The Viking is Back!

Dear Dancers,

Well, this Saturday - 28th February 2009 - sees the reopening of the Viking club in Selsey!

Lessons start at 1 p.m for beginners and 2 p.m for improvers and intermediates and beyond!

Andy and I are both very much looking forward to another season at the club and are looking forward very much to seeing friendly faces old and new - or should I say - past and present? (stop digging the hole Julie and move on.....)

If you can't make the afternoons FREE lesson - you can still come along to the evenings live entertainment instead! It costs only £5.50 to get in and you then have from 6.30 til 1 a.m. to party the night away! This weeks opening act are the TEXAS TORNADOS! they are a fabulous group who are bang up to date with the current line dance scene and play a mix of country and pop, old and new....we luv em!

Look forward to seeing you there - if you need directions etc then please click here to go to Andys Viking website www.vikingcwdc.co.uk

Other news....

Well fast approaching is COMIC RELIEF day.....and we have been trying to think of ways of raising money for this worthy cause...and have come up with this!!

On Monday and Wednesday of COMIC RELIEF week (which ends Friday 13th March) we will be asking our dancers to wear something red to class, and bring along their red noses (available in Sainsburys...) and £1 for the charity.....we will do the rest...

We aim to have a non stop party for the whole class - playing one track after another - back to back in a seamless fashion!! (Ok!! so thats the AIM ok? haha)

We are going to ask you to form yourself into little teams of 4 or more and then all you have to do is to make sure at least one member of your team is on the floor for each dance played....it may be a nice idea to mix the beginners in with the intermediates so that you can take turns?

This will be an informal event - should be great fun - and will raise lots of money for a good cause!

And you never know - I may well get my baking tins out again and tackle some more fairy cakes!!!

Who said OH NO!!!

Oh yes!! I promise this time I will make them edible! haha

And finally (yes, its nearly over!)

The dances I have been teaching this week are:

Coastin, Catfish, Simply Mambo, Dreamboat, Cabo San Lucas, No more Cloudy Days, Heavenly (aka The Daffodil Dance) and recaps of Human Dancer, Madiba Mambo and Turn me Loose!

Phew!

take care folks and see you all soon

Julie x

Dances taught this week......

Dear Dancers,

Here is a list of dances taught in the Katz class this week (so far....)

MONDAY

ab's: Catfish - to Baby dont go - Dwight Yokam and Cheryl Crow
Precious Time, 456 Waltz, and many others!

7.30 class - New Dance - Dreamboat - Robbie McGowan Hickie - to I see a boat on the river by Boney M

Reviews of: Cabo San Lucas - Wanna be Elvis

8.30 onwards.....

Human-Dancer - big hit!
Turn me loose
Beyond the sea - an oldie from 2002 - to Will Youngs version of the song...


WEDNESDAY

ab's: Feeling Kinda Lonely - to Nothin about love makes sense - Liane Rimes
Simply Mambo - Tequila!
Coastin' - to Dance above the rainbow

7.30 class

Dreamboat
Wanna be Elvis
Recap: Little Red Book (the faster version of the song was used this week)

8.30 onwards...

New dance this week: HEAVENLY - aka The daffodil Dance by Chrissie Hodgson to Heaven is for everyone by Mark Medlock

Here is a list of fave dances across all classes - all days.....all levels...

JUST FOR GRINS
HEARTBREAK EXPRESS
COUNTY LINE
STROLLALONG
CAUGHT IN THE ACT
ITS UP TO YOU
RIBBON OF HIGHWAY
GREYSTONE
JUST A MEMORY
MADIBA MAMBO
TURN ME LOOSE
HUMAN DANCER
CABO SAN LUCAS
FUZZY DUCK SLIDE - AB
COWBOY CHARLESTON
PEACHES AND CREAM
LITTLE RED BOOK
WANNA BE ELVIS
BIG GIRL BOOGIE
COME DANCE WITH ME
MAGIC MOON
POT OF GOLD
LEMON TREE
DUCK SOUP
ISLANDS IN THE STREAM
CLOSER
BOSA NOVA
KILL THE SPIDERS
ELECTRIC DREAMS
TWIDDLY DIDDLY DEE!
WHEN I CRY
DANCE LIKE YOURE THE ONLY ONE
CRAZY FOOT MAMBO
FULL HOUSE
AM I?
RIGHT OR WRONG
GALWAY GIRLS
WALK THE LINE
WISHFUL THINKING
HEART OF AN ANGEL - used 'I loved her first' but it made the class cry! oh dear! haha
LIKE A DREAM
FIRECRACKER

and so the list goes on.....!

FRIDAY

Friday is our brand new class - so far they have learned the following dances:

1.30 class...

ABL - warm up routine
FUZZY DUCK SLIDE - shaggin on the boulevard - Blame it on the boogie - Zjozzys funk
ELECTRIC SLIDE - I feel lucky - you need a man around here - sex bomb!
COWBOY CHARLESTON - Candyman - The boy does nothing - Mambo No 5
LINDI SHUFFLE - Dont it make my brown eyes blue
COWBOY MIX UP - Make her fall in love with me song - Blue Rose Is

2.30 class...

STROLLALONG CHA CHA - something stupid
DREAMBOAT
WANNA BE ELVIS
RIBBON OF HIGHWAY

So as you can see - all the classes are doing fantastically well - and each class is more like a party, fun, relaxed and pure escapism.....no pressure - no stress - in fact, just how linedancing was meant to be...

Many thanks everyone for coming dancing this week - see you all again soon!

Take care

Julie x

Wednesday 18th Feb...Half Term - but YES we are open...

...so see you there!!

Julie x

Oak Lodge Open Tomorrow - Feb 16th!

Dear Dancers,

Just a quickie to say YES we are open on the 16th Feb - and YES for a change we are in Oak Lodge during a half term holiday......the lovely Chris will be there to open the hall for us!

So hope to see you there!

Julie x

Photo in Chichester Observer - page 13

Dear Dancers,

I have been told that theres a photograph of the Westergate Intermediates Class in today Chichester Observer...I haven't seen the evidence myself, mainly because Andy left the paper at work.....ho hum!

However, I have been contacted by several people confirming this sighting....so it must be true!

I knew I'd get into the papers one day......I'm just so glad it wasn't via the same route one of my cousins took several years ago which led to her being in The News Of The World!!!

(Do NOT ask ok? haha)

I'm looking forward to week three of our new class in Aldingbourne tomorrow - and hope to see even more new faces in the crowd....who I have to say - are fab!

Look forward to seeing you all again very soon.....

Other news this week is the launch of our new 'message board' or 'forum' ! We opened it to the world only two days ago and already have 40 members....some are dancers from the Viking, Some are dancers from The Katz Line Dance Club, and some are friends and colleagues from the wider line dance community.....

If you would like to join our online line dance community then its simple!

All you have to do is click here www.linedancingmessageboard.com to go straight there and join up - if you experience any difficulties in registering for the forum, please would you email me on julieandthekatz@msn.com and I will be able to help you get on board (geddit? on 'board'? oh never mind!)

Even if you dont want to join in with the chat on the board, you can read it and pick up hints and tips about linedancing and whats going on in the wider social scene.

I look forward to seeing you there!

Take care

Julie x

Take care

Julie x

OAK LODGE - OPEN TONIGHT! FEB 9TH!

Dear Dancers,

Well, it appears the snow has left the building for the time being - and so class is on as usual tonight! :)

Looking forward to seeing you all there...........why does two weeks not dancing, feel like two months?!!!

Take care

Julie x

IF YOU MISSED IT DON'T WORRY....

Hi there, if you are reading this blog to find out if it's too late to join the newest Katz class - then I'm here to tell you something...

YOU ARE NEVER TOO LATE!

The lovely thing about a line dance class is that you will always find a warm welcome.....the new class in Aldingbourne started last week - and we had a lovely group of new dancers for our first session....if you missed it, please dont worry - just come along at 1.30 on Fridays and you will find that the class will be repeated today.....and will be repeated until everyone is comfy with the new dances being taught....then, and only then, will new dances be added to the session!

Last week I taught:

ABL - which is a simple warm up routine
COWBOY CHARLESTON - which is a good fun simple routine that people pick up very quickly
and
THE FUZZY DUCK SLIDE - as I always say, its not fuzzy, there are no ducks in it - so why its called that I have no idea! :) but the dance is versatile and simple to acheive.....

We also danced an icebreaking partner dance - again very simple - using ABL as part of the routine you are already halfway there...

Everyone left with a smile on their face and promises to return this week......if you have never linedanced before and you are free on a Friday afternoon - please come and join us at 1.30!!

However, if you have a 'little' experience, and would like a gentle return to line dancing, then why not come along at 2.30 for our improvers session.....we will go over classic improver level dances such as Strollalong cha cha, and also teach new popular improver level dances too....again, this is a no pressure, fun class and was a pleasure to teach last week.

Unsure of which session to join? then why not arrive at 1.30 and do both! for only £4 for both sessions you will soon find out which class suits you best.

I look forward to seeing you one day soon - possibly today?

take care

Julie x

Meanwhile on the other side of the world.......

My friend in Oz sent me these photos.....its so hot there at the mo that this family put water out for a Koala that was suffering in the heat, and this is what happened.....

Now, hand up who wants one!!!!????

Julie xxx

OAK LODGE SCHOOL CLOSED! MONDAY 2ND FEB

Good morning everyone! Firstly can I just say....brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Its a tad on the chilly side today isn't it!!!??? I hope you are all being sensible and taking the day off work? :)
I've just received a telephone call from Oak Lodge to say the school is closed today - apparently they have 9 inches of snow in West Wickham and so unfortunately there will be no class tonight.... I'm missing you all already!

If you need your fix of dancing then go to Andys youtube site (link right next to this post on the right) and have a go at learning my new dance 'Secret Giggles'...:) See you next Monday gang - take care out there! x Ok, over to other news now.....

WESTERGATES BLUE DAY..... Last Wednesday evening we held a Blue Night (not what you may think!) for St. Wilfreds Hospice and raised the grand sum of £45....everyone had to dress in blue and donate £1 to the charity....not only that, but they were also blessed with the opportunity of eating one of my specially baked blue fairy cakes too! (yes, well, the less said about the cakes the better eh? all I can say is this IM A DANCE TEACHER NOT GORDON RAMSEY!!) haha!

When I got home that night I fed a bit of cake to my little dog and he spat it out!!! And this dog eats anything and everything......I was a little hurt I must say...... We also had the pleasure of a bunch of grapes turning up in the form of Gill, Ian, Nicky and Paul - and what a lovely bunch they made - my biggest hope is that they couldnt remove the blue facepaint and that they come back this week with blue faces too!! haha! Call me evil if you may......hehe! Thank you everyone for joining in the fun! Here are a few photos from the event.....

ALDINGBOURNE COMMUNITY CENTRE - FIRST CLASS! FRIDAY 30TH JANUARY 2009

Thank you to everyone that joined our new class last Friday afternoon - it was a blast! I can tell that we already have a good group of friends forming in this class, and can't wait for this weeks class - Im sure the snow will be gone by then......(hopes!)

Many thanks to Linda for helping me on Friday - you are a superstar!

Check back on here later today (Feb 2nd) to find photos of Blue Day folks!

Thanks for reading - go carefully today and wrap up warm...

Julie x

SNOW SNOW SNOW!!!

Dear Dancers,

If you are wondering if Monday nights class will be taking place or not because of the Snow we are experiencing....the answer at the moment is....

I'm not sure!!

I will telephone the school tomorrow and see firstly, if its open! and Secondly what the weather is like enroute to West Wickham....

My gut feeling is that its doubtful that the class will run - however if you would like to know for certain - then if you text or call me on 07799741288 by 4 p.m. I will be able to give you a definate answer......and of course - as soon as the decision is made - I will post it on here....

Take care if you are out making snowmen!!

and finally ---- heres a little joke for you!

Whats the difference between Snowmen and Snow women?

answer:

SNOWBALLS!!!

Julie xxx