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Daniel Sandars
2nd-November-2004, 06:48 PM
Top US Teacher/ Competitor touring the UK dance scene
Noelle Gray (http://www.geocities.com/artdevoir/) is on tour between 18-24th November. I can't wait for her to buzz up the Uk scene with great inspiration and moves from the States.

This much i know:
Thursday 18th PM, teaching @ Swingville (http://www.jiveswing.com), Digswell Hertfordshire
Saturday 20th AM/PM teaching @ BluesDance (http://www.bluesdance.org.uk/73401.html), Ampthill, Bedfordshire
Saturday 20th PM dancing and socialising @ JiveMasters (http://www.jivemasters.com), Walthamstow, London

Anyone else got any leads. I do know she is going up to Scotland from the 21st and was looking for teaching and or private tuition opportunities.

Chicklet
3rd-November-2004, 11:22 AM
If she's from the US what "kind" of dancer is she??

WCS?
ECS even?
Lindy?
or something else??

Peter
3rd-November-2004, 11:36 AM
... anyone know Robert Cordoba's (http://www.cordobaszekely.com/about.shtml) plans for his imminent UK visit (other than teaching at 9pm on 14 Dec 04 at Hipsters)?

Daniel Sandars
3rd-November-2004, 11:37 AM
Noelle's competitive strengths appear to be ECS-Lindy and Blues. As a Yale University dance tutor she could well have lots more besides

DavidB
3rd-November-2004, 11:51 AM
Robert Cordoba's ... teaching at 9pm on 14 Dec 04 at Hipsters)?It is going to be on the 7th, not the 14th.

Minnie M
3rd-November-2004, 12:35 PM
Top US Teacher/ Competitor touring the UK dance scene
Noelle Gray (http://www.geocities.com/artdevoir/) is on tour between 18-24th November. I can't wait for her to buzz up the Uk scene with great inspiration and moves from the States.

Sorry am I being ignorant - I am 'kinda' on the WCS/Lindy/40's and the modern jive scene - but never heard of this lady :innocent:

{not related to above} It is funny how we think any dancer from the US has got to be better than us :whistle: or at least be competant dancers :what:

latinlover
3rd-November-2004, 12:43 PM
[QUOTE=Minnie M]It is funny how we think any dancer from the US has got to be better than us :whistle: or at least be competant dancers :what:/QUOTE]

:yeah:

damn right Minnie

Daniel Sandars
3rd-November-2004, 03:23 PM
It is funny how we think any dancer from the US has got to be better than us or at least be competant dancers



Who said better....I say different. Variety is the spice of life.........

On my very first Cerocshops, and most workshops since, I remember the class being told that you really need lots of different angles from different teachers to really improve your dancing.
:yeah:

Minnie M
3rd-November-2004, 04:00 PM
Who said better....I say different. Variety is the spice of life.........

On my very first Cerocshops, and most workshops since, I remember the class being told that you really need lots of different angles from different teachers to really improve your dancing.
:yeah:

You didn't snip enough of my post Daniel, I was not referring to your teacher (who I still am none the wiser) but any old dancing American Joe Public that ventures over here

Daniel Sandars
3rd-November-2004, 04:19 PM
You didn't snip enough of my post Daniel, I was not referring to your teacher (who I still am none the wiser) but any old dancing American Joe Public that ventures over here
Minnie M
These are her credential from her website, which seem to put her in the league with most top teachers in the UK... you could disagree!
Daniel

Student Testimony: "She quickly understood what I wanted and needed to learn, and is helping me reach depths of understanding and application that I didn't think were possible after only a couple lessons. Noƫlle has such personal power that she could easily be intimidating, but instead she is warm, sensitive, and encouraging, and the ease of our communications are erasing any barriers to learning." -Bruce Couillard

National Competition Placements:
SNE 2003: Advanced Strictly Lindy w/ Shawn Hershey First Place
SNE 2003: Int. Lindy Jack & Jill First Place
ALHC 2003: Jill & Jack w/ Andrew Sutton Second Place
US Open 2002: Team Division w/ Thunderpuss NY, NY Fourth Place
SNE 2002: Team Division w/ Thunderpuss NY, NY First Place
ALHC 2002: Pro Am w/ Doug Silton Fourth Place (blindfolded)
NYLHO 2002 Roseland Ballroom: Jack & Jill Third Place

Minnie M
3rd-November-2004, 06:50 PM
....../snip/.......ALHC 2003: Jill & Jack w/ Andrew Sutton Second Place...........

Thanks Daniel - she sounds a great dancer BTW - Andrew Sutton :worthy: been over here many times

Look forward to meeting Noelle at Jive Masters

Daniel Sandars
8th-November-2004, 05:29 PM
Thanks Daniel - she sounds a great dancer BTW - Andrew Sutton :worthy: been over here many times

Look forward to meeting Noelle at Jive Masters
Minnie M
There is a chance that Noelle is cutting short her stay in London in order to get North (The Scots want her North of the border sooner rather than later) and has thus told me to wait before buying her JiveMasters Ticket.

Daniel

ElaineB
9th-November-2004, 08:21 PM
It is going to be on the 7th, not the 14th.

Is Robert definitely coming to Hipsters on 7 December? I received a flyer which says it's the 14 December and I would dearly like to come up for the evening.

Elaine

DavidB
9th-November-2004, 08:27 PM
Is Robert definitely coming to Hipsters on 7 December? I received a flyer which says it's the 14 December and I would dearly like to come up for the evening.
It is definitely the 7th.

Daniel Sandars
22nd-November-2004, 11:17 AM
The last few days has seen US teacher and competitor, Noelle Gray (http://www.hopandblues.com), working around London. Fresh off the plane she caught 10 mins of Ceroc in StAlbans on Wednesday and the defending JiveMaster Mick kindly did a demo. On Thusday she taught at Swingville. Her style of Lindy is neither Savoy or Harlem but a much smoother more modern hybridisation with elements of WCS and other dances. On Saturday she taught a 4.5 hr Blues workshop for BluesDance (http://www.bluesdance.org.uk). Saturday's students where a refined bunch and included Nina Daines and Roger Chin.

Every where she taught she won over new fans. :clap: Her mastery of dance technique is awesome. As a follower she places or wins most competitions, but she also ranks in the top three of female leads in the US. Her background was Lindy and WCS, but she adapted effortlessly to the needs of a MJ based audience for Saturday's Blues Workshop. :yeah:

Noelle has an great sense of humour :rofl: and can transform any discussion of technique from a foot numbing lecture into a fun experience interwoven with great demonstrations and exercises. Normally MJ dancers only want moves and technique comes as an after thought....Noelle totally reversed that and it worked!!

The strength of her first showing in the UK has lead to bookings for her at Good Night Sweet Heart (http://www.gnsh.co.uk) and participation at The London Lindy Exchange (http://www.londonlindyexchange.com/). Roll on February 2005.........

Noelle and Nina hit it off instantly and lead and followed each other all around the dance floor doing fantastic stuff. It wouldn't suprise me to see Noelle on the Isle of Wight teaching at Beach Boogie before too long.... :cheers:

bigdjiver
22nd-November-2004, 02:39 PM
:yeah: :clap:

Daniel Sandars
24th-November-2004, 08:29 PM
Anyone for photos (http://www.bluesdance.org.uk/26758/81513.html)

MartinHarper
24th-November-2004, 11:44 PM
Noelle has an great sense of humour and can transform any discussion of technique from a foot numbing lecture into a fun experience interwoven with great demonstrations and exercises. Normally MJ dancers only want moves and technique comes as an after thought....Noelle totally reversed that and it worked!!

I hope this demonstrates that MJ dancers are not as hostile to being taught technique as is sometimes argued. Rather, they are hostile to bad teaching of technique via foot numbing lectures.

Gus
25th-November-2004, 12:10 AM
I hope this demonstrates that MJ dancers are not as hostile to being taught technique as is sometimes argued. Rather, they are hostile to bad teaching of technique via foot numbing lectures.Very true. I would have said that I've seen a growing awareness in the North of dancers wanting MORE style and LESS moves. Unfortunately, some instructors dont quite seem to be of the same inclination. :(

bigdjiver
25th-November-2004, 12:36 AM
I hope this demonstrates that MJ dancers are not as hostile to being taught technique as is sometimes argued. Rather, they are hostile to bad teaching of technique via foot numbing lectures.This workshop proved nothing about the average MJ dancer. Two of the attendees were winning championships the year I started, and blues dance is an offshoot or dialect of MJ and swing dancing, and certainly will not attract all MJ dancers.

My feet were not in the least bit numb, but my hips ached. I missed the last section, where technique met moves, and have not yet had a chance to assess how much I absorbed, and how much difference it has made.

Whatever, a very enjoyable and memorable day.

Daniel Sandars
25th-November-2004, 03:21 PM
This workshop proved nothing about the average MJ dancer. Two of the attendees were winning championships the year I started, and blues dance is an offshoot or dialect of MJ and swing dancing, and certainly will not attract all MJ dancers.

Whilst BigDJiver has a certain point obout the non-averageness of the dancers on Saturday. However, foot numbing lectures have been savaged at BluesDance events as well on previous occassions.

Set to the theme tune of Jaws Noelle led and chased Nina up the floor with a set of travelling turns that culminated in a quite convincing kill/drop got some of the most laughs of the day...even from Nina who wasn't that sure what was coming next.