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Spin dryer
13th-January-2007, 02:58 AM
Just got back home with a big smile on my face. An absolutely fab night. I didn't stop dancing all night. Every dance was a good one and some were out of this world. Good and interesting music, great dance floor and subtle lighting. AAA+ rated.

Well done Val, Dave and Vince. Can't wait for the next event.

WittyBird
13th-January-2007, 06:39 AM
I had a great night........ :respect: to Val, Dave & Vince.....

Didn't have a bad dance all night, the music was the dogs doodahs

Thanks to Cruella and MsFab for taking the p1$$ out of me in the pub :worthy:

Think I gave the locals more than they bargaiined for :rofl:

All in all fab night, obviously a lot of work and planning went into making this event truely worthwhile.

An event not to be missed and I'm very glad I didn't :D :D

Didn't want it to end :tears:

Frankie_4711
13th-January-2007, 10:18 AM
Yep - a great night indeed! Had some lovely dances, but for my personal taste there wasn't quite enough real bluesy music ... little too much on the R&B and latin side, but what the heck - you can't please everyone all the time! I WILL be going again! Well done to Val, Dave and Vince - great job! :love: :respect:

Lory
13th-January-2007, 11:27 AM
I had an awesome night!:D

The atmosphere and the venue were perfect and IMO the right amount of people.. with such great and inspirational music, it was fab to have room to express oneself (:D to Andy Mc :rofl: )

As WB said, not a bad dance all night but I'd go even further and say, they were all brilliant! (my opinion may have been enhanced by the fact Fletch chauffeured me and therefore I could enjoy a couple of joint lubricators:na: , thanks hun :hug: )

It was about as close to a weekender vibe I've ever had! :drool: Well done guys!:worthy: :cheers:

I can't wait till the next one :clap:




little too much on the R&B and latin side,That's weird, cos I didn't notice that much latin at all :confused:

Minnie M
13th-January-2007, 12:06 PM
A little biassed :wink: plus I was on the door most of the evening .... but still had TWO great hours of dancing - I have only one word, in the words of that double-barrelled guy from Strictly....... Amayzeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeng

Well done to Val, Dave & Vince - they put a tremendous effort and time in making last night the night of the year - I think they have set the standard of what a great nght should be like.

Thanks for my 'door mate' Debbie and good luck for Friday at Evesham :yeah: :clap: Wish it wasn't so far away, I would love to go

Can't wait for Feb - get booking or you will miss out !!

PS: Thanks V, D & V for being great bosses:hug:

OXO'S
13th-January-2007, 02:06 PM
Yes a very good night,well done to val dave and vince you could see alot of hard preparation went into this venue.and it certainly proved by the enjoyment people had.:respect: :worthy: :worthy:

HelenB
13th-January-2007, 03:09 PM
Music great :respect:

Dancers fab :drool:

I had a fantastic time :clap: (and lovely to meet some fellow forumites :cheers: )

Roll on the next one... :D

Simon
13th-January-2007, 03:38 PM
It was about as close to a weekender vibe I've ever had! :drool:
Spot on! That's the kind of freestyle I want to go to. :waycool: :waycool: :waycool: Chilled, smooth and funky, not frantic, frantic, poppy, bouncy! :whistle: More, please. :yum:

Zebra Woman
13th-January-2007, 04:28 PM
I had an awesome night!:D

The atmosphere and the venue were perfect and IMO the right amount of people.. with such great and inspirational music, it was fab to have room to express oneself (:D to Andy Mc :rofl: )

It was about as close to a weekender vibe I've ever had! :drool: Well done guys!:worthy: :cheers:

I can't wait till the next one :clap:



:yeah:

That really was UTOPIA for me:drool:

I had a fab night from start to finish. There were so many elements that made the night super perfect, NUMBER ONE - the music (well done Smashey and Nicey :respect: :hug: ). The music seemed to really flow I was happy with the fast tracks and even danced to some of them, I liked being able to see what genre of music was coming up next. Nice one.

Other good things - the Bedouin entrance area, the subtle lighting (no flashing :grin: ) the clouds, the pre-chilled air-conditioned room that never got hot.

Best of all was the atmosphere...there was a real fun vibe that we only usually get at weekenders. I had such a laugh doing those weekender blues room things, and even more fun watching myself in the mirror doing them :eek: .

I think I'll stop there :blush:

Well Done Val Dave and Vince :clap: :clap: :clap:

I am super gutted to be missing the next one :tears:

ZW:flower:

WittyBird
13th-January-2007, 04:35 PM
watching myself in the mirror doing them :eek: .

You weren't the only one!

I didn't notice until a cunning DJ told me about it :rofl:

Miguel
13th-January-2007, 04:39 PM
Great venue, great atmosphere, great dancers, great company and great music (except the country stuff :blush:). A fantastic night. Thanks to Val, Dave and Vince.

Andy McGregor
14th-January-2007, 02:11 AM
I had such a laugh doing those weekender blue movie things, and even more fun watching myself in the mirror doing them :eek: And I enjoyed watching you enjoying yourself with me :devil:

I'm not sure what I enjoyed the most, watching or doing :wink:

angelblue
14th-January-2007, 10:03 AM
Yes

Thank you to Val and Dave the night turned out to be all i expected it to be, very smooth and flowy

Great Points:
Space!!I thought the numbers were just right as i didnt hit anybody whilst boogieing
Music!!!The music was really cool......a bit too many latin beats and not enough bluesy tracks(for me personally that is)
Atmosphere!!!I felt drunk!!Haha:rofl: You know that inbetween place of not very sober, but not hammered type feeling, even though i had not touched a drop, very relaxing


Not so great points:
I thought the floor got a bit sticky towards the end of the night.
Even though the music was great i thought the volume was a bit low


Apart from that it was a top night, ITS ABOUT TIME SOMEONE STOOD OUTSIDE THAT LITTLE ORANGE CEROC BOX!!!:clap:

David Bailey
14th-January-2007, 10:17 AM
Is the playlist going to be posted?

Also, I thought the "coming next" display on the laptop was a great idea, but I'd have liked it shown on the Big Screen too.

Also, can the organisers ensure that I don't have to emerge from a toilet cubicle to be confronted with Franck's naked torso - ever again? :eek:

Simon r
14th-January-2007, 10:27 AM
Well


What a great night passed my views direct to Val but really they were all pros
I think the UV stopped a lot of people using the area furthest away from the DJ booth and i suggested maybe turning it around so it lit the wall rather than our teeth.
What a gathering of dancers i really can not remember the last time there were so many great dancers in one room.

Thank you for a great night Dave, Val and Vince

I really can not understand those that feel there was to much Latin as hardly any was played maybe some music education is required perhaps an announcement before each track

The next track will be honky tonk etc...

I think the best thing was the real social feel the evening had it was great to chat at the bar and catch up with friends

Special thanks to Nina for a lovely dance which was always going to start 2007 off on a high

Cruella
14th-January-2007, 01:07 PM
Photos from the night are here http://www.danceportraits.co.uk/gallery2/v/utopia

David Bailey
14th-January-2007, 01:33 PM
Well, tempting though it is to abuse my powers and move all the luvvie posts out of a review thread, I'll simply try to actually post some actual feedback, which hopefully will be a little more helpful...

Lighting
I didn't mind the UV, made a nice change, but I'm not too bothered one way or t'other.

Floor
Nice and fast, no talc needed. Not crowded, and generally people had good and considerate floorcraft.

I'd have liked to see the "back room" bit opened out to the bar, which I understand is possible - maybe next time? As it was, there was a bit of a bottleneck by the tables at the front.

Music
Generally excellent - and as I said I loved the "next track" display. I discovered that "Groovin'" is a superb Tango track too :)

As I said, it'd be nice if the "coming next" display were a bit more prominent?

And I'm not sure if "Latin" isn't a bit too broad a category in general - maybe it could be sub-divided somehow? Also, it'd be great to have a "Tango" label / category :flower:

In fact, why not go crazy and have categories for "Salsa / Cha cha", "Rumba", "Waltz" etc.? I think a lot of the crowd there could handle that concept - or are there restrictions on labelling non-MJ dance forms?

Atmosphere / people
Difficult to answer this, as I knew so many people; I'm not sure what it'd be like if I were coming to that place "cold", so to speak. I didn't get asked to dance by a single person who I didn't know, however, which is unusual - possibly unique, at least in the last few years. Also, it's a first night, and they always have a different vibe to the regular nights.

It's always going to be tricky to attract new people to a "elite" event (!) - because it's seen as "elitist", of course - these things sometimes feel like private parties. But I'm not sure if there's any answer to this - certainly I don't think there's anything the organisers can do to make it more welcoming - so we'll just have to see how it goes.

Class
I didn't realise there was one - but I'll come to it if there's a Tango one being done :)

Minnie M
14th-January-2007, 01:48 PM
Atmosphere / people
Difficult to answer this, as I knew so many people; I'm not sure what it'd be like if I were coming to that place "cold", so to speak. I didn't get asked to dance by a single person who I didn't know...........
I asked 2 or 3 'strangers' to dance and they seemed to be really enjoying themselves - and I noticed Sue McGregor doing the same ......... in fact don't think I saw a miserable face all evening :yeah: :clap: :flower:

fletch
14th-January-2007, 03:02 PM
I had a wonderful night.

I loved the 'what's coming next' I would like to see this on a large screen at all freestyle, its just helps with loo brakes and going to the bar, etc., i just hate to be at either and hear one of my favourite tracks.

I danced with several people that said 'who I haven't done this blues stuff' it was nice that they really entered into the spirit of it.

I didn't like the light in the other room, it made my veneers go green I must have looked stranger than usual to dance with.

I hope to be on the next

Fletch
x

Miguel
14th-January-2007, 03:58 PM
Atmosphere / peopleI didn't get asked to dance by a single person who I didn't know, however, which is unusual - possibly unique, at least in the last few years.

Try this. Next time you go to a new venue why not attend the beginners/intermediate classes. You'll be able to introduce yourself to all women in a friendly non-intimidating environment. Then when the freestyle starts they'll be coming at you in three's and four's. Personally I wouldn't rock up at a strange venue, just for the freestyle and expect/hope the ladies to ask me for dances. Better the men ask the ladies. That way it keeps them happy and the dance floor busy.


Atmosphere / people
It's always going to be tricky to attract new people to a "elite" event (!) - because it's seen as "elitist", of course - these things sometimes feel like private parties. But I'm not sure if there's any answer to this -

A certain level of dancing it expected at an event like Utopia but a certain level of dance it expected if one attends an intermediate class. Ceroc offers so many opportunities for people to improve but they must have the desire. Classes, freestyles, workshops, weekender's, dvd's etc. all available. (Please, please let's not have this thread disintegrate into another elitist/hotshot type debate). Boring!

under par
14th-January-2007, 04:03 PM
. (Please, please let's not have this thread disintegrate into another elitist/hotshot type debate). Boring!


:yeah: so so true :yeah:

David Bailey
14th-January-2007, 04:06 PM
Try this. Next time you go to a new venue why not attend the beginners/intermediate classes. You'll be able to introduce yourself to all women in a friendly non-intimidating environment. Then when the freestyle starts they'll be coming at you in three's and four's.
Actually, I wasn't aware there was a class :blush:


Personally I wouldn't rock up at a strange venue, just for the freestyle and expect/hope the ladies to ask me for dances.
Well:
- That method's worked fine for me for the past decade.
- It was a strange (new) venue for everyone
- Most people turned up for the freestyle only anyway.

It was definitely unusual for me not to be asked to dance once by someone I didn't know. Admittedly, this may simply be because I knew more people, percentage-wise, than at a normal Ceroc venue.

Minnie M
14th-January-2007, 04:21 PM
I suppose I will be shot down in flames ...............but

What is wrong in wanting or liking a dance/venue which has the majority of good to great dancers :confused:

Most events have the percentage the other way round, but the good/great dancers still go to them :rolleyes:

Rocky
14th-January-2007, 06:56 PM
Thanks to everyone for your feedback and comments. From our point of view the evening went well and everything pretty much went according to plan. It was great to see so many familiar faces and real dance talent combined with some new faces and people fresh to the scene.

From our observations and from the feedback received we propose to implement the following on the 9th at Twickers:

1.) No UV light - it didn't work the way that we had hoped as it was far too directional. If we can find some way of rigging it up to the ceiling we might trial it again as this would pick more in the way of clothing out rather than people's eyes and dentures! I personally liked the demonic look it gave my partners - but then I am little twisted...

2.) Open doors - we closed the doors in the small room by the bar to make that area a little more intimate. However, this did create a bottle neck for entry onto the dance floor and it also meant that people only congregated at one end of the bar. With the doors open it should create a better flow on and off the dance floor and will give more visibilty from the bar area.

3.) Fast music - overall the response to the fast tracks was fairly muted. Most people said they enjoyed dancing to them but couldn't wait for the music to slow down again. Given this we've decided to take the fast tracks out for the future. Instead we'll play the odd slightly more upbeat R&B or soul number just to vary things a little.

4.) Class - we had some good comments on the class and actually the intention always was to run a class to encourage more people into the scene and to help boost their confidence before freestyle. As was mentioned, it is also a great way for newer people to get to know each other. The other alternative would be to drop the class and increase freestyle but as most people don't really get to a venue before 9pm (especially for a Blues night) I don't think there would be any benefit.

5.) Music - the music is always going to vary based on simply how Foxy and I are feeling at the time. However, more than one person mentioned that they would have liked a little more in the way of traditional blues music and we will certainly respond to this.

6.) Floor - the floor on the whole was pretty good, but then we had talced it before the evening started. A/C also seems to 'dry' a floor out as the evening progresses. Although we did talc a bit during the evening we probably won't do this in the future as without brushing it in it gives a combination of fast and slow areas, which can be dangerous. For the future we propose to have a 'talc corner' where you can dip your twinkle toes if you want to.

7.) Numbers - we actually had 160 in on the night and yet there was lots of spare space. From the seating area it looked busy, but from on stage we could see consistent areas of available space. On this basis we propose to increase numbers slightly and will tightly monitor the gender balance. We did actually gender balance this time but the numbers were thrown by some last minute male cancelations and also some single men bringing un-announced partners along - we will be stricter on this in the future and this should improve things further.

8.) Coming next - we're glad everybody liked the feature of the lap top on stage displaying the next track. It is a little bit of a headache for the Djs though as quite often there are tracks that we can't classify easily (when this happens we just call it 'Country Blues....') In addition we also have to remember to change the display... I don't think we will make it more prominant as I'm sure people will come to recognize where to look and when as they become familiar with the system.

9.) I also propose that all future reference to the Utopia team should be as David, Val and Vince for 2 reasons: 1) I'm obviously more important than the other 2:whistle: and 2.) Val, Dave and Vince shortens to VD,V which sounds like that disease I don't want again.

Finally, a BIG thank you from us all for your support! We've worked really hard to try to make Utopia an event we could be proud of but will continue to strive to implement improvements as we go along. Look forward to seeing some of you again next Friday at Evesham and back at Twickers on the 9th.

Rocky.

FoxyFunkster
14th-January-2007, 07:08 PM
Photos from the night are here http://www.danceportraits.co.uk/gallery2/v/utopia

Gutted i couldnt make it and it sounded like everyone had a great time, just a point i think ESGringo does a grand job taking all the pictures......they look fab

under par
14th-January-2007, 07:15 PM
Gutted i couldnt make it and it sounded like everyone had a great time, just a point i think ESGringo does a grand job taking all the pictures......they look fab

:yeah: :worthy: :worthy: :yeah:

jivecat
14th-January-2007, 10:17 PM
I dropped my scarf somewhere between the dancehall and my car. It's a stripey wool Gap one. If anyone found it could they let me know?

jivecat
14th-January-2007, 11:29 PM
Err. Oh yes, the event. It was OK. Music was a bit slow. And I lost my scarf. :wink: Lory.

Whitebeard
15th-January-2007, 12:56 AM
Err. Oh yes, the event. It was OK. Music was a bit slow. And I lost my scarf. :wink: Lory.

Wasn't that the whole idea ? Faint praise indeed.

Guess I won't be seeing you at Evesham then; if I brave the intimidating 17 mile journey in the dark, that is.

stewart38
15th-January-2007, 01:20 AM
When and where is the next one and how do you get a ticket

Look like i missed a great night, i was hunting sheep in Wales :sad:

Cruella
15th-January-2007, 10:02 AM
When and where is the next one and how do you get a ticket

Look like i missed a great night, i was hunting sheep in Wales :sad:

Look here. (http://www.utopiadance.co.uk/)
The next one is at Evesham this friday, there is no need to book for this one as it's a much bigger venue apparently. The next event at Twickenham is on the 9th Feb, booking from today i believe.

stewart38
15th-January-2007, 10:37 AM
Look here. (http://www.utopiadance.co.uk/)
The next one is at Evesham this friday, there is no need to book for this one as it's a much bigger venue apparently. The next event at Twickenham is on the 9th Feb, booking from today i believe.

9th feb someones birthday ,ill be 38 !

Cruella
15th-January-2007, 10:41 AM
9th feb someones birthday ,ill be 38 !

Waist?

Double Trouble
15th-January-2007, 10:46 AM
ill be 38 !

Again?

Tiggerbabe
15th-January-2007, 10:54 AM
Unfortunately arrived very late (due to airline delays) but thoroughly enjoyed the time that I had at Utopia. Personally loved all the music - thanks Dave and Vince :hug:
Didn't manage to dance with DJ, was on my way to ask him when someone asked me. Also missed a dance with Chef and Kev F, and then missed him again at Hammersmith :tears:
The whole Utopia team had done an amazing job with the hall, I especially loved the entrance. A fab night, can't wait for March 9th :clap:

Miguel
15th-January-2007, 11:07 AM
Waist?

No, IQ.

David Bailey
15th-January-2007, 11:27 AM
Didn't manage to dance with DJ, was on my way to ask him when someone asked me.
Yeah, yeah, thet's what everyone says... :tears:

Top Bird
15th-January-2007, 11:40 AM
A truly wonderful evening - well done Val & Dave. Music was great and varied, even enjoyed the 2 fast tracks every so often, so hats off to Dave & Vince :respect: Lots of fantastic dancers and I didn't have one bad dance. Even when I wasn't dancing I so enjoyed watching, especially the two consecutive dances Simon & Nina had - such an inspiration. Good atmosphere and venue and I am certainly going to the next one. :clap: :clap:

fletch
15th-January-2007, 11:49 AM
No, IQ.

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

saucer of milk for Miguel

good way to win freinds:D

:respect:

mikeyr
15th-January-2007, 12:11 PM
What a night. I passed my views on the music directly to David and Vince. Basically I thought that the music was spot on (just enough Nu tango to let one rest and/or socialise):D :cool:

And Where did the too much Latin thing come from, am I deaf or something? :confused:

When I pays me money on the door I expect a number of things from the organisers, Friday night I felt I got real value for money, The amount of hard of hard work and attention to detail was evident throughout the the whole evening, plus it a real social feel too, not that I am social:what: .

Also being the selfish kinda person that I am, when I am at a dance I want to dance with those people that make my night enjoyable (its my 8 quid), what a gathering of dancers there were there you couldnt ask for better.

The Elitist/hotshot crap is just that, crap. People need to remember this kind of thing is niche, special interest not mass appeal, that doesnt mean better. on that basis lets not forget Dave, Val and Vince have stuck thier collective neck out to create the Utopia concept.


Dave, Val and Vince. Thank you again for a great night out :respect:

jivecat
15th-January-2007, 12:13 PM
Wasn't that the whole idea ? Faint praise indeed.

Guess I won't be seeing you at Evesham then; if I brave the intimidating 17 mile journey in the dark, that is.

Sorry WB, I can't resist doing faint when everyone else is doing fulsome!

The venue - lovely, lots of atmosphere, lots of room, lots of parking, affordable water considering everything, not too hot, easy to find.

The welcome - great, smiley, friendly faces on the reception desk, nice emails, v. helpful about the Ceroc card. :grin:

The lighting - nice and gloomy, I noticed the UV lights but missed out on the green teeth so they couldn't have been that obvious.

The music - I really did find it a bit slow. I know that was the idea, but there's no point in having any feedback at all if people can't actually say what they really thought. It seemed to me that there was a big bias towards WCS tracks, and much less latin and tango was played. As I have not done much WCS I was inevitably going to struggle. I assumed that because I generally love blues room music I would love Utopia but I did not get energised and really inspired to dance by the music, although I enjoyed it to listen to. That affected my confidence to go up and ask people to dance, as well. But I'd been up since 6:30 and had had a long journey to get there so that was a big factor to overcome for me. I'd really prefer to go to dance events on a Saturday or Sunday for this reason.

Still, it wouldn't put me off attending another Utopia event as I think I will find the music easier to dance to the more I hear it. I've also got access to WCS classes at Corby, now. And if the Ceroc offerings are the alternative then there's no contest. I had such high expectations of the event that it was not likely that they would all be fulfilled, anyway.

17 miles? For me it's 58.4 miles to Evesham - on the doorstep by comparison!

fletch
15th-January-2007, 12:29 PM
17 miles? For me it's 58.4 miles to Evesham - on the doorstep by comparison!

so are you coming?

:flower:

TheTramp
15th-January-2007, 12:33 PM
17 miles? For me it's 58.4 miles to Evesham - on the doorstep by comparison!

390 miles. But I am thinking about it! :rolleyes:

Cruella
15th-January-2007, 12:35 PM
390 miles. But I am thinking about it! :rolleyes:

I promise to turn up this time if you do. :flower:

TheTramp
15th-January-2007, 12:49 PM
I promise to turn up this time if you do. :flower:

Yeah. You're only saying that because you were going anyhow..... :yum:

WittyBird
15th-January-2007, 12:57 PM
But I am thinking about it! :rolleyes:

Be lovely to have you there! I'm travelling 120 Miles to get there! :D

Lory
15th-January-2007, 01:03 PM
The lighting - nice and gloomy,


You really do have a way with words! :rofl: :rofl:

Sparkles
15th-January-2007, 01:30 PM
I had probably one of my best dance nights ever at Utopia last Friday - and that's saying something!

From the instant I walked through the door it was obvious how much time, thought and effort had been put into making the punters enjoy the night. I particularly liked the entrance procedure, slick, being ticked off on the list and swiped in within a matter of about 2mins! The free cloak room was also a huge bonus, especially as there was not very much seating and coats etc would have just made for extra clutter in the dance hall.

The location was good (though I might try and get there a little earlier next time to make parking a little easier), floor excellent and music - to die for! I heard some people complaining that the music was a bit 'relentless' in terms of complexity, but I say 'bring it on' - never before have I had the music, space and excellent partners with which to experiment and try new things. I think the DJs did extremely well.

The company definitely made my night - fab dancers from all over, including the Scots :clap:. It was like being a kid in a candy shop - everywhere you looked more people you wanted to dance with and fab music to make the most of them ;) . It was as much fun socialising as dancing, mainly done during the 'fast tracks', when I went to get a drink. I don't know whether those fast tracks are strictly necessary, but I also didn't feel them ruin the atmosphere, as had previosly been my concern.

I heard that you will be allowing more people in next time, I can understand that, but I beg, please not too many more! If it turns into a crowded kickfest you can count me out!

Well done to Dave, Val and Vince on a job well done. I look forward to a repeat performance next time :flower: .

frodo
15th-January-2007, 09:39 PM
The Elitist/hotshot crap is just that, crap. People need to remember this kind of thing is niche, special interest not mass appeal, that doesnt mean better.
...I'd wouldn't mind knowing specifically what you mean by 'this kind of thing'.


If the niche being referred to is catering to a pre-existing highly intertwined elite and social dance group, then clearly there isn't much reason to comment .

On the other hand if you're talking about a potentially much bigger (but still much smaller than standard Ceroc) niche that prefer this kind of music.
- Then there is certainly reasonable grounds for comment if it turns out the main defining characteristic is the elite dancers / existing highly intertwined social group, rather than the different music.


Based on having a class, having some fast tracks, being mentioned/linked to outside elitist channels, the association with Ceroc, there were some grounds pointing towards the second niche.

Even if the intention was the second niche, if it ends up taking the first niche, it probably may make commercial sense to instead target the first niche, and focus on keeping that you have (unless you have bigger ambitions).


Well done though it may be there probably isn't much new about the doing so though.
The comments here sound awfully similar to previous threads where a select group of dancers have gathered in an environment which caters for them.

Miguel
15th-January-2007, 10:37 PM
I'd wouldn't mind knowing specifically what you mean by 'this kind of thing'.

If the niche being referred to is catering to a pre-existing highly intertwined elite and social dance group, then clearly there isn't much reason to comment .

On the other hand if you're talking about a potentially much bigger (but still much smaller than standard Ceroc) niche that prefer this kind of music. - Then there is certainly reasonable grounds for comment if it turns out the main defining characteristic is the elite dancers / existing highly intertwined social group, rather than the different music.

Based on having a class, having some fast tracks, being mentioned/linked to outside elitist channels, the association with Ceroc, there were some grounds pointing towards the second niche.

Even if the intention was the second niche, if it ends up taking the first niche, it probably may make commercial sense to instead target the first niche, and focus on keeping that you have (unless you have bigger ambitions).

Well done though it may be there probably isn't much new about the doing so though. The comments here sound awfully similar to previous threads where a select group of dancers have gathered in an environment which caters for them.

Could someone open a window in here? Thanks.

Andy McGregor
16th-January-2007, 12:20 AM
Could someone open a window in here? Thanks.The window was open, something blew in :whistle:

WittyBird
16th-January-2007, 12:49 AM
The comments here sound awfully similar to previous threads where a select group of dancers have gathered in an environment which caters for them.

Sorry to be so blunt but....
What a load of absolute B0ll0cks.... there I've said it.

It's people like you that make it sound elitist.

Go get a life and stop demoralising what good people are trying to do. Infact it's people like you that make rumours start and make cliques and elitism what they are.

*strops off to bury head in sand*

frodo
16th-January-2007, 01:27 AM
Sorry to be so blunt but....
What a load of absolute B0ll0cks.... there I've said it....

You could make amends :) by making a bit more of an effort to explain why.


....It's people like you that make it sound elitist.
You could explain why you think it isn't. I'm very interested.



Go get a life and stop demoralising what good people are trying to do. Infact it's people like you that make rumours start and make cliques and elitism what they are....I'm even more interested how you reach these conclusions. (Managed to work out the life bit for myself :) ).

Chef
16th-January-2007, 11:28 AM
snip---the rest of your post------snip

The comments here sound awfully similar to previous threads where a select group of dancers have gathered in an environment which caters for them.

Nobody has "selected" the people that have attended Utopia and excluded all others. If you want to go all you have to do is phone up and reserve a ticket (it is done in that way so the place doesn't get overcrowded). If you are going to the one in Evesham you don't even have to reserve a ticket because the venue is large enough for it to be unlikely that it will become overcrowded - considering that blues dancing is a minority interest.

If we were talking about morris dancing (another minority interest dance) then I am sure that there are gatherings for them then being another small group then most people would know most others. It is much easier to know everybody in a small group.

I don't believe blues dance events are elitist. If they were then they would not be publicised and only thse people that are wanted there would be told about them. So you know about these events and you know what EVERYONE that wants to do needs to do to get a ticket. Your choice then is to either go or not to go but there is no one telling you that you are not allowed to go.

So you think it might be cliquey? You know all those people that you think are in the clique - do you think they were born there? They all started out the same way - they wanted to dance blues and they went to lessons and learnt and then they went out dancing blues with other people that wanted to dance blues. In the course of that activity they got to know the other people that shared their interest. That will not guarantee that those people will like you as a person however.

So if you like dancing to the sort of music at Utopia or weekender blues rooms (go to the Utopia website if you want to hear examples) go to lessons (just dancing Ceroc at ultra low speed looks bizzare) and learn how to dance in this style. Then phone up and buy a ticket, turn up at he event and dance.

In the course of the dancing you will meet loads of people and some of them will like you and a few may not (so just like ordinary life then). Before you know it you will find yourself turning up at places all around the country and people will greet you by name and ask you how things are going for you.

Then people can point at you as you greet old friends and remark how cliquey the people in the blues room are.

Lory
16th-January-2007, 12:06 PM
My Answer to Frodo's questions ...

Every Ceroc night in the UK (and there must be hundreds of them), all cater brilliantly for the beginner and intermediate dancers. :nice:

The music on those nights, is specifically chosen to appeal to the widest possible audience, the aim being, to keep it simple, familiar and easy, so as not to intimidate anyone. And generally speaking, Ceroc does a great job!:respect:

Now, over the past few years, some of the hard-core enthusiasts, the likes of who, dance more than 3 times a week and probably do more than one or two weekenders a year, have developed a taste for something slightly more challenging.

Recently, we've started to see an upsurge of 'add on' Blues rooms, which have proved to be very popular and so clearly there is a market for this kind of music.... And that's all it is really, its just slightly slower, more chilled, and blusier music, which just happens to be more challenging! Nothing more, nothing less!

No, it won't appeal to 'everyone' but then again, neither did punk and no one could accuse punk rockers and pogo dancing clubs as being elitist.:sick:


If the niche being referred to is catering to a pre-existing highly intertwined elite and social dance group, then clearly there isn't much reason to comment.
When i first joined Ceroc, I went to a local hall and got to know everyone there, then I discovered a few other venues and got to know more and more people, then gradually, I realised I kept bumping into the same people at lots of different venues and again at weekenders and these maybe the group your referring to as
'the pre-existing highly intertwined elite and social dance group?

In reality we're just a bunch of ordinary people who love dancing and will travel about a lot more than the average punter to find places that play the kind of music we like!

The fact that a lot (but not all) of them happen to be fabulous dances, I believe is secondary. ;)

Anyway, I can't see fabulous dancers coming just to mix with other fabulous dancers, if they hated R&B, soft latin and Rich Blues (DavidB immediately springs to mind:na: )


Yes, it takes a degree more skill to interpret the music with confidence but its only one's own ego that will be doing the judging. No where has anyone said, you have to have reached a certain standard or social standing to attend :confused:


Even if the intention was the second niche, if it ends up taking the first niche, it probably may make commercial sense to instead target the first niche, and focus on keeping that you have (unless you have bigger ambitions).
I think all ventures have to start out with a bunch of people who are enthusiastic about a venture and just hope the enthusiasm catches on. It would be daft to drag a bunch of people who didn't 'like' that kind of music and force them to endure it, just for equalities sake!:rolleyes:

Trousers
16th-January-2007, 12:33 PM
{BigSnip}


Ooooh Lorraine

Brilliantly put!


:nice:

mikeyr
16th-January-2007, 01:27 PM
If the niche being referred to is catering to a pre-existing highly intertwined elite and social dance group, then clearly there isn't much reason to comment .

WooHOO...... Hey, theres finally someone other than myself:cool: that considers me elite:waycool: ......... Now theres dangerous, I am sure I have never met you Frodo But I am not gonna let that get in the way of a wonderful friendship:awe:

:D

HelenB
16th-January-2007, 03:06 PM
I went to Utopia Friday on my own. Slightly apprehensive because a) it was away from my local area, b) I knew I would hardly know anyone there, and c) I'm a relative newbie to blues (number of times in a blues room can be counted on one hand)

So why did I go? Because I love the music and dancin' the blues and this night catered for that on a more regular basis then the weekenders. :respect:

Did I find it cliquey? Not at all, just a group of people having a fab time :cheers:

IMO cliques are groups of people that exclude us mere mortals that they feel don't fit into their entry criteria.

I came away knowing more fellow blues'ites (and forumites) and having had a fantastic time in the process with not one refusal. That's not cliqueness to me :clap:

fletch
16th-January-2007, 03:10 PM
IMO cliques are groups of people that exclude us mere mortals that they feel don't fit into their entry criteria.

I came away knowing more fellow blues'ites (and forumites) and having had a fantastic time in the process with not one refusal. That's not cliqueness to me :clap:



:yeah:

and it was nice to meet you babes :flower:

:clap:

Simon r
16th-January-2007, 03:17 PM
I went to Utopia Friday on my own. Slightly apprehensive because a) it was away from my local area, b) I knew I would hardly know anyone there, and c) I'm a relative newbie to blues (number of times in a blues room can be counted on one hand)

So why did I go? Because I love the music and dancin' the blues and this night catered for that on a more regular basis then the weekenders. :respect:

Did I find it cliquey? Not at all, just a group of people having a fab time :cheers:

IMO cliques are groups of people that exclude us mere mortals that they feel don't fit into their entry criteria.

I came away knowing more fellow blues'ites (and forumites) and having had a fantastic time in the process with not one refusal. That's not cliqueness to me :clap:



I am really glad you had a good time

I think the whole ethos of the venture is to get more people involved in this slower smoother type of dancing

Well done to you for giving such an honest reply,

LOL simon

Miguel
16th-January-2007, 03:42 PM
IMO cliques are groups of people that exclude us mere mortals that they feel don't fit into their entry criteria.

cliques
1. derog
A group of friends, professional colleagues, etc who stick together and are hostile towards outsiders.
http://www.answers.com/topic/clique

This is the picture some people would like to paint. But as HelenB said it certainly wasn't like that on Friday.

MartinHarper
16th-January-2007, 03:52 PM
While "blues" dancing is indeed relatively niche today, there's no reason why it has to stay that way.

Frankie_4711
16th-January-2007, 07:43 PM
I really don't get all this 'blues is elitist' stuff ... from the first time I stepped foot in a blues room I have not felt unwelcome, excluded or like an outsider. I knew absolutely nothing about this type of dancing, nor the whole elitist concept. My chalet share at Storm said she'd spent the evening in there so I decided to try it - had no idea what it was all about, or what to expect. Maybe it's peoples' expectations that make it elitist - they think it is, therefore they see it that way, whether it is or not.

I was at Utopia and didn't feel out of place despite being relatively new to blues, and knowing very few people there. For me it's all about the dancing. So long as I can find someone to dance with (and I'm not afraid to ask anyone either! No matter who they are) then I'm happy (see my sig!)

OK, so there are groups of people here and there who obviously know each other a lot better than others, but that's going to happen anywhere. Doesn't mean no-one else can go along and have a great time.

Don't knock it til you've tried it!

Spin dryer
16th-January-2007, 08:15 PM
Even though the music was great i thought the volume was a bit low

The music was at an appropriate volume. At virtually every other venue I can think of it's too loud. If you have to speak loudly or shout to make yourself heard, then it's damaging your ears. Thresholds for hearing loss vary significantly between individuals, but anything over 85 decibels will damage the hearing of significant numbers if endured for long periods. I guess the problem is that many DJs have themselves already suffered hearing loss so they pump up the volume to compensate, to the detriment of the rest of us.

Rocky
16th-January-2007, 10:25 PM
The music was at an appropriate volume. At virtually every other venue I can think of it's too loud. If you have to speak loudly or shout to make yourself heard, then it's damaging your ears. Thresholds for hearing loss vary significantly between individuals, but anything over 85 decibels will damage the hearing of significant numbers if endured for long periods. I guess the problem is that many DJs have themselves already suffered hearing loss so they pump up the volume to compensate, to the detriment of the rest of us.

This is an interesting one as like most Djs I do like the music loud - for me it's only right when I feel the bass reverberating through my old bones (it's therepeutic you know...) BUT it's not to everyone's taste and as Djs, as SD quite rightly says, we do have a responsibility to the well being of our customers.

Part of the problem of course is that Djs generally sit behind the speakers so the volume level is different there than to the people on the floor (don't have a limitless budget for extra long leads...) What SF and I did was to regularly go out onto the floor to check levels but this is not always fool proof. More people on the floor absorb more sound so the same level for one song can be different for another. In addition, modern songs are produced in such a way as to some how appear louder even when there decibel level seems to be the same. You can actually see this at The Winning Post where they do have a decibel monitor in the main room - you can have one tune on that 'seems' loud but actually is no louder on the decibel monitor than the previous track.

Ultimately of course the best feedback should come from the dancers and if we are exceeding any individual's comfort zone we will always turn it down. Having said that, I did have someone come up to me at our regular venue last night at York House who said the music was way too loud - but then she had been dancing directly in front of a 3ft speaker for the last 2 tracks so it was difficult to accept the crticism!

frodo
16th-January-2007, 10:39 PM
The music was at an appropriate volume. ...That is sooo good for London. I generally prefer London venues, but London level volumes are a big downer.


...Hey, theres finally someone other than myself:cool: that considers me elite:waycool: ........I am sure I have never met you Frodo But I am not gonna let that get in the way of a wonderful friendship:awe: Wasn't actually saying everyone in the grouping was elite, but I'm entirely sure you are the elite of the elite :nice:.

Lynn
16th-January-2007, 11:11 PM
The music was at an appropriate volume. At virtually every other venue I can think of it's too loud. If you have to speak loudly or shout to make yourself heard, then it's damaging your ears. Thresholds for hearing loss vary significantly between individuals, but anything over 85 decibels will damage the hearing of significant numbers if endured for long periods. I guess the problem is that many DJs have themselves already suffered hearing loss so they pump up the volume to compensate, to the detriment of the rest of us.:yeah: :yeah:

On more that one occasion I've arrived at a dance venue, gone in to check out the music volume, and decided to leave again rather than stay and risk hearing damage. Despite being all dressed up and ready to dance. I don't care if that seems to be over-cautious - I know too many people with hearing damage and tinnitus to risk my own.

Good sound quality is more important than volume anyway.

Yogi_Bear
16th-January-2007, 11:43 PM
Be lovely to have you there! I'm travelling 120 Miles to get there! :D

180 miles....I'm considering it, but probably not till March...:whistle:

SuzyQ
17th-January-2007, 12:07 AM
Might have been having a dizzy moment but managed to miss all the advertising for Utopia ... so was too late to get a ticket. Same as a couple of other regular blues room attendees! Where did everyone else hear about it?
Have reserved my ticket for the next one- phew!
SuzyQ

WittyBird
17th-January-2007, 12:12 AM
Where did everyone else hear about it?

Oooops....... I know nothing :whistle:

SuzyQ
17th-January-2007, 12:27 AM
Witty ... were you the sole marketing strategy??

TheTramp
17th-January-2007, 02:36 AM
I guess the problem is that many DJs have themselves already suffered hearing loss so they pump up the volume to compensate, to the detriment of the rest of us.

Pardon? :rolleyes:

WittyBird
17th-January-2007, 08:34 AM
Witty ... were you the sole marketing strategy??

I wish :rofl:

Chef
17th-January-2007, 11:10 AM
Where did everyone else hear about it?
SuzyQ

I don't know about other people but MinnieM mentioned that something was in the pipeline on this forum sometime late november/early December 2006. Being a fan of weekender blues rooms and there not being many places outside of weekenders (apart from Funkylush) I latched onto the mention and went to the website. I liked what it said and then had some emails with the organisers to find out more and reserve tickets.

Quite naturally I talked about it to other people that I knew also liked blues dancing and some of them may have also booked tickets as a result - in the normal social networking sort of way.

MartinHarper
17th-January-2007, 11:39 AM
You can actually see this at The Winning Post where they do have a decibel monitor in the main room...

Off-topic... I love venues with decibel meters. :)

Rocky
17th-January-2007, 07:09 PM
Off-topic... I love venues with decibel meters. :)

I love bedrooms with decibel meters....

mikeyr
17th-January-2007, 11:44 PM
Wasn't actually saying everyone in the grouping was elite, but I'm entirely sure you are the elite of the elite :nice:.

Shame Nobody else does,......hey Lettuce :awe:

OXO'S
17th-January-2007, 11:56 PM
Two excellant replies by lory and helen b absolutely spot on:respect:
:worthy: :worthy: :worthy: :worthy: :worthy: :worthy: :worthy: Never bowed so much

fletch
18th-January-2007, 10:05 AM
Two excellant replies by lory and helen b absolutely spot on:respect:
:worthy: :worthy: :worthy: :worthy: :worthy: :worthy: :worthy: Never bowed so much

So OXO'S are the DJ's having slots or havn't you all sorted times yet. :flower:

Are we going to get the 'whats coming next' lap top :respect:

I loved it :worthy:

Gentabout
18th-January-2007, 01:52 PM
I thought it was one of the best evenings dancing I have been too and well worth the long drive. Having only been dancing for about 9 Months I was full of in trepidation of what to expect but felt very welcome and not conscious of my lack of ability compared to most other dancers, it gave me a chance to dance with much better dancers and improve my own abilities. My only regret is not asking more people to dance, in particular Val, just could not pluck up the courage.

So thank you for putting on a wonderful evening on Friday, allready booked my tickets for the next one.

Gent

fletch
18th-January-2007, 02:28 PM
My only regret is not asking more people to dance, in particular Val, just could not pluck up the courage.

Gent


I have only just found out who you are :wink:

Now I know, there will be no escape :devil:

Gentabout
18th-January-2007, 02:33 PM
I have only just found out who you are :wink:

Now I know, there will be no escape :devil:


Emm, Emmm, ok.:wink:

How did you work out who i was then.

Gent.

fletch
18th-January-2007, 03:21 PM
Emm, Emmm, ok.:wink:

How did you work out who i was then.

Gent.

there is a photo of you on one of the web sites and you were pionted out, now theres no escaping :rofl:

I don't bite (not much) :wink: :D


:hug: :hug: :hug: :hug:

Gentabout
18th-January-2007, 04:13 PM
bugger, forgot about www.uglyfatblokes.com. Must cancel my membership there with a few hundred thousand pound spent on surgery.


Gent.

Cruella
20th-January-2007, 12:47 PM
My take on Evesham. Music was great, as expected, but IMO a lot more upbeat than Twickenham. I understand why this was though, as the majority of dancers seemed to look like they were unaccustomed to dancing to the slower stuff. I guess as the locals become more experienced the music will slow down. The floor was extremely fast. :D The lighting too low, for someone like me who's eyesight isn't the best. :rolleyes: But apparently there was a problem with some of the lights so i guess that was a one off. All in all i had an OK night but i preferred the atmosphere and setting at the Twickenham venue. I think the experience of dancer was a lot higher too at Twickenham and i'm afraid that is important to me. (I'm obviously a complete Hotshot!) I did have some lovely dances though, special thanks to Jamie. :drool:

TheTramp
20th-January-2007, 01:41 PM
The lighting too low, for someone like me who's eyesight isn't the best. :rolleyes:

Eat more carrots before you go next time? :yum:

ElaineB
20th-January-2007, 02:45 PM
Eat more carrots before you go next time? :yum:

:rofl: :rofl: Well, I can't see anyway, so I use my other senses! :whistle:

Simon and I had a really good time last night - many thanks to the Organisers for some lovely touches, including the complimentry drinks! Also to Val, who showed Simon a very interesting move...:D

As we didn't go to Twickenham, I can't compare venues, but I enjoyed the music and the atmosphere! Hardly missed a dance and found the locals very friendly. I understand that Marc Foster it to join Ian on the decks for the next event and we certainly hope to be there.

Also, great to meet some of the forumites who I hadn't previously met, Witty Bird, Martin Harper and Blue Shoes to name a few..........:cheers:


Elaine

TheTramp
20th-January-2007, 02:51 PM
:rofl: :rofl: Well, I can't see anyway, so I use my other senses! :whistle:

The mind boggles. Or is that just me??:rolleyes:

Blueshoes
20th-January-2007, 03:08 PM
Had a good night at Evesham and it was worth the 4 1/2 hour drive there and back. The music was superb. One thing I found slightly puzzling was the number of people there who clearly hadn't grasped the concept, and who wouldn't dance close or even make eye contact. What else is a blues evening for?

Had some lovely dances though and thanks to all who danced with me. And congratulations Debbie, this should go from strength to strength.

MartinHarper
20th-January-2007, 05:59 PM
One thing I found slightly puzzling was the number of people there who clearly hadn't grasped the concept, and who wouldn't dance close or even make eye contact. What else is a blues evening for?

I won't defend a lack of eye contact, but I think the evening was for all those "who love Blues, Soft Latin, R&B and other slower more chilled out genres of music with challenging rhythmic breaks and interludes". Grinding is optional.

David Bailey
20th-January-2007, 07:39 PM
I've changed the title of the thread, as it's a more general topic under discussion now.

Mr Cool
20th-January-2007, 08:02 PM
I would like to thank Debbie for a great event. lets have some more!!! :worthy: :worthy: :worthy: :yeah:

Great (dancing) music, nice place, good floor.
And most important lots wonderful lady dancers. :cheers: :cheers: :cheers:
Thankyou ladies for all the dances. :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:

:waycool: :waycool: :waycool: :waycool:

FirstMove
20th-January-2007, 09:02 PM
One thing I found slightly puzzling was the number of people there who clearly hadn't grasped the concept, and who wouldn't dance close or even make eye contact. What else is a blues evening for?


It's up to forumites to educate the great Cerocing unwashed what Blues dancing is! :cool: :waycool:

I think the only locals there who've ever been to a weekender are the local crew (teachers/demos/taxis), MartinHarper, me and two others.

They will only come to love blues if you show them how it's done :wink:. So you'd better come back next time :worthy: .

rubyred
21st-January-2007, 03:24 AM
I had a brilliant evening and it was well worth the four and a half hour drive there and back. Thank you Blueshoes for driving. Congratulations Debbie, and thank you for making us feel so welcome.:flower:

I have to say that we have a similar event up North at Knutsford, the concept of Revolution dance is the same as Utopia, so I am lucky to have it close by. :clap:

Thank you to all the lovely men who danced with me. It was great to see and dance with Mr Cool :cheers: whose just got so much attitude. It was good to see the formurites I know and it was nice to meet some new ones, MartinHarper. :flower:

boardrider
21st-January-2007, 03:41 AM
[snip] One thing I found slightly puzzling was the number of people there who clearly hadn't grasped the concept, and who wouldn't dance close or even make eye contact. What else is a blues evening for?
[snip]

As a noobie (2 years of MJ), switching to blues isn't straight forward. Yes I understand the concept, it's not just the same moves done slow (obviously). How do I know? 'Cos a while ago a lady in the blues room in Daventry stopped me mid dance and said, "this is the kinda thing you should be doing". The penny dropped.

If the person you are dancing with hasn't got it yet, take the time to guide them. Otherwise you'll continue to have a room with people not doing blues, or a room full of all the people that already know blues but then there'll be no new faces as the learners will not progress and won't stay with it.

As for dancing close and eye contact. In a primeval sense, they are very scary things to do. Invading someone's personal space, let alone grinding on them! and then looking into their eyes. Surely it's asking for a fight.
That's what years of conditioning and evolution have done for us. It's a big fear to get over for a lot of people.
When they do, ... they like it though.

WittyBird
21st-January-2007, 05:14 AM
or even make eye contact. What else is a blues evening for?

I don't understand this? I had someone say to me on Friday 'what piercing blue eyes you have' I took it as a compliment.


It's a big fear to get over for a lot of people.


Yes it is. But also sink or swim. Fears are just your own insecurities, don't let them rule your life. That's why it's called experience.

jivecat
21st-January-2007, 11:04 AM
Yes it is. But also sink or swim. Fears are just your own insecurities, don't let them rule your life. That's why it's called experience.

The new-style, mellow WB rides again! Love it! :flower: :hug:

boardrider
21st-January-2007, 01:11 PM
[snip]

Yes it is. But also sink or swim. Fears are just your own insecurities, don't let them rule your life. That's why it's called experience.

Most profound. I'm lucky, I already knew that.
But how do you surmount those fears without guidance and reassurance? That was the crux of my argument.

And experience has nothing to do with surmounting fear of the unknown. It has everything to do with recognising a similar situation and letting previous experiences influence your actions.
Experience cannot help you in an unknown situation and blues is a step into the unknown.

DavidY
21st-January-2007, 03:09 PM
If the person you are dancing with hasn't got it yet, take the time to guide them. Otherwise you'll continue to have a room with people not doing blues, or a room full of all the people that already know blues but then there'll be no new faces as the learners will not progress and won't stay with it.As one who isn't great at the Blues, I didn't find Utopia (Evesham) a great learning environment.

While it wasn't overcrowded, it was still pretty busy, so I found I had to spend a lot of time looking round to work out where nearby dancers were, so I could attempt to avoid them. Which isn't helpful for eye-contact. Also, a crowded dancefloor means you haven't got much space to experiment (which is what you need if you're trying to change the way you dance).

Limpy Tink
21st-January-2007, 03:12 PM
....Also to Val, who showed Simon a very interesting move...:D

Elaine
Do you mean the "five pennies......whatever its called " move? :whistle: I was very impressed with that demo - but I think Simons added interpretation was 2nd to none! :rofl:

I had a great night! :clap: It was more up beat than Twickenham, but all 3 DJ's read the floor well and played to the crowd :respect: , whilst encouraging people to step outside the box and dip their toes into that pool of blues water! :nice: :nice:

A big thank you to Debbie :respect: , who did a fabulous job and did everything she could to ensure everyone went home happy - including playing over time! :worthy: ) and thrusting a nicely chilled glass of something bubbly into my hand the moment I walked through the door! :hug:

It was great to dance with some unknown people and put faces to names - special thanks to Mr cool & Simon and also to Jamie for a great west coast dance! :drool:

All in all... definately worth the drive! :D

straycat
21st-January-2007, 03:22 PM
Most profound. I'm lucky, I already knew that.
But how do you surmount those fears without guidance and reassurance? That was the crux of my argument.

And experience has nothing to do with surmounting fear of the unknown. It has everything to do with recognising a similar situation and letting previous experiences influence your actions.
Experience cannot help you in an unknown situation and blues is a step into the unknown.

Surely - if you constantly embrace unknown situations, you will lose your fear of them, and learn how to embrace and deal with them, by providing your own reassurance.

You can gain experience in dealing with the unknown simply by embracing new situations when they come up - and since life will always be throwing unknown situations at you, it's a good skill to learn.

Remember - fear leads to the dark side, jerky arm leads, yanking, and high speed quadruple travelling spinning pretzels.

Rocky
21st-January-2007, 09:35 PM
A big thank you from the organizers to everyone supporting the new Evesham UTOPIA event. As always Debbie gave her all and she just has to be one of the most natural and self effacing lady teacher/dancers around - what a cutey pie!

There were problems with the lights at the venue which put quite a restriction on what could be achieved with the lights we brought in. Also, there were restrictions on what could be achieved with the sound - I won't bore you with the details but improvements will be made for forthcoming events.

As Cruella pointed out, the music was slightly more upbeat in recognition of the fact that it looked like a fair number of people were still trying to find their feet. But then this is what UTOPIA is all about; making blues nights like this more accessible, running classes to encourage people and bringing dancers together so that people can learn by experience and by observation.

Like all things worthwhile, it does take time to fully embrace the 'blues'. It is more intimate and more expressive but all it really needs is practice and inspiration. The latter comes from the music and the connection with your partner, and if the opening night is anything to go by there were some really great dancers in attendance and Oxo's played a fantastic set.

Hopefully it will go from strength to strength!

Rocky
22nd-January-2007, 09:47 AM
Just a quick note to say that UTOPIA @ Twickenham for the 9th of Feb is now sold out. As before, please advise anyone you know who maybe thinking of turning up on spec that we unfortunately cannot let people in on the door.

Should be a great night, we have some fantastic dancers booked in.

Yogi_Bear
22nd-January-2007, 09:57 AM
Just a quick note to say that UTOPIA @ Twickenham for the 9th of Feb is now sold out. As before, please advise anyone you know who maybe thinking of turning up on spec that we unfortunately cannot let people in on the door.

Should be a great night, we have some fantastic dancers booked in.

I assume that Evesham Utopia nights will still be open to people who turn up on the night?

Rocky
22nd-January-2007, 10:06 AM
I assume that Evesham Utopia nights will still be open to people who turn up on the night?

There we're 200 at Evesham on the opening night and half of those had booked in advance. The advice to most people was to either book, or get there early as it was a complete unknown as to what numbers were expected.

Until things change you can still just turn up but it's probably worth checking with Debs on the day - she can then put your name on the door.

Yogi_Bear
22nd-January-2007, 10:09 AM
Thanks, I intend to make it across to Evesham sometime in the next few weeks, it's just a question of the distance.

DianaS
22nd-January-2007, 10:49 AM
I got totally lost on the way to Utopia and found myself arriving at 10pm.
Debs was kind enought to let me in an get me a drink. I had not one bad dance all night and dancing with many forumites who were amazing!!! :respect:


The music was pulsing, the atmoshphere alive and there was plenty of very friendly people there
An absolute must event for my calender!

MartinHarper
22nd-January-2007, 10:56 AM
There were 200 at Evesham

What is your feeling regarding that number? Would you be happy with more people, or is 200 about your aim?

Dai
22nd-January-2007, 11:42 AM
Utopia for me was a really scary concept. I try to avoid the blues rooms, generally because i find it hard to dance to the music. As a female lead - i have often felt awkward when asking women to do dance a blues track, i guess its not really that i feel uncomrfotable - but more becasue i don't want to make the women uncomfortable. I guess to a certain extent its the same for the male leads that haven't done much blues, getting their head round the hole "up close and personal thing".

I've been wanting to improve my blues now for a while, and thought - well i'll check out this Utopia thing and see what happens. Well - i got there and saw the end of the class, and hmmm... not too sure about this.

But then the music seemed to pick up a little, and was (fortunatly for me) not quite as 'bluesie' as i had expected. I felt much better, and found i was pushed outside my comfort zone a little, enough to help me learn, but not too much to be swamped. So for me, it was fantastic

With regard to the rest of it, well - the floor was brilliant, the atmosphere was superb, everyone was so friendly (not one refusal!!!), and i was even asked to dance by women i didn't know - brilliant, i think that probably made my night.

I mangaed to pluck up the courage to ask both Val and Debbie for a dance, took about an hour to do so though!!!:blush:

Huge thanks to Fletch for getting me to go to Evesham, i'm so glad i did. :hug:

Role on the next one - can't wait.

fletch
22nd-January-2007, 12:16 PM
Utopia Eveshem

I arrived early, no surprises there, but really glad I did, it gave me a chance to have a chat and a few dances with POP's and OXO'S.:hug:

The room is lovely and it was set out just as I like it seats around the edge with the odd table doted in-between, I can't stand it when there are rows of tables, you can't get through and when you do your hemmed in.:sick:

The music was truly wonderful, I never though I would be dancing to one of my all time favourites Dion Warwick, OXO'S you are now officially my hero the track work well that has to be you signature tune from now on,:worthy: it was made all that more fabulous as I got to dance with Blueshoes to it, not sure how impressed he was with me signing down his ear.:na:

I was disappointed with the choice of fast tracks, it seem a variation of what we were already getting just speeded up, this was the Midlands not London, and easing in genteelly I believe was the idea, so I think more like a couple of Ceroc classics or even something that could be bounced about to would have gone down better, I would dream of mentioning we could have a Disco Classic or a Mowtown.:wink:

I never stopped dancing all night, it was the first time I had experienced what seemed like more men than women.:confused:

I can't say I didn't have a bad dance all night because I did,:sad: about 3, my back was jolted on one occasion,:tears: and ended up in a bit of a tussle on two occasions, :mad: with guy's who were insisting that it was a male lead dance and I was going to follow at there speed no matter what, (I don't think so boys) but, as the night had been advertised specifically as 'blues' I didn't have any problems telling the guy's the idea behind it, they probably thought I was a 'cheeky moo' but hayho!


I would like to thank Rocky & Foxy for obliging me up the back :clap:

I got to dance with 'hunk of the month' don't know why we haven't danced before? David, yes DAVID, not sure why he was trying to pass himself off as BARMPOT, I would stick to David if I was you, or you'll never get a dance.:rofl:

I was chatting to some people that were there, yesterday, at the 't' and I asked for there toughs and feed back, they said they did feel intimidated by some of the dance abilities there, but IMO I hope the level doesn't drop, they need people to aspire to,:respect: it might seem a bit harsh guys but 'GET OVER IT' :flower:

Lovely to meet ElaineB, you dress was lovely, :worthy: it would look better in my wardrobe:wink: and thanks to Simon her partner for the dance.:drool:

Marc, Rachel and OXO'S are there next month is already on the calendar as a must.

:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:

Well done Debbie and every one organising, job well done


:respect:

foxylady
22nd-January-2007, 12:20 PM
I would like to thank Rocky & Foxy for obliging me up the back :clap:



:eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:

Rocky
22nd-January-2007, 12:25 PM
What is your feeling regarding that number? Would you be happy with more people, or is 200 about your aim?

Looking at the room, I would have said that 200 was about right. I personally danced all around the room: front, back and middle and found enough space in all areas. Having said that it was on the verge of starting to get too busy so I think Debs may look at capping the numbers for the future.

Rocky
22nd-January-2007, 12:29 PM
:eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:

:rofl: And very accomadating she was too....

fletch
22nd-January-2007, 12:36 PM
:rofl: And very accomadating she was too....

:wink: :love:


:worthy: :respect:

barnpot
22nd-January-2007, 01:20 PM
Utopia Eveshem


I got to dance with 'hunk of the month' don't know why we haven't danced before? David, yes DAVID, not sure why he was trying to pass himself off as BARMPOT, I would stick to David if I was you, or you'll never get a dance.:rofl:


:respect:

I am who i am.

I am Barnpot. Too many Davids.

Barnpot

fletch
22nd-January-2007, 01:40 PM
I am who i am.

I am Barnpot. Too many Davids.

Barnpot

yehhhharrr :clap:

Look at that :eek:

Is a Barnpot and a BARMPOT the same thing :confused: if they are :( it doesn't suit you, I could think of a few names to describe you :wink: :drool: but Barnpot or BARMPOT isn't one of them :D


Looks like I have managed to get you to post for the first time since you joined in 2003, welcome


:flower:

barnpot
22nd-January-2007, 07:11 PM
yehhhharrr :clap:



Looks like I have managed to get you to post for the first time since you joined in 2003, welcome


:flower:

I may post again in 2011!!! :wink:

barnpot

pawplay
22nd-January-2007, 07:26 PM
Utopia for me was a really scary concept. I try to avoid the blues rooms, generally because i find it hard to dance to the music. As a female lead - i have often felt awkward when asking women to do dance a blues track, i guess its not really that i feel uncomrfotable - but more becasue i don't want to make the women uncomfortable. I guess to a certain extent its the same for the male leads that haven't done much blues, getting their head round the hole "up close and personal thing'

I would like to say, even though it took you ages to ask me, your musicality is brilliant and some of your moves have been nicked by at least one of the male leads watching us dance!! :respect: I think your fears are more in your head than reality!! Just need to work on the hook lead...yes i did blush!!:blush:

Talking about reality, thanks for the new move Cruella 'Di's move' is a must in such a hot room however unexpected!!!!

Lots of lovely dances (Jamie, Dave ect), bruised feet from some poor floor crafting, long drive, Hot......PMT???:tears: need a hug!!

Cruella
22nd-January-2007, 08:31 PM
Talking about reality, thanks for the new move Cruella 'Di's move' is a must in such a hot room however unexpected!!!!


I've a feeling it makes the recipient even hotter than it made me! :blush: Not one i want to do too often!:wink: