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Rachel
12th-December-2003, 12:01 PM
Been wondering about this for a while ... then finally had the brilliant idea of asking all of you for ideas!!

Can I ask what you might like to see in a Ceroc Xmas class? Not necessarily a Xmas party, but the last Ceroc night of the year. Marc's teaching at two of these and we've been wondering what to do.

I'm kind of stepping on his toes with this thread - really, I know he's got lots of ideas of his own, though as far as I know he hasn't made a decision. But I just got curious and wondered what your preferences might be.

Would you prefer something really silly and fun, or a slightly more serious class where you could still learn something useful?

We've done things like 'foursomes' before (i.e. swapping partners between couples), which went down really well. Does anyone else like doing this?

How about the 'dancing in the round' thing, if you know what I mean?

We've also had requests for a real bluesy routine, but I feel Marc does that fairly frequently anyway in his usual classes.

Does anyone else have any good ideas?

The only condition, I think, is that it should be all-inclusive so that beginners, too, can join in.

Rachel

Will
12th-December-2003, 12:58 PM
Dress up as father christmas and teach moves that involve sitting the girl on the guys knee.

xSalsa_Angelx
12th-December-2003, 01:11 PM
Originally posted by Will
Dress up as father christmas and teach moves that involve sitting the girl on the guys knee.

:rofl: Only a man could think of this ?? LOL

Rachel
12th-December-2003, 01:19 PM
Originally posted by Will
Dress up as father christmas and teach moves that involve sitting the girl on the guys knee. I'm up for that - as long as we get a present as well!

TheTramp
12th-December-2003, 02:22 PM
Originally posted by Rachel
I'm up for that - as long as we get a present as well! I'm not going here at all. :wink:

:innocent:

Steve

xSalsa_Angelx
12th-December-2003, 02:29 PM
Originally posted by Rachel
I'm up for that - as long as we get a present as well!

Oh your just as bad ya naughty girl :rofl: TUT TUT :innocent:

Bill
12th-December-2003, 05:13 PM
Originally posted by TheTramp
I'm not going here at all. :wink:

:innocent:

Steve


which is what the girls might say as well :na: :D

just put your hand there and pull the ribbon.......................:innocent: :eek: :rolleyes:

Jon L
12th-December-2003, 05:29 PM
Originally posted by Will
Dress up as father christmas and teach moves that involve sitting the girl on the guys knee.


Well just let your beard grow and dye it white and you'll be well on your way. The only problem is you have to learn to get down chimneys!

:wink:

spindr
12th-December-2003, 06:27 PM
Suitable Xmas dances -- surely at least one snowball ;)

andydo
12th-December-2003, 07:48 PM
Personally I hate the really silly classes that are sometimes done at Xmas party nites. The sort of thing I'm thinking of is an artificial dance routine with some Xmas or panto theme - the prince going down on one knee etc etc.

The ones that I have enjoyed have been doing a double trouble routine, or having the women lead and the men follow. The reason for the latter being a Xmas routine is that its a bit like panto ie men being women and women being men.

We've also done a couple of strolls as well I seem to recall - Tailfeather, Madison, Saturday Night Fever and that seemed to go down ok with most people. It wouldn't be my choice however.

I'm not keen on the swapping partners routines that I've seen done in jive so I probably wouldn't go for this. I've just started doing some rueda which I do enjoy, but I don't think it really works in jive.

Do you mean dancing in the round is swapping partners again or is it something else ?

So personally I'd enjoy either the bluesy class, double trouble or role reversal. None of that silly fun stuff thankyou.

jivecat
14th-December-2003, 07:46 PM
I agree with Andydo about the really silly routines with embarrassing, daft moves. I personally prefer not to look like an even bigger prat than is absolutely necessary!

Anything bluesy with some easyish footwork would be great. Perhaps some easy moves with a big style element would also be nice. I remember a double trouble routine where each person in the team got to lead a little bit of the routine. That was really good fun as well as being challenging and very good for the social mixing! I think role reversal where all the ladies lead the whole routine and all the men follow causes such difficulty that it stops being fun, in my experience. I know it's probably very good for us but needs a long time to take on board comfortably.

It's nice to know that some thought and effort gets put into the planning & teaching- really noticeable also how much effort that you both put into Marc's regular teaching venues, being approachable, and willing to dance with the rank and file. For the first time since attending my local venue (2 years) I've felt comfortable asking the teacher for a dance. Thanks a lot, much appreciated.

ChrisA
14th-December-2003, 08:44 PM
Originally posted by andydo
Personally I hate the really silly classes that are sometimes done at Xmas party nites.
Hear hear.

Some tinsel, nibbles on the tables, the odd Xmassy track in the playlist, maybe a later close, is fine.

Strolls can work quite well if there are a good few people that already know them ... though I can quite easily live without them too.

Choreographed camping it up never goes down all that well in the ones at regular venues in my experience - people (esp. the beginners who came expecting a normal class) tend to be a bit embarrassed by it and the relief when it's over can be quite palpable sometimes.

Chris

Jon L
15th-December-2003, 02:46 AM
Originally posted by Will
Dress up as father christmas and teach moves that involve sitting the girl on the guys knee.


Someone down here was reading this will, because the cabaret at Ceroc Surrey's Christmas party had exactly that. :grin:

bigdjiver
15th-December-2003, 03:00 AM
Originally posted by andydo
So personally I'd enjoy either the bluesy class, double trouble or role reversal.

or Bluesy AND two women?

If they want role reversal as well they can drive us home.

Rachel
15th-December-2003, 11:02 AM
Originally posted by bigdjiver
or Bluesy AND two women? Now that is just being greedy!!

Rachel
15th-December-2003, 11:22 AM
Thank you so much to everyone for your replies! There are some really good ideas there, so I'll show them to Marc. To be honest, I'm so pleased that you vetoed the 'silly' routine, because I've never enjoyed making even more of an idiot of myself!

I think the plan for Milton Keynes tonight, by popular request, will be a bluesy routine. But dirty blues, a la infamous Mikey!! I'm really looking forward to that.

I don't think Leicester's class has been decided yet but, seeing as there's been an Austin Powers theme imposed, it ought really to be in keeping with that. Or maybe not ...!

Jivecat - thank you for your lovely comments. Marc and I always love dancing with everyone - in my opinion, no-one ever has the right to consider themselves too good to dance with anyone else and I think that the teacher, especially, should always be approachable. The trouble is, the evening's always way too short for Marc to dance with everyone he wants to, and he always seems to have a queue of people waiting for him. But I'm so pleased you manage to get hold of him for dances.

Anyway, I always hate asking this, but I'm not sure who you are from your forum name. But will you come and introduce yourself sometime? Where do you normally dance? Hopefully Milton Keynes? I say hopefully as Marc will have to stop teaching Leicester after this week, because of the MK class moving to Wednesday from the New Year. It's good for MK, but we're both going to miss Leicester!

Well, look forward to seeing you this week, possibly? And I hope you enjoy the classes!
Rachel

Jon
15th-December-2003, 11:29 AM
Originally posted by Will
Dress up as father christmas and teach moves that involve sitting the girl on the guys knee.

This was taught last year and went down really well. The move was called 'Santas Grotto', the lady sat on the guys knee and gave santa a kiss on the cheek. It was the 1st move in the routine and by the end of the class every guy was covered in lipstick.

But the surprising thing was anyone brave enough to do it in freestyle the ladys instincivly kissed them again:wink:

stewart38
15th-December-2003, 11:31 AM
Does anyone know of a good ceroc or non ceroc event coming up this Thursday (15/12/03) in the London area.

I know Fulham is on but wasn't that keen when I went there a few months ago on a Tuesday

:cool:

Rachel
15th-December-2003, 01:16 PM
Originally posted by stewart38
Does anyone know of a good ceroc or non ceroc event coming up this Thursday (15/12/03) in the London area.

I know Fulham is on but wasn't that keen when I went there a few months ago on a Tuesday

:cool: Umm, I don't suppose Fleet is considered London area, is it? (You can tell I'm not a Londoner!) But that's on Thursday - JiveBug, soon to be ceroc.
Rachel

Will
15th-December-2003, 01:18 PM
Originally posted by stewart38
Does anyone know of a good ceroc or non ceroc event coming up this Thursday (15/12/03) in the London area.

I know Fulham is on but wasn't that keen when I went there a few months ago on a Tuesday

:cool:
Fulham on a Thursday is totally different to Fulham on a Tuesday (which has now folded by the way). Thursday is packed with very good dancers and in my opinion is THE place to be on a Thursday. If you come along stewart, then say hi!

Paul F
15th-December-2003, 02:07 PM
I must confess the class i did at our saturday night xmas freestyle had absolutly nothing to do with xmas. I avoid (at all costs) doing silly or embarassing classes and instead did a musicality class with a short choreagraphed routine involving beginners moves.

The feedback was fantastic. Nobody seemed to care that it wasnt to do with xmas. Everybody seemed to love it. (especially the bit at the end where they performed it on the proverbial stage :D

It was just something a bit different that we could all have a laugh with WITHOUT being at all embarassing. I think thats the key.

BTW, i have never been to such a brilliant freestyle night. Im not saying that because i teach there Im saying it because of the atmosphere, the way the hall looked, the extra surprises, the feedback -- the whole package. It was awesome. Chris and the team went to so much trouble to make it special and , boy, did they pull it off.

When you get a team that genuinely care about dancing itself, it makes all the difference.

Brought a whole new meaning to "walking in a winter wonderland"
:wink:

RobC
15th-December-2003, 03:57 PM
Originally posted by Rachel
Umm, I don't suppose Fleet is considered London area, is it? (You can tell I'm not a Londoner!) But that's on Thursday - JiveBug, soon to be ceroc.
Rachel
Indeed - it's our Christmas Party this thursday in Fleet. Instead of our usual beginners/intermediate lessons, we have a fun 'Perculator Stoll' class with Adam & Taz, followed later in the evening by a number of cabarets from Paul Warden (a fantastic WCS dancer), Glenn Ball (taught WCS at MJC7 and is currently one of Kylie's dancers) and I believe Adam & Taz will also have a cabaret for us.

We go on til midnight and will have free tea/coffee and mince pies to finish off the evening. For more info see
www.jivebug.co.uk (http://www.jivebug.co.uk)

Rob

stewart38
15th-December-2003, 05:41 PM
Originally posted by RobC
Indeed - it's our Christmas Party this thursday in Fleet. Instead of our usual beginners/intermediate lessons, we have a fun 'Perculator Stoll' class with Adam & Taz, followed later in the evening by a number of cabarets from Paul Warden (a fantastic WCS dancer), Glenn Ball (taught WCS at MJC7 and is currently one of Kylie's dancers) and I believe Adam & Taz will also have a cabaret for us.

We go on til midnight and will have free tea/coffee and mince pies to finish off the evening. For more info see
www.jivebug.co.uk (http://www.jivebug.co.uk)

Rob

We are all set to go to Fulham (we work in London live nr windsor) and you post this. Decisions decisions :what:

ChrisA
15th-December-2003, 05:47 PM
Originally posted by Paul F
and instead did a musicality class with a short choreagraphed routine involving beginners moves.

What an absolutely fantastic idea.

Nice one. :cheers: :cheers:

Chris

Lounge Lizard
15th-December-2003, 06:46 PM
Originally posted by RobC
Indeed - it's our Christmas Party this thursday in Fleet. Instead of our usual beginners/intermediate lessons, we have a fun 'Perculator Stoll' class with Adam & Taz, followed later in the evening by a number of cabarets from Paul Warden (a fantastic WCS dancer), Glenn Ball (taught WCS at MJC7 and is currently one of Kylie's dancers) and I believe Adam & Taz will also have a cabaret for us.

We go on til midnight and will have free tea/coffee and mince pies to finish off the evening. For more info see
www.jivebug.co.uk (http://www.jivebug.co.uk)

Rob
and dont forget me...I'm there playing the chunes this Thursday

TheTramp
15th-December-2003, 06:48 PM
Originally posted by Lounge Lizard
and dont forget me...I'm there playing the chunes this Thursday How could we possibly forget you Peter!! :rolleyes: :D

Steve