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Peter
3rd-August-2005, 02:38 PM
Who is going to Cat's new West Coast Swing night at Kent House in Hammersmith, starting with a WCS lesson at 8pm tonight? It's the first of a trial period throughout August.

Peter
3rd-August-2005, 02:46 PM
Grr ... i clicked on "public poll" but it isnt ...

ChrisA
3rd-August-2005, 02:47 PM
Grr ... i clicked on "public poll" but it isnt ...
Yes it is !!

:D

I can definitely recommend Cat's teaching... she's clear, precise, paces the lessons well... I'm just a WCS beginner, but I've learned tons from her during her time teaching at Hipsters.

I really hope the trial is a success. :cheers:

DianaS
3rd-August-2005, 03:25 PM
She is really excellent
I just did her classes at BB
Shes very clear fun and has a reallly cool style
Only problem is she won't come to the Midlands :tears:
Any one know of a really good WCS class within an hour of Birmingham??

Cruella
3rd-August-2005, 04:01 PM
She is really excellent
I just did her classes at BB
Shes very clear fun and has a reallly cool style
Only problem is she won't come to the Midlands :tears:
Any one know of a really good WCS class within an hour of Birmingham??
You're hoping. :whistle: Jive P and I used to travel all the way to Bisley to have lessons with Paul Warden and Cat. Used to take me nearly 2hours. But it was worth it.

Chef
3rd-August-2005, 04:02 PM
I also had the excellent class in WCS at Beach Boogie. It has long been difficult for me to pick up this dance because of the driving time to the venues that teach it (surbiton 75mins, Hammersmith 105mins, Bisley 80mins) from where I work and even longer from where I live.

At Beach Boogie I found out that Cat lives over on my neck of the woods and I asked her if she would consider teaching somewhere near me. She said she was up for it if I could find the place and the people and organise everything apart from the teaching. So the hunt is on to find somewhere that will pull in the maximum number of people and have good road and rail links so that people can get to it (Cat included).

Much easier to bring the teacher to the pupils (especially if it is on her way home from work).

Hmm. I wonder if WCS weekends will happen one day.

Zebra Woman
3rd-August-2005, 04:31 PM
I also had the excellent class in WCS at Beach Boogie. It has long been difficult for me to pick up this dance because of the driving time to the venues that teach it (surbiton 75mins, Hammersmith 105mins, Bisley 80mins) from where I work and even longer from where I live.

At Beach Boogie I found out that Cat lives over on my neck of the woods and I asked her if she would consider teaching somewhere near me. She said she was up for it if I could find the place and the people and organise everything apart from the teaching. So the hunt is on to find somewhere that will pull in the maximum number of people and have good road and rail links so that people can get to it (Cat included).

Much easier to bring the teacher to the pupils (especially if it is on her way home from work).

Hmm. I wonder if WCS weekends will happen one day.

Oh Lucky you Laurence, I hope you can sort something out :clap: .

I wish she lived near me :sad: . I am so keen for WCS to establish north of London. Hammersmith is just a bit too far for a regular weekday night for me and my mates (80 minutes). :sad:

I wish her well tonight.

Go Cat! :clap:

ChrisA
3rd-August-2005, 11:02 PM
I wish her well tonight.

It was excellent. Left a bit early cos brain full, but still really enjoyed it...

She's a terrific teacher, deserves to be a big success IMO.

:cheers: :flower:

El Salsero Gringo
3rd-August-2005, 11:11 PM
It was excellent. Left a bit early cos brain full, but still really enjoyed it...

She's a terrific teacher, deserves to be a big success IMO.

:cheers: :flower:I agree. I very much enjoyed it too.

DianaS
4th-August-2005, 09:02 AM
Hmm. I wonder if WCS weekends will happen one day.
... if they were to happen their would be a stampeed if Cat was teaching!!

Chef
4th-August-2005, 10:10 AM
... if they were to happen their would be a stampeed if Cat was teaching!!

I like Cat as a teacher, but then again I also like Paul Warden (who also teaches with Cat). I am sure that these are not the only fine teachers of WCS but they are the only ones that I have had experience of.

Organising a WCS weekend sounds like a daunting prospect for someone like me who a) has a full time job and b) has never done something like this before but I am struck by the feeling of - if not me then who? If I keep waiting for someone else to do it then I could be waiting for a very long time.

I was struck by looking at the map last night and the weekenders usually being at seaside locations because in the off season they have hotels that are available at much cheaper rates.

Then I thought about having a weekender somewhere like Northampton or Oxford (could look at the halls of residence in the student holidays) so that the north of London and south of Manchester crowd didn't have a long trek to either the south coast or southport.

Any advice about how to get something like this together?

What do you think about either Oxford or Northampton?

Any dance organisers out there think this is a project they would feel up to doing?

Cruella
4th-August-2005, 10:28 AM
Could be worth talking to Wes about. He has been having Paul Warden up to Nottingham doing monthly workshops. IMHO a west coast weekender would have to be on a far smaller more intimate scale than the jive weekenders, purely because you wouldn't get as many interested parties. Maybe something like the Scarborough master class weekend that Wes and John ran. Love the idea of it being in Northampton (it's only 25 mins away from me) :D

Chef
4th-August-2005, 11:02 AM
Could be worth talking to Wes about. He has been having Paul Warden up to Nottingham doing monthly workshops. IMHO a west coast weekender would have to be on a far smaller more intimate scale than the jive weekenders, purely because you wouldn't get as many interested parties. Maybe something like the Scarborough master class weekend that Wes and John ran. Love the idea of it being in Northampton (it's only 25 mins away from me) :D

I did think that it would be more along the lines of a Rockbottoms weekend in that it is much smaller and more intimate (about 200 people). I will put the idea around various organisers that I know (like Tor Fleming who organises the rock bottoms weekends). These people are involved in dance as a full time occupation and don't have the burden of already having one full time job.

I know a number of people that live in the norh of London to south of Birminham gap in the specialist dance world. These people are alway having to make long treks into London for specialist classes. Even for the people like me from Kent or those on the south coast, going to Northampton or Oxford for a weekender would not be too difficult.

I guess we have to convince a potential organiser that there is enough of a demand that they could run a profitable event.

So who is up for a WCS weekender?

Anyone know of a suitable venue for say 150-200 in the general Oxford/Northampton/central area?

Rhythm King
4th-August-2005, 11:22 AM
Firstly, Wednesday night; I thought it was terrific. The numbers were good, there was a nice mixture of experienced and new dancers, the music was good, there were sweeties out :wink: the venue is already well liked and the teaching was absolutely first rate. Well done Cat and Lee :worthy:

Secondly, a WCS weekend - what a fab idea. For the teaching there are the obvious choices of Catriona & Lee and Paul & Sally and there's David & Lily B too. We could have Lindsay & Brady from Edinburgh, with their crew. I've got a card somewhere from a couple who were at Southport, who are based in East Anglia, as well. But what about the country dance scene? There are loads of fabulous dancers out there we never see, because they aren't jivers (eg James & Claire & Caroline, for example). And then there are the Americans, if the numbers support it, what about bringing over Jordan & Tatiana, Robert Cordoba, or Steve Neeren, all of whom have taught over here before. I think a properly organised and advertised weekend might be bigger than you'd expect.

Mary
4th-August-2005, 03:53 PM
Last night was fab. Really fun atmosphere, with keen, dedicated people wanting to learn. Cat has really got into her stride with her own style of teaching :worthy: :worthy:

Thanks Ed for persevering with me, and ESG - you is a star.

I hope it isn't just a trial period, 'cos I want to make it a regular date in my diary (and Tony's).

M

Sheepman
4th-August-2005, 04:23 PM
I did think that it would be more along the lines of a Rockbottoms weekend in that it is much smaller and more intimate (about 200 people). I was having similar thoughts just a couple of weeks ago, and nearly all the people I've spoken to have given an enthusiastic response. I think it would be too big a risk to go really big first time out, 150 - 200 sounds about right, though obviously it would then cost a bit more than the massive weekenders.
I don't think people, especially beginners, would cope with west coasting long into the night, without variety, so it would have to be late night blues as well... :drool:
I'm thinking back to the first Jive Time weekenders, about 40 jivers "gatecrashing" a rock and roll music weekend, times have changed since then...

Cat's lessons last night were excellent (and challenging!), a dancer of Lee's standing is an inspiration to the guys as well. Now I need to be doing lots of practise. (No change there then :sad: )

Greg

Mary
4th-August-2005, 05:10 PM
Maybe a weekender could include classes in NC 2 step and - (cringes before I get lynched for suggesting such a thing) linedancing!! I've seen Dale do some improv. and it looks so cool. I understand Lee is pretty cool at it as well. These seem to have connections with WCS as far as I can tell.

M

Brady
4th-August-2005, 05:12 PM
Secondly, a WCS weekend - what a fab idea.

Agreed, a WCS weekend would be fab! :cheers: Having just returned from a week with Skippy Blair (Jordan & Tatiana's coach) and have plenty of ideas for a weekend. Also have plenty of new contacts over there who would be happy to come across and teach. We would also love to bring Scotland's group to any planned wcs weekend!

Amir
17th-August-2005, 08:51 AM
In case anyone hasn't heard, West Coast Swing tonight is at Chiswick Town Hall. Classes are at the same times (check www.westcoastswing.co.uk) and there is still free parking (behind the venue and free street parking).

This is just for one week, as Kent House was double booked!


Anyway, it's really easy to find as its just off Chiswick High Road, at 10-16, Heathfield Terrace, Chiswick, London, W4 4JN, or try:

http://www.multimap.com/map/browse.cgi?client=public&search_result=&db=pc&cidr_client=none&lang=&pc=W44JN&advanced=&client=public&addr2=&quicksearch=W4+4JN&addr3=&addr1=

Purple Sparkler
17th-August-2005, 10:34 AM
Wouldn't a WCS weekender be a fab idea?

Well, what's to stop some of the London forumites getting together and organising one? What do you need for a weekender except:
a) Accomodation
b) A hall in which to teach (you only need one if it's purely WCS, surely)
c) Teachers
d) Some willing DJs for the evening.

There must be a way to do this, people. Every London forumite knows there are lots of good dance venues in London, all you'd need to do would be decide WHERE you wanted to hold the weekender, see if you could book the time at the venue, then persuade lots of teachers to come and do a couple of masterclasses for different levels, and find (just a thought) a youth hostel that you can book up a few dorms in. Or a hotel. Or both- look at MJC and Southport, and their differing classes of accomodation.

Chef
17th-August-2005, 11:04 AM
Well, what's to stop some of the London forumites getting together and organising one? What do you need for a weekender except:
a) Accomodation
b) A hall in which to teach (you only need one if it's purely WCS, surely)
c) Teachers
d) Some willing DJs for the evening.

There must be a way to do this, people. Every London forumite knows there are lots of good dance venues in London, all you'd need to do would be decide WHERE you wanted to hold the weekender, see if you could book the time at the venue, then persuade lots of teachers to come and do a couple of masterclasses for different levels, and find (just a thought) a youth hostel that you can book up a few dorms in. Or a hotel. Or both- look at MJC and Southport, and their differing classes of accomodation.

:yeah: :yeah: :yeah:

I looked at accomodation in the midlands/northampton area to a) get away from the London/south coast bias for a our northern friends (even though I live in Kent) and b) so that our scottish friends would be able to get cheap flights into Luton and get to a venue by a bus that we charter.

I have looked at univeristy and further education establishments that may have accomodation and suitable rooms in the student holidays. The thing that makes it all fall over is that the accomdation is all (r almost all) single rooms. I just can't imagine that dance couples will want to spend the weekend apart (the singletons won't mind to not be charged a single room supplament for a change).

The only other idea was (as PS has just said above) was to find a reasonably priced hotel near to the teaching halls. I have been trying internet searches but in truth there would be nothing to beat local knowledge.

So are there any people out there that can think of somewhere that fits the bill?

It is really hard to get away from the fact that slightly run down seaside resorts have cheapish hotel accomodation out of the main season and that older hotels often have a ballroom.

El Salsero Gringo
17th-August-2005, 11:13 AM
Well, what's to stop some of the London forumites getting together and organising one? What do you need for a weekender except:
a) Accomodation
b) A hall in which to teach (you only need one if it's purely WCS, surely)
c) Teachers
d) Some willing DJs for the evening.

There must be a way to do this, people. Every London forumite knows there are lots of good dance venues in London, all you'd need to do would be decide WHERE you wanted to hold the weekender, see if you could book the time at the venue, then persuade lots of teachers to come and do a couple of masterclasses for different levels, and find (just a thought) a youth hostel that you can book up a few dorms in. Or a hotel. Or both- look at MJC and Southport, and their differing classes of accomodation.Right then. I nominate you to sort it out. I'll even allow you to make a profit on the event, if you price it right.

Mary
17th-August-2005, 11:18 AM
As Rock Bottoms already have the blueprint for such an idea, and, probably some kind of database of possible locations from their original research when developing the 'Cheeky Little Weekender', how about suggesting the idea to them?

M

Chef
17th-August-2005, 11:30 AM
As Rock Bottoms already have the blueprint for such an idea, and, probably some kind of database of possible locations from their original research when developing the 'Cheeky Little Weekender', how about suggesting the idea to them?

M

Already talked to Andy and Tor (and very helpful they were too). Thye haven't said no and have at least said they would investigate the idea. They have the infrastructure to run weekenders (they already know what they are doing and have the contacts) and quite frankly I think I would be out of my depth.

The thing that makes me push on is the thought that I should stop wishing that something would happen, get off my behind and at least see how far I can get.

By far, the best solution would be for some professional organiser (like Tor and Andy) to take on the project, perhaps making it a combined WCS and Blues weekend if there is not enough interest for a pure WCS or blues weekend alone.

Until that happens I will keep exploring the possibilites.

Mary
17th-August-2005, 11:38 AM
The thing that makes me push on is the thought that I should stop wishing that something would happen, get off my behind and at least see how far I can get.




Good on yer. Sounds like you may have just pushed the ball hard enough to get it rolling. Let's all hope so and maybe put some pressure on Andy, Tor and team to convince them there would be a market for it.

M