Anyone been dancing Down Under?

[Your wife]

....and I mean Australia before we go any further!!!!

Am just returning from a long Holiday and I wondered if any other cerocers have danced in Australia and what they thought of it?

I personally found it was not as widespread as I'd expected and the number of people at venues was quite small (but maybe I wasnt looking in the right places). However the quality of the dancing was fantastic and the staff and dancers were really friendly and happy to give out information on other dance events.

I'd be really interested to hear anyone elses experience of Ceroc Australia style:cheers:

[Double Trouble]

....and I mean Australia before we go any further!!!!


I'll get my coat then.



Too many jokes.......too many opportunities to get banned again.:devil:

[Trousers]

I'll get my coat then.



Too many jokes.......too many opportunities to get banned again.:devil:

Well if inuendo be the food of love, play on DT

After all if it ain't you it's me and our public expects certain responses now!

[Double Trouble]

Well if inuendo be the food of love, play on DT

After all if it ain't you it's me and our public expects certain responses now!

:rofl: I expect it's more like we are both on everyones ignore list.



I had a pretzel down under once. I hate it when that happens.:eek: :what: :eek:

[SusieSue]

I'd be really interested to hear anyone elses experience of Ceroc Australia style:cheers:
I always try and fit in at least a couple of nights of dancing when I go back. I have only danced in Melbourne but what I love each time are the way the classes are run with concurrent beg/inter/advanced classes and that you have to be "tested" before going to a non-beg class. While it is a little scary with their use of aerials, I have been made to feel welcome each time - a super friendly group of people who are very patient and allow my brother to sit and watch until I have finish playing.

I am going to try and check out the Sydney scene when back in October.

You can always try the down-under style in London !! :wink:

[TurboTomato]

I had a pretzel down under once. I hate it when that happens.:eek: :what: :eek:

That's not the same one that injured George Bush was it? :eek:

[SteveK]

I always try and fit in at least a couple of nights of dancing when I go back. I have only danced in Melbourne but what I love each time are the way the classes are run with concurrent beg/inter/advanced classes and that you have to be "tested" before going to a non-beg class. While it is a little scary with their use of aerials, I have been made to feel welcome each time - a super friendly group of people who are very patient and allow my brother to sit and watch until I have finish playing.

I am going to try and check out the Sydney scene when back in October.

You can always try the down-under style in London !! :wink:

Classes are generally smaller here in Brisbane than the UK; but the male/female balance is generally better. There's no "testing" here though; only some places do this. There's more of an emphasis on learning routines, and less freestyles, although I guess the geographical spread of the country has an effect on this. The biggest difference is that dips are far more prevalent here than when I learnt in the UK.

[FirstMove]

I'm going to be in Melbourne for a few days. On my one free night I can either dance at Ceroc Melbourne or at Le Bop Melbourne.

I'd rather not do an exam before I'm allowed through the door (see previous posts). Obviously, I'd like as much freestyle as possible.

Opinions anyone?

FM.

[NZ Monkey]

I'd rather not do an exam before I'm allowed through the door (see previous posts). I love how people hear the word "test" and immediately assume this happens. :lol:

You'll be fine. If either of those franchises do have tests (and many, perhaps even most, don't) then nobody will be standing at the door with a jacket that says "Security" and checking ID cards. It's the sort of thing they push in begginers classes so that the students have a way of knowing when they're ready to move up. Just show up and be ready to have fun. Australians are not fully signed members of the Nazi party.

I don't know too much about the MJ scene in Melbourne sorry, except to say that some of the WCS folk there are involved with Melbourne Ceroc in one form or another, and they're lovely people. :D

[FirstMove]

You'll be fine. If either of those franchises do have tests (and many, perhaps even most, don't)

As I said, read the previous posts.


...I have only danced in Melbourne ... you have to be "tested" before going to a non-beg class

The implication is that at least one of the two companies in Melbourne does. I'd like to know which, so I can go to the other one :)

[NZ Monkey]

As I said, read the previous posts.



The implication is that at least one of the two companies in Melbourne does. I'd like to know which, so I can go to the other one :)The implication is that one of them did four years ago.

As I said, I very much doubt you'll have any trouble with either. At least you won't unless you walk in with a chip on your shoulder :wink:

[Prian]

Not danced there myself, but met a lot of Aussie dancers in London. They all seemed to be of the impression that London was much friendlier than Australia for Cerocers. Especially for beginners. Their experiences I found quite daunting. If you were not up to speed with the rest of the class then you were named and shamed by the teacher.

Having said that, as a result the standard of Aussies is somewhat higher than the British. In fact they were doing competitions much earlier (another reason why Ceroc UK took so long to start them).

At least this appeared to be the case in the early/mid '90's. By the sound of it things have changed.

[NZ Monkey]

If you were not up to speed with the rest of the class then you were named and shamed by the teacher.I'm sure this must have happened a few times to start the stories, but I doubt it was anything other than a blue moon occurence in reality. Not many operators would keep on a teacher than routinely singled out members of the class to humiliate them after all.....

I remember one teacher in Auckland declaring (in his class) that nobody in his intermediate class could dance at all!:eek: He was, as it turns out, under a lot of stress at the time. There were also a lot of complaints, and he never did anything quite so stupid again afterwards. This must have been about five years ago, but people still talk about it from time-to-time. Stories like that are the stuff of local legends and are what undeserved reputations are based on.


At least this appeared to be the case in the early/mid '90's. By the sound of it things have changed.Things usually do change somewhat over the course of two decades. :wink:

[Prian]

I'm sure this must have happened a few times to start the stories

Nicky Haslam who founded Ceroc Australia was also the partner of James Cronin when he set up Ceroc. When they split up she went down under. One thing that differentiated "us and them" was her emphasis on competition. James was very much against them.

I think the drive to compete in Australia (especially Sydney), may also have contributed to the apparent putting down of the lesser dancers.

I was told by many Aussies that they found the British beginners classes much more fun and relaxed, but that the Australian intermediates were much more advanced.

[Yliander]

I'm going to be in Melbourne for a few days. On my one free night I can either dance at Ceroc Melbourne or at Le Bop Melbourne.

I'd rather not do an exam before I'm allowed through the door (see previous posts). Obviously, I'd like as much freestyle as possible.

Opinions anyone?

FM.

Hey First Move,

I've done been to both LeBop & Ceroc Melbourne - both while living there and when back home on holidays.

I would recommend Ceroc Melbourne - as my experience on holiday was that they were set up with of a social vibe.

there is a beginner class with is followed by some freestyle then split into 3 classes - you'll not be stopped from joining whichever class you want - you might the teachers will direct you to one.

And I've never heard of anyone being named and shamed by a teacher during class - have known there to be heckling and teachers will get their own back :wink:

One of the biggest differences for me and UK modern jive is that the music over there is so dance/pop focused with little interesting music

oh and in the interest of full disclosure - I was a consolidation teacher for Ceroc Melbourne when I was living there in 2005/2006

[Yliander]

[QUOTE=Prian;585350]Not danced there myself, but met a lot of Aussie dancers in London. They all seemed to be of the impression that London was much friendlier than Australia for Cerocers. Especially for beginners. [quote] interesting - I didn't find the UK dance scene anymore friendly than the Aus scence - what I found make the biggest difference in the UK was knowing forumites - when I went to a venue where forumites knew I would be - warmest welcome ever, venue with out forumites was a daunting experience few people if any would talk to me or ask me to dance. Which was the same as in Aus - when I went to a class or venue where I didn't know anyone was not particulary welcoming - I recall the first time i went to Sydney to compete and at the class the thursday night before, not a single Sydney dancer spoke to me or asked me to dance... had similar experiences in the UK ...

[Prian]

[QUOTE=Prian;585350]Not danced there myself, but met a lot of Aussie dancers in London. They all seemed to be of the impression that London was much friendlier than Australia for Cerocers. Especially for beginners. [quote] interesting - I didn't find the UK dance scene anymore friendly than the Aus scence - what I found make the biggest difference in the UK was knowing forumites - when I went to a venue where forumites knew I would be - warmest welcome ever, venue with out forumites was a daunting experience few people if any would talk to me or ask me to dance. Which was the same as in Aus - when I went to a class or venue where I didn't know anyone was not particulary welcoming - I recall the first time i went to Sydney to compete and at the class the thursday night before, not a single Sydney dancer spoke to me or asked me to dance... had similar experiences in the UK ...

That makes sense.

I did mention though that this was my experience of talking to Aussie Cerocers in '93, '94, '95 sort of time. Not sure there were many forums then.

[FirstMove]

I'm currently sat in the Qantas lounge, waiting for my flight home. :tears:

Guided by Yli's advice, I decided to go to Ceroc Melbourne's Wed night class. I noticed that Ceroc Melbourne's website gives two different locations for their Wednesday night class, so I did a recce on Tuesday night to find out which info. was correct. As it turns out, both locations currently have Zumba classes on Wednesday nights. :doh: I tried phoning the number on the website, but it never got answered.

So, I went to the Le Bop Melbourne class instead. This was in a dance studio and only had about 10 couples in the beginners' class. A few people left and a few arrived before the intermediate class. The gap between classes was about 15mins.

There was no beginners' review class during the intermediate class. The intermediate routine was 4 moves, two of them hard by Ceroc UK standards.
The demo wore shorts :eek: and the teacher didn't dance with anyone after the lesson. Dancing "till late" meant a whole 25mins of freestyle after the class. :banghead:

Someone I spoke to at Le Bop said that the Wed Ceroc class had been struggling with numbers for some time. Based on my limited evidence, it appears that MJ is dying in Melbourne. All in all, quite disappointing.

When I get back home, in about 27 hours time, I'm leaving an hour later for Camber :grin: I wonder what time my body clock will be on :confused:

[foxylady]

Danced in Sydney (willoughby iirc) a year+ ago and loved it !
But I did have Trampy there to point out the good vs bad dancers to me, and it was party night so full of some exceptionaly yummy dancers...

Thought about going at new year this year, but without the Trampy back up, decided against it..

Off to New Zealand, queenstown, in April so might try out some events there.
NZ Monkey - any advice ??? (presume there isn't any WCS in Q'town?)

T xx

[foxylady]

When I get back home, in about 27 hours time, I'm leaving an hour later for Camber :grin: I wonder what time my body clock will be on :confused:

Body clock should be about perfect for Camber I reckon - dance all night/sleep all day....(down under time)

[NZ Monkey]

Off to New Zealand, queenstown, in April so might try out some events there.
NZ Monkey - any advice ??? (presume there isn't any WCS in Q'town?)

T xxSadly there isn't any WCS in that area yet. It's really only established in Auckland at the moment, but it's getting started in a couple of other locations in the North Island at the moment, which is good news.

There are ceroc nights in the Southern Lakes (including Queenstown) but I wouldn't expect huge numbers or leaders to match your experience T :sad:

Details can be found at http://ceroc.co.nz/index.php?page=southern_lakes

[Yliander]

I'm currently sat in the Qantas lounge, waiting for my flight home. :tears:

Guided by Yli's advice, I decided to go to Ceroc Melbourne's Wed night class. I noticed that Ceroc Melbourne's website gives two different locations for their Wednesday night class, so I did a recce on Tuesday night to find out which info. was correct. As it turns out, both locations currently have Zumba classes on Wednesday nights. :doh: I tried phoning the number on the website, but it never got answered. sorry to hear that your dancing was a bust in Melbourne. Sounds like LeBop is how I thought it would be, and very surprised about Ceroc Melbournes miss information.


When I get back home, in about 27 hours time, I'm leaving an hour later for Camber :grin: I wonder what time my body clock will be on :confused:I'm sure Camber will make up for a dodgy night in Melbourne