WHAT A WEEKEND!!!!

Dear Dancers,

Well I've just about recovered enough to find the energy to post on here, following our trip to Devon this past weekend!!!!

I can only speak from my own point of view of course, but I thought it was loads of fun!!

The Durrant House Hotel lived up to its expectations, thats for sure, with marble bathrooms and the most beautiful panelled ballroom with its own private bar - you couldnt fault our surroundings.

Friday saw the weekend kick off with Andy playing all your requests, the grand raffle and the poster quiz!

We were so pleased to be able to have plenty of room to allow some local Bideford line dancers to join us, and quickly made friends with this group of lovely people, who I hope we get to meet up again with at some point in the future.

Saturday and Sunday mornings were our workshops in which I taught the following dances:

ALL SCRIPTS ARE AVAILABLE ON WWW.YIPEE.SG OR YOU CAN EMAIL ME ON julie@linedancingevents.com AND I WILL SEND YOU A SCRIPT NEXT WEEK. 

LET’S CHILL – ICE CREAM FREEZE BY MILEY CYRUS – 32 COUNT BEGINNER DANCE BY VIVIENNE SCOTT (JAN 2010) – POP MUSIC – a nice little fun dance to warm up to!

J & M MAMBO – JOHNNY & MARIE – FOOLS GOLD – 32 COUNT IMPROVER DANCE BY GAYE TEATHER (JAN 2010) – COUNTRY MUSIC – all set to be a big hit with the bands appearing on the UK circuit!

DREAM OF YOU – ALL I DO IS DREAM OF YOU – MICHAEL BUBLE – 64 COUNT INTERMEDIATE DANCE BY TERESA & VERA (NOV 09) – SWING MUSIC – my favourite dance of the moment – it’s just brilliant! Recommended for all! Miss it and miss out!

LOVE YA – LOVE ME – JUSTIN BIEBER – 64 COUNT INTERMEDIATE DANCE BY KATE SALA & ROBBIE MCGOWAN HICKIE (DEC 2010) – FUNKY POP MUSIC – this is a fast version of the song from Romeo & Juliet – some interesting steps in this one will keep you thinking....not too turny!

RHYME OR REASON – IT HAPPENS – SUGARLAND – 32 COUNT IMPROVER LEVEL DANCE BY RACHAEL MCEANEY (FEB 2010) COUNTRY ROCK – a brilliant fast little country dance – I have a feeling this one will be around all year!

I postponed a teach of BROKEN HEELS (which will be taught in some classes shortly) to allow time for Lesley (our impromtu guest instructor) to teach YOU AND I a phrased line dance that was requested by a few of the dancers - she did a brilliant job of teaching this one - and I can confirm it will be re taught by myself at the Viking on our return to the club on March 6th. If demand is high enough I will teach it in other classes too. Personally I didnt find it as hard as some people had suggested it was - as the dance flows very nicely and doesnt have any tricky steps to learn - just lots of them!

Our live entertainment came in the form of PLAIN LOCO on Saturday night - and ALAN GREGORY on Sunday night - both acts were brilliant and kept the dancers happy and smiling!

Andy did a fantastic job of djing all weekend, and I would publically like to thank him for all his hard work on what was technically his week off work!!

Sunday afternoon was hilarious! Just in case the weather was against us, I decided it would be a good idea to have a contingency plan to keep the troops entertained - I thought they might be a little tired of dancing by then, and so came up with a few 'games' to while the time away instead..

First up was musical chairs - Andy played Zorbas dance for the 20 brave folk who turned up to 'run' around the chairs to, and it was what I can only call 'a spectacle' to see!!!! hehe - our winner was Shirley - after Ian graciously stood aside for her to sit down - bless you Ian (not that you had much choice as your wife was hissing at you from the sidelines to 'do the right thing!' haha

Next up was the Bin Bag Fashion Show - in which teams were given two black and two white bags - five safety pins - one pair of scissors to share between all teams - and a time limit of 15 minutes to design an outfit....the results were amazing!!!! The photos will be shown in classes, and when Andy gets time - an album of all photos will be put on our website www.linedancingevents.com

the winners were Sally and Sue - with their chic number which included an inflatable handbag!! well done everyone for taking part in this - I thought it was brilliant!

After the quiz (won by Debbie, Isabel and Teresa - well done) it was time to judge the 'balloon art' competition....at the precise moment we were doing this poor old Alan Gregory arrived and was plunged into judging said competition along with his equally dumfounded wife Jackie......again - photos to follow - but the entries included 'salmon in a boat' 'Kat - and the name K A T Z ' 'caterpillar' 'Dame Edna and her dog - (eh? lol)' and the winner 'windsurfer, complete with 'balancing instrument!'......it was a surreal moment - but one that I will treasure forever! well done Lisa and crew for winning with 'Kat'....a thank you to my son Daniel and his girlfriend Nikki who had popped in to visit us who took part in the games with enthusiasm (and a little bit of bewilderment too!)

The fancy dress 'Gangsters and Molls' was spectacular - the theme suited the ballroom perfectly, and all the ladies looked wonderful in their feather boa's and flappers dresses - the gangsters werent half bad either!! Sally won first prize for going against the norm and coming along as a male gangster - complete with painted on moustache - which part of me wickedly wanted to see still painted on the next morning - alas - she managed to get it off - so no photo of that then!!

I have to add a special thank you to viv for looking after our London dancers on the Beckenham to Aldingbourne leg of the journey.

Theres an extra special thank you to Maxine for being so helpful with the balloon pump and sellotape on Saturday afternoon! I had come up with an idea for a centrepiece for each round dining table made of balloons - which didnt 'quite' work - after much laughter with Andy and Lesley there helping too, we came up with a splint to hold the whole thing upright!! we were reasonably happy with the results - until dinner came and then we realised no one could see their friends on the other side of the tables at the balloons were in the way!!!! The head waiter came to our rescue with upturned silver ice buckets to stand the displays on!! oh well, we tried!!! next time Im buying helium and done with it!!!

Thank you to Linda for all her hard work on the admin side of this trip, and for selling the raffle tickets for me on Friday night, and also to Kellie, who is always a big help in my classes - both girls dont bat an eyelid when I come up with my next hairbrained scheme and just smile and get on with whatever I ask of them - thank you very much girls - you help is very much appreciated!

We have had great feedback for the trip so far - and lots of people have asked to be included on our next weekend break which we hope will be in late November or early December....we have decided NOT to go to Torquay this year - we feel that the hotel is over priced, and too far away for a two night break....keep watching this space as Andy and I do our research to find you yet another fab hotel - but this time - within easy reach of all clubs.

Many thanks for coming on our break, and if you are one of my dancers that usually comes along and didnt make this one, I did miss you in case you are thinking I didnt! hehe

All classes are running normally at the moment - the only other news is that on Friday March 5th - I am adding in an hours Intermediate class in our Aldingbourne venue - 2.30 - 3.45 if you are interested. Details are on our website www.linedancingevents.com just click on 'classes' for the address.

If anyone has any suggestions for lovely hotels we could possibly look at - please do let me know.

I look forward to seeing you in a class sometime very soon.

Take care everyone

Julie x

Week beginning February 15th 2010

Dear Dancers - we are OPEN on Monday and Wednesday this week as normal, despite it being half term!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just thought Id get that bit in first!!

OPEN!!!! haha

but as we are off on our weekend break to Devon this coming Friday - there will unfortunately be no classes on Friday 19th in Aldingbourne, or on the following Monday 22nd in Oak Lodge.

For those of you coming along on the trip, you should all have received details of where to catch the coach now, and if you are a self driver you will be receiving your itineraries in the next couple of days - please remember to bring them along to the hotel with you as you will need to refer to them during your stay.

Andy and I are very much looking forward to this additional weekender with Plain Loco and Alan Gregory and are busy getting things ready to make it a fab weekend for you all!!

If you are not coming along this time, but now wish you were, we have a couple of seats left on the coach and would be more than happy to add you in - all you have to do is ask!

My number (as you all should know by now) is 07799741288

Just give me a ring and BINGO you can come too!!!

Thats all the news for now - take care everyone and see you in a class near you very soon...

Julie x