make sure he didn’t wander off again!!
Next year marks the 25th celebration of this event which we have attended since 2004 and so we hope many of you will also want to be part of this landmark event too.
We now pause for a moment’s breath before we focus on the NATD exams closely followed by the Christmas build up.
The alarm sounded at 3.30am on Saturday morning heralding the start of the most prestigious event in the sequence calendar. Louise had the honour of adjudicating, hence the early start, and so needed to be in the Wintergardens at 9am.
The Chamiponships had undergone some changes this year with the festival being shortened by a day and the addition of some new events. This meant there was plenty to be involved in and it was going to be a full three days of dancing.
We had some first timers too. Rosie dancing at this event for the first time and Ella visiting for the first time, although not dancing yet but maybe soon! Rosie was the first to take to the floor and showed no signs of nerves. She received at least one recall in all three of her events and then made the final of the under 8 years finishing fifth. A fantastic achievement.
The adults joined us on the Sunday and this year we had our usual team, Josh & Grace, Craig & Emma, Stuart & Andrea, Neil & Carla, Chris & Lisa as well as our professionals, Luke, Liam and Julie. It was lovely to see Emma rejoining the team, taking over a year out and then coming back to the competition floor is no easy task and takes a great deal of determination and committment.
When the band stikes up in the fabulous Wintergardens you know you have arrived and there is no feeling quite like it. Greeted by this our dancers could hardly fail to give their best and this is exactly what they did. Sunday saw the Amateur and Senior Championships decided alongside the open Pre-Champ Modern Sequence and open six dance challenge. Chris & Lisa were delighted to make it through two rounds to the Pre Champ modern sequence final finishing a highly respectable sixth. They made a huge stride forward this year, not having received a recall in this event last year. Craig & Emma danced in the six dance challenge as did Neil & Carla. This was a test of endurance as well as ability requiring competitors to dance two classical, two modern and two latin sequence dances. Both couples survived the test and put on a creditable performances finishing second and fourth respectively.
The Senior Championship saw Stuart & Andrea and Neil & Carla in action and again both couples danced well and showing improvements. They both made the final and went on to secure second and fifth places.
The Amateur final was going to be a tough challenge as always. Craig & Emma were delighted to be recalled to the final and finshed in sixth place whilst Josh & Grace were disappointed to narrowly miss winning the event. They won two of the dances but in the final analysis were only just pipped to first place by a close rule 11 decision.
Monday began with the Inventive Dance Competition in which Liam & Charlotte and Luke & Julie were dancing. This event had the largest entry for many years and whilst both couples achieved several recalls and danced some interesting compositions neither managed to secure a win on this occassion. With a small window in which to eat and change it was then back to the ballroom for the evening session. All too soon we were reaching the end of the festival! All couples were in action once more and proceedings began with the Pro-Am Classical Sequence event in which we had Liam & Grace, Luke & Emma and Josh & Julie competing with some “friendly” inter-school rivalry. Liam & Grace won the event once again, with Luke & Emma and Josh & Julie finishing second and third.
The competitions then began to heat up with the Over 35 years Pre-Champ, the Senior Modern Sequence and Amateur Classical Sequence Championship. Chris and Lisa secured a final place in their event with another confident performance, finishing fourth. They then took up the challenge of the Latin competition and again finished fourth although could have been placed higher. In the Senior Modern Sequence event both couples were recalled to the final with Stuart & Andrea filling their familiar second place spot and Neil & Carla once again finishing fifth.
The final event of the festival was the Amateur Championship, the most pretigious title in the sequence world with a history strectching back to 1946. Unfortunately Craig & Emma did not make the final this time but Josh & Grace did secure their place. With growing excitment and tension they gave a display of great technique, superb composure and classical styling which left the judges no room for doubt and they were awarded first place by winning four out of the five test dances. In doing so they join an illustrious group including our own Luke, Alex and Liam. Many congratulations to them both for their years of hard work and dedication.
Of course the support from families, friends and the other team members is always fabulous and helps inspire our dancers to perform as well as they do.
Boris was of course beside himself with excitement at the successes and improvements we witnessed, as were his whole team. The euphoria was slightly dented however by the disappearance of Michael. Should anyone discover a lost bear whilst unpacking, his owner would be grateful for his safe return.
A small celebration was thought to be in order and so we returned to the Arabella to celebrate another amazing festival and our fabulous team of dancers and supporters, we couldn’t ask for better.
Of course we have another Blackpool on the horizon with a full team outing. This promises to be another exciting weekend so look out for the report here
It was the last ISTD qualifier of the year before Grand Finals in November and although it was a small affair we were out in force. For most it was the opportunity for some all important match practice ahead of the main event whilst for others it was the opportunity to qualify. Since the last Doncaster event was cancelled this was the first qualifier event since May and so a good chance to don our finery, stretch the legs once again and try to put into practice, under pressure, what we’ve being learning in lessons.Boris of course was excited to see progress and meet his team for a final briefing before November.
We had a couple of first timers at the event, Megan and Ashleigh both hoping to do enough to make it to Grand Finals for the first time.
Unusually, all competitors started together and the juveniles were run alongside the juniors and adults meaning we had all the team present at once. Since the numbers were down on the day it did mean there was plenty of support for everyone and, as always, a great team atmosphere.
We began the day with the ballroom section and Rosie lead the way in the under six years events. All the events were straight finals today but we did have some eight and nine dancer finals and there were some excellent dancers to beat so our dancers were going to be tested. Overall however we had a good day with some notable results: Scarlett had two second places and Ashleigh had a second place on her first outing with us. Topping the rostrum today though were: Rosie, Olivia, Megan, Tabatha, Angela, Fearn, Lisa, Chris, Craig, Rosalind, Andrew, Stephen, Neil, Dawn and Brooke. In the couples there were also wins for Tabatha & Brooke, Chris & Lisa, Craig & Grace, Neil & Carla and Andrew & Dawn and finally Brooke had a win in one of her solo events.
Naturally we can’t do any of this without the help of partners and our willing team of volunteers was on hand to assist. Alongside our regulars, Luke, Ruth, Grace and Craig we had Brooke and Tabatha assisting for the first time which was a great learning experience for them and also shows how much they’ve developed to be thought capable of such responsibilities. A huge thank you to all of you for your invaluable contributions.
Although not having the largest entries, it was an enjoyable day and one to get everyone in the “Blackpool frame of mind”. Of course we need to support these events to make sure we have such opportunities in the future and next year celebrates 25 years of Grand Finals so I’m sure it will be a special occasion.
Boris has his busiest period fast approaching with the British Sequence Championships in October closely followed by Grand Finals in November. We then have an NATD qualifier for next July and finally NATD exams before the festive season can really start. Make sure you don’t miss out and Boris and his team will be there to cheer you all on, every step of the way!
Boris barely had time to unpack his sunshades and swimsuit before he was back in action at our Sequence competition at Chesterfield. He does enjoy this event however as he gets to sit on the stage and gets a good view of proceedings.
We had a good turnout from the school with regular competitors, Josh & Grace, Stuart & Andrea, Carla & Neil, Chris & Lisa joined by Charlotte and Emily who danced at this event last year. We also witnessed the welcome return of Craig & Emma after a period of enforced absence.
We also had a good turnout from other school members to support the competitors and participate in the social dancing which is a feature of this event. There was a great atmosphere throughout the day and, for the competitors, the added support inspired them to greater performances. There were wins in both their events for Josh & Grace. Stuart & Andrea were placed second in both of their events closely followed by Neil & Carla in third place. Chris & Lisa won one of their events and were second in the other. Charlotte & Emily were placed a highly creditable second in their two events whilst Craig & Emma danced well in their first event together for over a year to finish in third place in both of their events.
A highlight of the day is the fun Sindy Swing event where the non competitors team up with the competitors. As usual it was the largest event of the day producing some interesting partnerships. Julie P, Andrew and Beverley made the final of this event from about 30 couples who took to floor, Beverley finishing third, Julie P in fourth and Andrew in sixth place with their respective partners.
A fun day all around then and a great way to kick start the Autumn term.
Boris completed his last official engagement before the summer break yesterday with the summer dance at the studio. It was a great opportunity for everyone to come along, catch up with friends they haven’t seen for a while and enjoy an evening of social dancing. It also served as the celebration of the fifth anniversary of the official opening of the studio, where did those five years go!
Of course we also had our ISTD exam session last week which was attended by many of you. Everyone looked fabulous as always and danced their best under the very experienced and watchful eye of Miss Jill Bush, an examiner many of you will remember from previous occasions. All seemed to go well but of course we now await the results to see what was good and what can be improved upon. As always Boris was present to oversee proceedings and enjoyed watching the progress everyone makes with each outing.
We now take a short break over the summer and Boris will make his regular trip back to Bearmuda to recharge his batteries before the busy autumn term.
Things kick off straight away with our sequence competition at Chesterfield before things hot up with The British Sequence Championships in October and Grand Finals in November.
Enjoy your summer and we look forward to seeing you all back, fully recharged and raring to go😎
Once more we find ourselves in Blackpool, where else? It was the NATD grand finals and so most of our team were in attendance eager to pit themselves against some of the countries top dancers in this field.
Sadly a few our those who were supposed to be attending couldn’t make it through illness and their contribution was missed but we wish them a speedy recovery and look forward to their return at future events. However, on a happier note the weekend began with a celebration as it was Karen’s birthday on the Friday so of course we needed to have a cake!
At this event children and adults dance on both days and Saturday started with children’s Latin and adult ballroom. We didn’t have any juveniles with us this year and so it was a leisurely start for us all, since the juniors began late morning. Brooke, Megan and Sophie were representing the school today and with three heats to navigate from their first round for them all, we knew things were not going to be easy. They all danced better than on previous visits and Brooke made the quarter final whilst Megan made it all the way to the final finishing 8th overall. A great result to set the tone for the weekend.
Brooke and Megan danced the couples events and although they didn’t get a recall they put on a good show but with five heats in the first round it was always going to be tough going.
The adults began their campaign with Heather, Alison T, Kathryn and Angela all getting recalls and Charlotte and Stephen being recalled to their finals finishing 5th and 6th in their respective events. Craig, Allison, Chris, Hazel and Karly danced in their finals and were placed 2nd, 3rd, 2nd, 5th and 3rd. We then had our first winner of the weekend with Lisa, having had two recalls to her final, taking first place.
The adult couples followed and we had a few impromptu partnerships: Paige & Karly, Rebecca & Fearn and Hazel & Kathryn alongside the regular partnerships of Chris & Lisa and Stephen & Angela. Craig & Charlotte paired up in Emily’s absence but had had no prior practice and were dancing in the highest grade. All the couples danced well and, like the juniors, there were three, four and even five heats in many of the events. Rebecca & Fearn were recalled in one of their events and Steven & Angela made the semi finals of their events. Craig & Charlotte went one better and made the final of one of their events being placed 3rd whilst Chris & Lisa made both of their finals, claiming our second first place of the day in one of their events and 2nd in the other.
After grabbing a quick pizza back at the Arabella it was off to bed to prepare for day two.
Another leisurely breakfast and it was off to the ballroom once again for day two which was essentially a repeat of day one but with the children’s ballroom and adult Latin. It was clear that it was going to be no easier today and so it proved. Megan achieved a recall in her event but Brooke and Sophie were disappointed not to get the chance to dance again. Next came the couples and this Brooke danced with Megan, taking on the lead role in competition for the first time. They danced extremely well but like the Latin there were four and five heats in the first round so were delighted with a recall in one of their events and reaching the semi final in the other.
The adult Latin followed and recalled to the finals this time were Paige, Stephen and Lisa. Paige finishing 4th, Stephen 6th and Lisa completing a double win in her event. Also dancing in their finals were Karly (2nd), Craig (2nd), Hazel (3rd), Allison (3rd) and Chris who won. Whilst some events had more entrants than others nobody danced on their own and the standard was still high in those that were straight finals.
Just when most events are finishing we began the couples and with the same partnerships as in the ballroom we were determined to finish on a high. Rebecca & Fearn were pleased to get a recall in their rumba, Rebecca only having learnt the routines recently and taking lead for the first time. Hazel & Kathryn and Karly & Paige danced well but were in tough grades and didn’t get recalls. Stephen & Angela rounded their weekend off with a final in their rumba event finishing 6th whilst Chris & Lisa retained their winning streak with a first place in their samba and a 6th in their rumba. Craig & Charlotte continued their mystery tour of the dance floor not always knowing what they were doing themselves let alone each other, but somehow managed to give a convincing performance to reach the semi final of the open rumba and were placed 3rd in their paso. It kept us all entertained however and ensured a great finish to the weekend.
Not having left the ballroom since we started it was then back to the hotel for food and festivities. Of course a few games are traditional at this point and Kathryn’s knees may never recover!
Boris was of course in attendance throughout but many of his chums didn’t make it this time which was a great disappointment, however he is hoping for a full turnout in November. It was still good to catch up though and watch everyone’s improvements. McKenzie and Morag came prepared for a weekend at the seaside although Boris wondered if they would find the time to go to the beach! Nevertheless they thoroughly enjoyed their weekend watching every step taken and sharing all the highs and a few lows that always come with events such as this. He looks forward to the next team outing.
As always we need to thank our assistants, Luke for partnering, Ruth as the clipboard queen and Julie for keeping us supplied with tea. The support from you all was amazing, as always, although we did miss Rob for his enthusiasm and were slightly down on volume!
We have ISTD exams next and the summer dance before we disappear for the summer to recharge our batteries for the autumn term which is always a very busy one.
For once it was not an early start, quite a civilised time in fact as we all set off for a new venue. The ISTD qualifier at Market Harborough was not too far away either so another bonus, it was meant to be at Lutterworth but this was closed due to renovations.
We had a few notable absences but had a good team turnout with some still needing to secure qualifying spots for Grand Finals in November, having only had one qualifying event so far this year.
Unusually for these events adults and children all began together and numbers were low so unfortunately all the events were straight finals. Still it gave everyone chance to dance in a competitive environment under pressure which is something we can’t replicate in lessons and gave the dancers a chance to try and put into practice what they have been working on in their lessons.
It was lovely to have Emma back with us and we also welcomed Ella to the team for the first time. Although too young to dance yet she was no doubt getting a feel for the music and rhythm.
Despite the lower turnout there was still a good atmosphere and support from all sections of the room. With wins today there was Rosie, Kaitlyn, Chloe, Brooke, Paige, Fearn, Craig, Rebecca, Chris, Lisa, Allison, Stephen, Rosalind, Hazel, Andy and Karen. In the couples events there were first places for Tabatha & Kaitlyn, Paige & Fearn, Chris & Lisa, Paul & Karen and Craig & Emma.
Our partnering team was out in force too and thanks, as always, go to Luke, Liam and Ruth for their invaluable contributions as well as Craig for partnering alongside competing himself.
Boris was, of course, on hand to oversee proceedings with his team of supporters and was pleased to welcome new team member, May. He was pleased to see she was settling in and being well looked after and remarked that he thought her new dress was most suitable for the occasion. He commented that he would have preferred if Mr Benn had sat with everyone else though and thinks perhaps his owners need additional training on the correct protocols.
We have a slight break from competitions now (except those who have a sequence competition on Sunday) which will give everyone a chance to catch their breath after such a busy period. Next we will be working towards the NATD medallist of the year event at Blackpool in July followed soon after by ISTD exams, so plenty still to keep us occupied.
