Bangers & Mash
7th-September-2005, 09:56 PM
Awesome. Amazing. Friendly and Fun.
It's like being back in Scotland all over again.
:clap:
It's taken me nearly 10 months since moving over here to pluck up the courage and find the resources :whistle: to join the Amsterdam rock n roll dance scene but - wow!
So. Why did it take so long and why did it need courage. :confused:
Firstly, nearly every dance organisation says you need to bring a dance partner and that means you need to first meet a girl outside the dance scene and then persuade her to come dancing - no mean feat, but I finally found a choice of 2. :innocent:
Secondly, the dance class is taught in Dutch. :confused: And if anybody has ever learned to speak dutch, they will appreciate why the British came up with the phrase "double dutch" to describe something that makes absolutely no sense at all.
As it turned out, both the girls I had met were busy and so I called and asked if I needed a partner and was told - come on your own. we have too many girls :clap: :clap: :clap:
On arriving (by pushbike) I was greeted by the dance instructor and co-ordinator who asked me if I understood any dutch. I then grabbed a dance with the teacher on the empty dance floor and finally decided to try the beginners class and then try the advanced class. both classes were an hour long with freestyle in between.
All the moves were familiar from ceroc and salsa, but with different names. Dutch names. But after an hour even I began to learn and repeat the names (even if I can't spell them).
Everybody I danced with was really friendly. No "ceroc snobs" and actually a fascination with the differences between their own style and ceroc - so a great opportunity for me to try both. :waycool:
As with ceroc, this is as much a social event as it is a dance event and people mingle, chat and drink before, during and after the classes and are more than happy to talk in English. The group also travels all over the world to dance events, including a one month dance event in sweden starting in the autumn. They have already expressed an keen to visit Britain and check out the dance scene - so Franck / johnah , don't be suprised if you get an email asking for 20 or 30 tickets to one of your events in the near future.
For the British guys over there - the dutch girls are all blonde and beautiful :drool: . For the British girls over there - the dutch guys are all very tall and handsome. :sad: They all speak English with an English accent (which is great for all but the unfortuate guy who picked up a very strong cockney accent) and they are all really friendly.
Yay!
:clap:
Great time. Great venue, Great people and I have already been invited along to Tango classes which are walking distance from my apartment and salsa classes as well.
It's like being back in Scotland all over again.
:clap:
It's taken me nearly 10 months since moving over here to pluck up the courage and find the resources :whistle: to join the Amsterdam rock n roll dance scene but - wow!
So. Why did it take so long and why did it need courage. :confused:
Firstly, nearly every dance organisation says you need to bring a dance partner and that means you need to first meet a girl outside the dance scene and then persuade her to come dancing - no mean feat, but I finally found a choice of 2. :innocent:
Secondly, the dance class is taught in Dutch. :confused: And if anybody has ever learned to speak dutch, they will appreciate why the British came up with the phrase "double dutch" to describe something that makes absolutely no sense at all.
As it turned out, both the girls I had met were busy and so I called and asked if I needed a partner and was told - come on your own. we have too many girls :clap: :clap: :clap:
On arriving (by pushbike) I was greeted by the dance instructor and co-ordinator who asked me if I understood any dutch. I then grabbed a dance with the teacher on the empty dance floor and finally decided to try the beginners class and then try the advanced class. both classes were an hour long with freestyle in between.
All the moves were familiar from ceroc and salsa, but with different names. Dutch names. But after an hour even I began to learn and repeat the names (even if I can't spell them).
Everybody I danced with was really friendly. No "ceroc snobs" and actually a fascination with the differences between their own style and ceroc - so a great opportunity for me to try both. :waycool:
As with ceroc, this is as much a social event as it is a dance event and people mingle, chat and drink before, during and after the classes and are more than happy to talk in English. The group also travels all over the world to dance events, including a one month dance event in sweden starting in the autumn. They have already expressed an keen to visit Britain and check out the dance scene - so Franck / johnah , don't be suprised if you get an email asking for 20 or 30 tickets to one of your events in the near future.
For the British guys over there - the dutch girls are all blonde and beautiful :drool: . For the British girls over there - the dutch guys are all very tall and handsome. :sad: They all speak English with an English accent (which is great for all but the unfortuate guy who picked up a very strong cockney accent) and they are all really friendly.
Yay!
:clap:
Great time. Great venue, Great people and I have already been invited along to Tango classes which are walking distance from my apartment and salsa classes as well.