Duesbury Aldred Dance Centre Blog

Last Sunday afternoon was the annual medal  presentation and dance, held at George Spencer Academy. Over a hundred dancers and their families and friends came along for an enjoyable afternoon of dancing, socialising and the tempting cakes made by the FROGS, all presided over by Boris of course.

The children treated the audience to a display of their work including dances such as the Waltz, Cha Cha Cha, Tango, Jive and Paso Doble. The older children and young adults next entertained with a montage of latin dances to music from The Greatest Showman and then Liam and Alex gave us a beautiful demonstration of a mix of Classical Sequence and ballroom.

As many of you will know, Alex will soon be departing for Australia, to work, for a while. We all wish her well but hope that she will return in the not too distant future. In recognition of Alex and Liam’s successful Amateur careers and their contribution to the school in terms of partnering and lessons, without whom we would not be able to take as many as we do to Blackpool, we decided that they were worthy recipients of the School Award for last year.

As always we had a raffle in aid of Cancer Research with many of the prizes generously donated. This year we raised £93, a great effort thank you.

All too soon the afternoon came to a close but hope everyone enjoyed themselves and we look forward to seeing you at an event soon

Following the Christmas break we were soon back into the swing of the competition programme once again and the team were out in force for the first ISTD qualifier of the year at Kettering. The weather was unusually mild and Boris and the gang had returned fresh from their holidays in Bearmuda, ready and eager to support the dancers.

Kettering is always a tough event, almost like a mini Blackpool so it is a good test for the dancers to face some challenging competition. Not only is the standard of dancing high here but so are the volume of entries and the children particularly have to undergo several rounds to make a final and even recalls are not easy to come by.

The children were first into action as usual and many were changing age groups this time. We also had a couple of newcomers to the team. Isobel and Grace S were dancing in the junior events for the first time, looking lovely in their new junior dresses, both did very well getting a recall. Chloe and Kaitlyn also moved into older age groups and along with Ellie all reached the semi-final of one of their events. April and Lewie joined us for the first time and again both did very well getting recalls. Jack did very well to make the final of his ballroom event being placed 5th.

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The sequence events gave another opportunity to shine and once again our dancers were up to the challenge. Chloe finished 3rd in her event and Jack, Grace S and Paige all made the junior final, a great way to round off their day. Next came the adults and once again everyone performed well realising that they would need their A game today.

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There were first places today for Olivia, Grace P, Carla and Sue in the Ballroom and Grace P, Serena and Carla in the sequence events. In the under 35 years sequence event, the top four places were filled by Grace P, Olivia, Molly and Charlotte B. Although many of the adult competitions were straight finals the standard of competition was still high and our dancers held their own against some excellent competitors.

Other notable performances today were: Molly being placed second only to Olivia in the ballroom, Andy’s 3rd place in his ballroom event, Chris’s second in both ballroom and sequence events and Sue who gave a solo performance in her latin (not an easy thing to do for anyone). Overall it was a good day’s work with many people picking up those vital qualification slips for Blackpool. We must of course thank the team of dedicated partners who partner everyone at these events; Luke, Ruth, and Liam (who was not well but carried on regardless) as well as those who partner alongside competing themselves; Grace P and Molly. 

There are of course many more opportunities throughout the year and I am sure that those who didn’t make it this time will do so later on. Next we have the NATD medal presentation dance on 27th January so get your tickets soon if you haven’t done so already and then we have the next ISTD Qualifier on February 17th before our own competition on March 3rd. Plenty to keep us all out of mischief! 

As 2018 draws to a close we saw the last two main events of the dancing year: the NATD exam session and the Christmas party.The exam session was held over the two days of December 1st and 2nd starting at 11am on Saturday and finishing at 7pm on the Sunday (with a brief interlude for dinner and sleep in between). Everyone was immaculately turned out as you would expect and danced their best of course. Our examiner was Mrs Valerie Laws from Whitby who was very impressed and made several complimentary remarks on the high standard of dancing she had observed over the weekend.

Boris of course was on hand to see that all went smoothly and never moved from his seat the whole time!

The following weekend was the annual Christmas party which is always a good way to round off the year and allows the chance to mingle with friends and fellow dancers in a relaxed environment. This year over 60 of us went to Risley Park which served up an enjoyable festive fayre, varied disco and Ho Ho Bingo, the winner of which was Sue P and her table. Everyone looked magnificent in their glad rags and it was a jolly way to kick start the festive period.

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We will soon be taking a short break for the Christmas holidays and then in January we will be straight back into things with the ISTD qualifier at Kettering followed by the Presentation dance. 

Hot on the heels of Blackpool was the NATD trophy day at Friesland Sports Centre. We had three dedicated couples today, Dawn & Andy, Craig & Karly and Emily & Molly (who had won two trophies last time and were keen to challenge for further honours).

We also welcomed Arabella on her first official outing as an “honorary bear” and she had certainly dressed for the occasion. Whilst a little nervous at first, Boris thought she coped admirably and will make a welcome addition to the team.

The on floor action began as usual with the ballroom events and in the open foxtrot and tango competition all three couples were recalled to the final. The event was won by Molly & Emily with Craig & Karly finishing in second and Dawn & Andy fourth.

In the under 35 years event the situation was reversed with Craig and Karly winning and Molly & Emily finishing second, whilst in the over 35 years event Dawn & Andy finished second.  The Adult and Child Waltz then followed and not having any children there today our dancers teamed up with young dancers from other schools. From a large entry both Andy and Molly made the final finishing 5th and 6th respectively.

The Latin events followed and once again all our couples made it to the final of the open event with Craig & Karly winning, Emily & Molly second and Dawn & Andy sixth.    The pattern was repeated in the under 35 years event with Craig & Karly securing victory and Emily & Molly taking runner up spot. Dawn & Andy once again finished second in the over 35 years event.

Although a small day by the standards of some events we attend it was nevertheless an enjoyable one and had a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. The “Three Degrees” ( Julie, Janet and Beverley) kept us entertained all day with their dance routines and even brought the admiration of the compère.

A good day was had by all and also, as it was nice and local we were all home early. The next major events will be the NATD exams in two weeks followed by the Christmas Party (can it really be that time already!). Keep a look out for more posts soon.

November means shorter days, grey damp weather and bonfire night but for many dancers it brings the thrill of dancing in the Blackpool Wintergardens at the ISTD Grand Finals and what a sparkler it proved to be.

Our intrepid team of dancers, supporters and bears were out in force to measure themselves against experienced competitors from all over the country and for some, reaching a final would mean dancing in five or more rounds of up to four heats. Not surprisingly then, finalists are a rare commodity and anyone getting even a recall feels very fortunate.

The first activity of the weekend was the Annual Friday evening quiz organised by Chris which was just as keenly contested as the dancing would be over the coming days. The winners, by one point, were Karly and Debbie and the prize was an alpaca (a stuffed one) who was christened Arabella and given honorary membership of the Bear Mascot club by Boris.

Saturday arrived and it was an early start for our juvenile dancers whose competitions began at 8.30am. First in action was Charlie who danced a lovely Waltz despite never having danced here before and although he failed to secure a recall was fully focussed and seemed to enjoy the experience.

Kaitlyn, Luke, Chloe, Isobel, Ellie and Grace all soon followed Charlie into action and amongst a tough field all danced very well and secured at least one recall with some getting more than one.

We were represented in the juvenile couples by Luke and Chloe. These events include all under 12 year old competitors and so they did extremely well to make the semi final of both their ballroom and Latin events against much older competition.

The juniors began in the afternoon and we had Jack, Paige and Shanae in action. Again they all gave their best and Jack secured a recall with his tango whilst Paige became our first finalist with her Waltz finishing 5th, a tremendous achievement.

It was then off for a quick bite to eat before returning to the ballroom for the evening dance. The “theme” this year was musicals and many of our dancers elected to depict the “Sound of Music”. We had the Von Trapp children accompanied by Maria, a collection of Nuns and assorted lederhosen clad gentlemen.

 

 

 

Sunday was again an early start and as usual the day began with the Sequence events at 8.30am. Most of our dancers were in action and although we had no winners almost everyone had a recall with final places for Grace S, Karen, Paul, Serena, Carla, Christine, Andrew and Dawn.

The ballroom events swiftly followed and again most people achieved at least one recall with many getting two. Reaching the semi finals were Charlotte B, Carol, Peter, Libbie, Serena, Paul, Dennis and Karen. Going one better with a final place were Debbie (6th), Rosalind (3rd), Molly (3rd), Hazel (5th), Josh (5th), Carla (7th), Allison (8th) and Sue (2nd). Congratulations to you all.

 

 

 

It was then on to the Latin events and again the semi-finalists were Debbie, Carol and Serena and recalled to the finals were Molly (2nd), Sue (3rd) and Geraldine (7th). The Latin events also brought our first winner so many congratulations to Rosalind who was at this event for the first time.

 

 

 

Was it still the same day or had time stood still? It was 9pm before the couples events began but it was worth the wait. The floor was split in two with competitions taking place simultaneously which gives the events the look of an elegant demolition derby! Undaunted however our couples rose to the challenge and secured a collection of final places. In the ballroom: Craig & Libbie were 2nd with Olivia & Charlotte S 4th in the same event. Chris & Serena were 3rd, Josh & Grace 2nd, Paul & Karen 2nd and Neil & Carla 3rd. In the over 50 years silver/gold category we had a one, two with Andrew & Dawn placed 1st and Dennis & Sue 2nd.

Success continued in the Latin events with Craig & Charlotte B securing a win, Chris & Serena 2nd, Josh & Grace 6th, Paul & Karen 2nd, Carla & Neil 4th, and Andrew & Dawn 4th. A great way to end the weekend and well done to you all especially the impromptu partnerships.

After 26 hours in the ballroom over the two days we finally came to the end and it was time to retire to the bar for some refreshment and the chance to reflect on the weekends highlights.

Overall we had a good showing and I think everyone should be proud of their achievements once again. Of course we would not be able to do it without the help of our team of partners who give up their time not only to attend the event but also come along to lessons to practise beforehand. A huge thank you therefore to Luke, Alex, Liam and Ruth and also to those who partner alongside competing themselves; Josh, Grace P, Emily and Craig.

 

 

As always the support from family, friends and for each other was tremendous and we could not ask for better and finally a big thank you to Stuart & Andrea for sorting out the takeaway order at the end of Sunday evening, a vital operation since we were all starving by the end of the day.

Boris returned home a very tired little bear but very satisfied on a job well done.

The next big events are the NATD exams at the beginning of December followed by the Christmas Party. Don’t miss out.

The “Blackpool” season kicked off this week with the British Sequence Championships and Boris knew he was going to have his paws kept busy with all the action over the four day event. Participating were Josh & Grace, Stuart & Andrea, Neil & Carla, Andrew & Dawn and for the first time at this event, Chris & Allison and Craig & Emma.

The Wintergardens always inspires dancers to perform to the best of their abilities and few get to experience competing in this fabulous, historic ballroom to a live orchestra.

On the first day all couples were in action and all produced great performances. Josh & Grace cemented their place in the final of the modern sequence Championship, a position they claimed last year, and finished 6th in a strong field. Stuart & Andrea also made the final of the Senior Championship and came 3rd. Neil & Carla, Andrew & Dawn, Chris & Allison and Craig & Emma all received recalls in the modern sequence event in one of the largest entries for some years. Andrew & Dawn went on to make the semi-final and Neil & Carla and Craig & Emma reached the final. It was a close fought final and Neil & Carl were highly delighted to finish 2nd whilst Craig & Emma came a very respectable 3rd, an excellent result for their first outing at this event. Furthermore all of the first three couples won one dance showing what a close final it was.

The Monday of this festival takes in the Inventive Dance competition and Louise and I were pleased to be successful in winning once again with the Waldorf Waltz taking our total wins at this prestigious event to 17, a record unsurpassed by anyone. Having been competing in the Inventive Dance competitions for over 20 years we took the difficult decision that we would retire from these events but take away many happy memories.

Also in action once again were Neil & Carla, Andrew & Dawn and Chris & Allison in the Over 35 years Classical sequence. As expected the competition would be hard fought but our dancers were up to the challenge with Chris & Allison making the semi-final and the others reaching the final. It was another close contest and Neil & Carla were once again pipped to the top spot but taking a first place in the Saunter on the way and Andrew & Dawn ended close behind in 3rd place.

The final day of the festival came all too quickly, although it seems as though a day in ‘Blackpool time’ is equivalent to a week elsewhere. Josh & Grace, Stuart & Andrea and Craig & Emma all had events today and they all performed magnificently. Stuart & Andrea finished 3rd in their modern sequence final, Josh & Grace 5th in the Classical Sequence Championship and Craig & Emma came 2nd in the Under 35 years Classical Sequence.

Another successful weekend with lots of positives but also some leaning points. Boris expressed that he was very proud of you all but was a bit lonely having to do all the “mascotting” by himself since it was a very long and tiring weekend for one small bear. Back to the hotel bar then to relax, reflect and reminisce on another enjoyable festival.

There’s hardly time to catch breath and it’s off to Blackpool once more for the ISTD Grand Finals weekend, here’s hoping to more successes as well as another chance to catch up with friends.

 Whitby, famed for fresh fish, rugged coastline, Captain Cook, Dracula and of course dance competitions at the lovely, spacious Spa ballroom. We are usually a small party who regularly attend this event but there is always a relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere and of course the chance to sample the local cuisine.

In attendance today were Dawn and Andy, Chris and Serena, Paul and Karen and Craig and Karly along with a team of dedicated supporters. There was a good
attendance today across all grades, with some experienced competitors, so it was not going to be a walk in the park (or even along the beach!). In the
open events there were a couple of recalls before the finals and so those who made these finals did particularly well today.

So the roll of honour was as follows:

Paul and Karen were placed first in three of their events and finished second in the open ballroom event and fourth in the open Latin event. Paul also won the “fun event” dancing with Dawn.

Andy and Dawn won two of their events and Andy was placed second with Karen in the “fun” competition. Andy was also awarded a lollipop by the organiser
for “best supporter”.

Chris and Serena were placed second, third and fourth in their events and also made the final of the open adult ballroom event. Chris and Craig came third in the “fun” competition completing a clean sweep of the podium places in this event.

Craig and Karly had a second and two third places in their events and also made the final of both the ballroom and Latin open events being placed a
respectable fourth and fifth respectively.

So, as we come to expect, another successful day for the team and one which I am sure was enjoyed by all attendees, especially Boris who got a big box
of biscuits. Having got the fun part of the day out of the way, we got down to the serious business of sampling the local fayre at the Magpie Cafe. Fish and chips always seem to taste better at the seaside and the Magpie
definitely produces some of the best.

We have two Blackpool trips looming, this weekend is the British Sequence Championships where we have six couples in action and then of course we have the ISTD grand finals. Boris has a very busy fortnight ahead on mascot duty but is looking forward to supporting everyone and seeing all members of the team perform their best.

See you there!

We have just returned from a lovely day at Wakefield. It was an additional event, not on the original calendar, providing an extra opportunity to practise or qualify for Blackpool Grand Finals in November.

With a number of people unable to adjust their original plans, we were a select team. The day started with children’s ballroom and Latin events. Everyone made their final in ballroom individuals with a win for Jack in tango. Second places for Kaitlyn and also Isobel in their Waltz events. Third places for Luke, Grace S, fourth for Chloe and fifth places for Ellie and Shanae. In the Latin individual events, Chloe and Jack won their events, Kaitlyn achieved another second. Third places to Luke, Isobel and Grace S and a 5th place for Shanae. Luke & Chloe danced the quickstep and Paso Doble in couples and came second in both.

We then moved onto the sequence events In the juvenile sequence was Chloe, Isobel, Kaitlyn and Ellie. They all danced well and got recalled to the semi final then Chloe and Isobel went one round further, to make the final. Chloe coming third and Isobel fifth. Grace S, Shanae and Jack all performed in the junior final. Jack coming an excellent fourth and Grace S in her first junior event coming fifth.

It was then fun time, today the theme was cha cha cha in ‘baby shark’ style. Everyone entered into it enthusiastically. With several rounds and many recalls, the overall winners were Kaitlyn with her Mum Jemma. Very well done. You could see where the girls get their natural rhythm from!

It was then time for the adults section, with sequence first. Everyone danced well, taking the opportunity to try out a few things they had been working on in the training room. There was a lovely atmosphere created by some good music and enthusiastic support which encouraged all dancers to lift their game. I saw so many happy, smiling dancers today.

For the record the results were as follows :-
Under 35yrs sequence – first place to Josh & fifth to Charlotte B. Over 35yrs sequence – first place to Serena  & second place to Chris. Over 50yrs sequence – second place to Andy & third place to Allison.

Dancing in the adult ballroom individual events were Charlotte B, Karly, Chris, Serena, Josh, Allison, Andy and new to ISTD events Rosalind. I’m delighted to be able to record that they all won their respective ballroom event. We almost, but not quite, replicated this in the Latin individual events.

In the couples events Chris and Serena won both their Quickstep and Paso Doble. We then had a couple of impromptu pairings of Karly & Charlotte B and Andy & Allison who very impressively had a quick practise in Quickstep, Tango and Rumba respectively to put on a fine show and win their events.

Thank you to those who went the ‘extra mile’ to attend today. It was a nice friendly relaxed event  at the same time giving some important match practice before Blackpool. I thoroughly enjoyed the whole day and hope those attending as either dancers or spectators agree.

Next on the calendar are two couples events, one for sequence and then Whitby, which is always a lovely weekend. Then it will be ‘full steam’ ahead to Blackpool.

No sooner are we back from our summer break before we are into competition mode. The first event back is usually our Sequence competition at Chesterfield. In action we had Josh & Grace, Stuart & Andrea, Neil & Carla, Dennis & Sue, Chris & Allison, Paul & Karen and making their debut Craig & Emma. Andy & Dawn were due to dance but had to withdraw due to illness.

The day had a lovely atmosphere and the standard of the dancing was high across all sections. We had the juvenile and junior events first and then the adults joined in mid afternoon. The adult competitions continued into the evening together with an evening social dance which gave the adult competitors an audience to dance in front of and also added to the atmosphere.

All our dancers rose to the challenge, as we have come to expect. Stuart and Andrea won both of their events; Carla & Neil also won one of their events and were placed fourth in the Open Modern Sequence. Paul & Karen came second in both of their events and Craig & Emma were placed second in the under 35 year’s section and third in the Open Modern Sequence, an excellent showing for their first outing. Dennis & Sue made both of their finals, finishing with a respectable fifth and sixth and Chris & Allison, who are still fairly new to these types of events, made the semi-final of the Open Modern Sequence. Josh & Grace continue to improve with each outing and secured fourth in both of their finals.

There were some excellent performances across the team and everyone should be pleased with the progress they are making in this field.

Of course we must recognise the assistance we receive from other members of the team, without whom we would not be able to run an event such as this. A huge thank you therefore to Janice, Brian, Ruth, Jean, Joan and Julie for being on hand to provide first aid (though thankfully not required). Finally a big thank you to all the supporters who came along to cheer on the team.

It is not long before we are in action once more with a final ISTD qualifier on Sunday and then we have the “two Blackpools” in about eight weeks time. Make sure you are ready!!!

It was one of the hottest days of the year, the football World Cup Final and the Wimbledon men’s singles final but where would you find our dedicated dancers? At a dance competition of course!

It was the ISTD Northern Area qualifier, which for some presented another chance to qualify and for others a chance for some pre Blackpool match practice.

As usual we began with the Juvenile and Junior events with Kaitlyn, Luke, Chloe, Ellie, Isobel, Paige and Shanae all in action today. Even Tommy decided he wanted to grace the floor and join in the fun, securing a fourth and second place in the two events he entered. Shanae looked lovely in her new Junior dress having recently made the move up from the under 12 year’s section. Kaitlyn made both her finals as did Luke, Chloe, Isobel and Paige. Ellie made the final of her Latin event dancing the Samba, a tricky dance at any age, and so secured a place in the Qualifiers event at Blackpool. Chloe, Paige and Isobel all secured first places and in the couples events, Luke and Chloe were placed second in their ballroom and Latin events dancing Paso Doble in the latter, a dance which they actually hadn’t danced together before!

The sequence events followed and these often prove to be the most competitive sections of the day and today was no exception. Chloe managed to secure second place in her event whilst Paige was placed fifth in her’s.

There followed a parent and child Cha Cha Cha competition and a number of our plucky parents took to the floor, most having no previous experience. Of course it didn’t show at all! Nevertheless they all entered into the spirit of the event and some managed to get recalls. Chloe and Jemma made it all the way to the final finishing in fourth place.

Following all this excitement it was the turn of the adults to show us what they could do. They started with the sequence events and Josh, Grace, Olivia, Chris, Neil, Serena, Carla, Andy, Allison, Dennis and Dawn all made their respective finals with Serena securing a win in her event.

Next came the ballroom and Latin events and relative newcomers, Carol and Peter made both their finals from one of the largest entries of the day, being placed second and third in the ballroom and tieing for third place in the Latin. There were wins today for Grace P, Chris, Libbie, Serena, Carla, Neil and Dawn and more importantly, those needing to still qualify in some events all managed to do so. Well done to you all.

The couples events rounded off the day with some impromptu partnerships formed for the purposes of the day. In the ballroom events: Olivia and Emily secured a win with Karly and Libbie coming third in the same event. Josh and Grace and Andy and Dawn also won their events with Neil and Carla second in the same events.  Chris and Serena were first in their event with Peter and Carol being placed second in the same event, a result which was repeated in the Latin. In the other Latin events Olivia and Karly were placed first with Charlotte and Emily (Team Skinner) securing second in the same event. Josh and Grace were second in their Latin event and Andy and Dawn again won their Latin event followed by Neil and Carla who were second.

An enjoyable and successful day once again for the team then and a huge thanks to Liam for making the journey up from London to help out once again as well as those who partnered in addition to competing themselves, Josh, Grace P, and Emily.

Boris was excited to meet up with his old chums for a final get together before he jets off for his Summer break to Bearmuda (by British Bearways of course) and looks forward to seeing you all again after the holidays, fully refreshed and raring to go for the final push before Blackpool in November.

This year we have an extra Qualifier event on 9th September, which was the event previously held in December and is now confirmed to be moved to this date. This will be a good opportunity for some match practice ahead of Blackpool especially for those who have not been out for a while.

See you there.