Masterclasses at Breeze weekender

[stewart38]

Just seen this via e-mail

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These are new classes with a maximum capacity of 28 people in fixed couples and have been put in place for those people really hoping to master the arts of the dances and styles billed.

As there is a maximum capacity these are workshops rather than classes which will offer interaction with the teachers and the opportunity for direct feedback and are pre-bookable at the Weather Centre in the Main Complex at a charge of £5 per head.
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I thought when reading this an attempt by ceroc to make extra money on what are effectively restricted classes by charging for them

Then I thought why not ?

Maybe the way of the weekender in the future i.e. you will pay extra for the ‘better services’

You can of course already book private classes etc or for groups, ive not seen it extend to 28 individuals I may be wrong ?

Its not really the money rather the concept that im uneasy with but then am I ?

Perhaps we will get a bronze,silver, gold type offering at weekenders soon

Some just go to dance and could choose bronze (ie no classes etc). Those that want more classes choose silver and gold for the more private approach ?

So we can go from 50 ladies over in Tango to loads turn up and many walk off (like myself) which leads to disruption, to a fixed class with punters paying a £5 to actually learn Tango, that cant be a bad idea.??

People go to weekenders for totally different reasons so why shouldnt that be reflected ?

you could pay for a 24hr dance room which extra air conditioning etc

[Lory]

Hmm interesting idea...

It could be very good if they targeted the different abilities (i.e. beginner/advanced) I'd definitely be up for some advanced classes... just need to find someone to partner up with now

[David Bailey]

Good idea.

I said this in my "Weekender classes - useful?" thread a while back:

What I'm getting at is this: is there a better way of teaching at a weekender environment than these massive wholesale classes?

As has been pointed out, it's a great opportunity to bring teachers and pupils together.

How about a supplementary-charge-based smaller class, of maybe 20 people, each paying a fiver each?
...
Most of us can't afford 4 private classes at £50 each - but we could probably afford 4 small scale classes at £5 each...

Boy, it's spooky...

[David Bailey]

Oooh, also - what's happening with the FIRST UK BLUES CHAMPIONSHIP thing?

[Tiggerbabe]

just need to find someone to partner up with now

I'll be there

[Lory]

Boy, it's spooky...

Its not spooky, they probably read your idea on here and liked it! Tough, you should have patented it

I'll be there

Woo hoo, fancy being a man? Or shall we try and find ourselves a couple of 'real' men?

[David Bailey]

Its not spooky, they probably read your idea on here and liked it! Tough, you should have patented it

Hardly - it's just the way they're going (with Breeze, at least), the "modular weekender" approach.

And it's probably the way to go in general - charge a basic entry price, then charge a pay-as-you-go model for the various classes / freestyles you want. That's possibly a better model than the old "all-inclusive" model, in that it's more flexible and targetted - as dancers are getting more picky, organisers will need to offer better-quality products, and this approach should go some way to providing that.

[Tiggerbabe]

Woo hoo, fancy being a man?

Not really but I don't mind leading

Seriously though, it will depend on the content of the classes themselves. I'd love to be a better lead, and would be happy to be your partner, but I have still got lots to learn as a follow, and if the class was teaching something I fancied then we will need to find "real" men. Can I book Blueshoes now? (It's an elbow thing )

[Lory]

(Can I book Blueshoes now? )

Fight ya for him!

No seriously Tiggerbabe, we should set up auditions for all the men that'll be fighting over 'us'

[drathzel]

Fight ya for him!

No seriously Tiggerbabe, we should set up auditions for all the men that'll be fighting over 'us'

this i gotta see! whats the criteria and the audition process to be?

[Miguel]

Oooh, also - what's happening with the FIRST UK BLUES CHAMPIONSHIP thing?

UK Open Blues Champs

[RoyBoy]

this i gotta see! whats the criteria and the audition process to be?

Ya gotta have no 'Bumps in the Front', be bald and have hairy legs....

Thats me first in the Q

[David Bailey]

UK Open Blues Champs

Interesting, thanks.

The rules are interesting:

• Blues dance is lead by the music and this is a freestyle competition, so couples will be marked down if there is evidence of an entirely choreographed routine
• We want this to remain a Blues ‘dance’ competition, so only 1 Aerial move will be permitted per couple per piece of music and technical difficulty will not be judged according aerial moves
• The essence of Blues dancing is close and connected and couples will be expected to demonstrate this throughout the competition.
• Whilst it will be acceptable for people to interpret the music to adopt fusion styles of Blues (Swing Blues, Jive Blues, West Coast Blues) dancing an outright non blues style will result in disqualification. This is not a West Coast Swing or Modern Jive competition

I wonder if Jango would be acceptable?

[drathzel]

Ya gotta have no 'Bumps in the Front', be bald and have hairy legs....

Thats me first in the Q

damn and there was me good until the bald part! (ok i have bumps too, but they are only little)

[RoyBoy]

damn and there was me good until the bald part! (ok i have bumps too, but they are only little)

Oooohhhh you volumptuous fibber

[Spiky Steve]

I think the masterclasses are a great idea.

My only reservation is with setting you heart on a class for it to be fully booked. Booking in advance or at least the ability to register interest would show the demand for any class in advance and maybe allow scheduling of a similar and negating any disappointment.

[Gus]

I think the masterclasses are a great idea.

Aye ... the other problem is that if you don't have a regular partner. Any chance that a 'matching up' service could operate? Must admit that, like Drathzel, the devil inside me would love to watch the auditions. Criteria?

[Gus]

Just a general question ... the masterclasses and the Blues competition should make things a little more interesting, but what about the rest of the event. I've only been to Blaze (and that was on a learning curve) so not really sure about how Breeze compares to Southport in terms of dancers, music and workshop standard? Better, worse or just different?