Newsletter no. 1, September 2010
Dancewarehouse Newsletter, No. 1 September 2010.
So this is it, the promised newsletter service that has taken almost 22 years in production, two children, three extensions, five temporary studios, one re-location, an increase from 3 to 16 teachers, three wars and a promised utopian studio that almost (and still could) came to fruition this year. So in the main there is very little to report.
Let’s do a little bit of reminiscing…
For those who have only been with us a short amount of time, it is safe to say we have a very colourful background; a tremendously efficient and proficient staff (this does not include me… especially efficient) and a reputation second to none for producing not just excellent medallists but also some of the World’s leading dance champions of the current era.
We still have some of the pupils who started with us at the Bank Hotel, Knowle, over 24 years ago; lots of the children who started with us 22 years ago in a wooden hut, including two of our current teachers Sarah and Claire, and many of the competitive pupils who trained with us over 25 years ago in Sparkhill of all places. One of these pupils was Jacqui, who incidentally went on to be British Champion at all ages including Amateur and Professional champion, and is now another of our very valued teachers. Elaine (and you all know Elaine) walked through the doors of what was originally known as MCC Dance and Leisure Centre on the second week we opened (she got lost the first week, she said it was foggy…. I think she was drunk) and has been with us ever since, seeing all of the changes, helped lay countless dance floors, drunk millions of mugs of tea and taught a countless number of children and adults.
We started teaching Social Classes at the Bank Hotel Ballroom one night a week (we were still competing ourselves at this stage and travelling all over the world teaching, demonstrating and competing). This was at the suggestion of our Bank Manager, who is still a very valued pupil and close friend. I would like to say a brilliant dancer, but some develop slower than others… We then went on to buy a wooden hut in a field. Not the most salubrious way to start, but we were very proud of The MCC Dance and Leisure Centre which lasted approximately two years before it became too small. With the help of Solihull Council and my friend the Bank Manager, the shed was demolished to build a beautiful new ballroom… still in a field but now a slightly larger brick built shed which was to be called Encore (the place that gives you more… corny huh!).
Three horses, a very noisy donkey, a family of foxes (that were continually turning the outside lights on and off), lots of sheep (who very often strolled into the studio to see what was going on, chased by an enthusiastic barking border collie), a herd of cows (that seemed to spend more time in our car park than in the field) and a bull, who fortunately never broke through the fence, made up our neighbours. It would be very interesting to find out what the pupils, who travelled from all over the world to visit Encore, made of the location, but we loved it…… well for three years. Then it became too small again, so we bought another small piece of land from the council and extended into the paddock of the resident horses. They didn’t seem to mind too much, after all an ever increasing number of children spent more time outside feeding them with carrots than taking notice of my teaching (nothing changes) and this form of bribery always seems to work with animals.
So we now had a very large dance studio, mainly teaching competitors with a few social classes thrown in for good measure, and the location now seemed to be attracting more and more people wanting to use the studio for their wedding reception, and guess what…. yup, it became too small and we needed to build another extension for a bar and reception area. For animal lovers, do not despair, we now encroached onto the car park area and bought a little piece of land that had a couple of years earlier been vacated by the bull. So no displacement of livestock, although the foxes left at this stage, probably a little ‘pissed off’ with continually being disturbed by diggers and workmen, and the now increasing number of pupils walking (unbeknown to them) within a few yards of their lair. I personally missed the foxes because I had become good friends with the annual litter of cubs playing at night times on the car park when I left.
And then, in 1999 the chance of a lifetime: TWO even bigger sheds in a bigger field not too far away. The owner was keen to sell (so he said) and with the council saying yes, this meant another change. So reluctantly, after seeing the new millennium in (and what we thought would be a new era) with hundreds of fireworks, we sold Encore in the firm knowledge that we would have an even better place within six months. BUT a little thing called a public enquiry initiated by the Secretary of State, put the brakes on good and proper. A six month nomadic dance life turned into a three year disaster. Numerous halls on varying and irregular nights lost almost three quarters of our pupils. A lack of suitably sized places in suitable locations meant we were unable to get a permanent home until, following lots of wrangling with Solihull Council, we were given a special licence for one year to stay where we are today. That was seven years ago; a small industrial unit that had probably had a condemned notice in 2003 became our ‘temporary home’.
So now we are almost up to date. Almost, because you nor I know what the next year will bring… our dream of a utopian ballroom in a big field which now has the backing of the government, council and Uncle Tom Cobley has found its way into court… and we are not counting ours or anybody else’s chickens.
The story continues, probably into the next few months’ newsletters…. we have a series already.
The Web Site
The dream child of Jamie, is now up and running, continually being changed, updated, new technology added and more and more information for everyone.
We need your response, your suggestions, your comments and criticisms and your news to ensure we have an interesting and vibrant information platform that all of you can benefit from. And are there any spelling or grammatical errors…Kate?
There are countless ways for you to contact us on the site, please do so. If there is anything on there you want to know more about, or anything that isn’t on there you would like to hear about, let us know.
We do intend to start a members’ page with steps and maybe videos from the classes for you to practise… is this a good idea?
Visit the site today, then contact us.
Dates for your Diary 2010.
September 11th, Saturday. New Season Opening Ball with a fabulous show from the British Amateur Ten Dance Champions, Richard Still and Morgan Hemphill, a few nibbles on the tables and a party dance for everyone. Tickets are now on sale at the studio, just £10 each.
September 18th, Saturday. Medal Presentation and Family Party Night, lots of fun and competitions for the children. Collection of medals and report forms for all of the examinees, along with the presentation of the top medallist awards for Rosettes, Under Golds, The Dancewarehouse Shield for Above Golds and the Adult Shield. We will also be having a Team match competition. Tickets will be on sale from the beginning of September, £4 each.
September 25th, Saturday. Adult Social Practice Night. Pay on the door. Just £6 each.
October 16th, Saturday. Adult Social Practice Night. Pay on the door. Just £6 each.
October 30th, Saturday. Halloween Party and American Supper. Come in costume if you want to, special prize for the most original!! An American Supper (bring your own food for a communal table) will ensure no one goes home hungry… being Halloween, be careful what you eat – spiders can be so ticklish in your stomach! Tickets will go on sale on September 25th. Just £7.50 each.
November 7th, Sunday. Our next Medal Test. Any of the adults interested please let us know. It’s not as hard as you think and given all the expertise in the studio, you will have NO TROUBLE WHATSOEVER, except for your churning stomach.
November 13th, Saturday. Adult Social Practice Night. Pay on the door. Just £6 each.
November 18, 19, 20, Thursday, Friday, Saturday. Long weekend at Blackpool watching the British National dance Championships where many of our own pupils are dancing, including Charlotte and Stephen, and Jamie and Courtney.
November 27th, Saturday. Please note, there will be NO SOCIAL NIGHT, due to the Christmas Parties starting the following week.
December 4th, Saturday. Christmas Dinner and Dance (more info later)
December 11th, Saturday. Children’s Christmas party and Medal Presentation Night (more info later)
December 18th, Saturday. Adult Christmas Party (more info later)
December 20th and 21st, Monday and Tuesday. Dancewarehouse Christmas pantomime (more info later)
NEW Beginners Classes.
Starting Wednesday 15th September, 8.15 till 9.15 If you know anyone who may want to start this new class please download the New Beginners Letter from the website and distribute amongst your friends or work colleagues. Or download one yourself if you think you would benefit by starting again!! This new class will encompass all of the Ballroom and Latin American dances including Cha Cha, Waltz, Swing, Quickstep and Salsa.
Starting Thursday 16th September, 9.15 till 10.15. JUST LATIN PLUS. A totally new style of class that will include all of the standard Latin dances and then add the Bachata and Meringue and any new Latin dances that may evolve. This will be a quick moving class that will introduce a new move each week in one or more dances that can then be linked to the basic moves in each dance that you learn. Missed a week? No problems, steps will be repeated a few weeks later so you never miss out, but the class never has to revise for people who could not make it on any given week. You will always able to dance a dance with as many steps as you have learnt (no blank spaces).
Changes to Existing Timetables.
You can find a full new timetable on the web site, but the important changes that may affect you are as follows….
Zumba …. ‘exercise in disguise’, the ‘as energetic as you want to go’ dancersize craze that actually has you laughing as you exercise. Not tried it yet? You should! But beware, it should carry a serious health warning – you may enjoy it. BUT please note that the Thursday session, as from Thursday 16th September, it will be from 7 till 8. All of the other sessions remain the same, daytime 10 till 11, and now both evenings 7 till 8.
This means the 8.45 Thursday Ballroom and Latin American class that is currently running from 8.45 till 9.45 will start at 8.15 till 9.15 from the same Thursday, Thursday 16th September.
Social Practice Night… as from Wednesday 15th September, there will be a social practice night EVERY WEEK, starting at 9.15 till 10.30, at £3 each. With four teachers on hand to solve those little problems we all have at one stage or another (not marital, strictly dancing).
This means the 9.15 Wednesday Ballroom and Latin American class will be amalgamated with the Monday equivalent at 8.15 till 9.15 as from Monday 13th September.
And just one other small adjustment, the 8.45 Tuesday Ballroom and Latin American class will be finishing at 9.45 with effect from Tuesday 31st August.
Other News.
On Monday 11th October, there is the Midlands Amateur Ballroom, Amateur Latin and Professional Ballroom Championships held at the Tower Ballroom, Edgbaston. This evening starts at approx 7.30 and goes on till late, with a superb show from Sergey Surkov and Melia, one of the World’s leading Latin American Professionals.
We have a number of tickets available with floor side seating at £21 each. If you would like to go and support Charlotte and Stephen, and Jamie and Courtney, along with a large number of our adult competitors from the studio, please see Martin as soon as possible. Tickets are limited.
The Formation Teams are now well under way, getting everything ready for the Junior British Championships in April next year. If anyone, or any business, could help with any form of sponsorship or come up with any idea for sponsorship, please let us know. It costs an incredible amount to send the three teams to the British and any donation, no matter how small, is gratefully accepted. Speak to Martin now.