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Thread: Tea Dances, popular or not?

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    Tea Dances, popular or not?

    Following on from the thread about demise of dance halls.

    Most big dance halls only get used in evenings as I understand in some areas there is a demise in the Tea Dance traditional week day events, again cost of public liability forces small "old time" clubs to close.

    Do you enjoy Tea dances for MJ or WCS ?

    Where do you go?

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    Registered User Little Black Dress's Avatar
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    Re: Tea Dances, popular or not?

    I love the atmosphere of tea dances! Only been to a few, but loved all of them. My first one was on a really cold winter day in Dundee and made me so warm and happy

    But I can also imagine it being wonderful in the summer and coming out at the end when the sun is still out and going for a nice wind down drink in a nearby beer garden "The Boat" tea dance after The Champs had a lovely feel about it as you could dance in the sun as well!

    Let's have more tea dances! It also means for us mortals who don't live quite so close to events that we're not getting home in the middle of the night! (God, I sound old......)

    Bank Holidays and weekends make more sense as a posed to week days as most people who mj etc work and probably haven't retired - is this correct? I wish more retired people kept dancing - although I know dances do happen in community centres etc. so maybe it's more to do about location and numbers that has contributed to the demise of weekday events in larger halls?

    *edit* Didn't want to miss out the fantastic tea dance at St. Stephens, Edinburgh recently. That one was a little later than a usual tea dance as it started after a workshop, but there was still a lovely feel to it - less "frantic" than a usual ceroc night (more smooth, slower tunes) and a nice number of people. Plus the venue is ideal - just across the road from a number of pubs....
    Last edited by Little Black Dress; 29th-May-2008 at 11:43 AM.

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    Re: Tea Dances, popular or not?

    I don't have a lot of experience with tea dances, Nil in fact until two months ago when my local franchise started one up on a Sunday afternoon.

    They are different; daylight! Cakes! Free tea! Kids being allowed, two classes, but real short taster classes. I find they have a completely different atmosphere. I wouldn't go just for the dancing, but for sheer fun and socializing I rate it.

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    Re: Tea Dances, popular or not?

    I had a super time at the one last week at Bedford. Did not drink tea or eat anything, that takes up dancing time.

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    Re: Tea Dances, popular or not?

    I still mourn the ending of the Kent House T dances .. they had a completely unique atmosphere and were simply sublime
    MODERATOR AT YOUR SERVICE
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    Re: Tea Dances, popular or not?

    Have been to a few Ceroc Tea dances. The boat is always a good afternoon, it is normally a nice chilled sociable afternoon, even better is the sun is out. The floor is bit unpredictable and you have to get used to dancing up/down hill.

    Ashtons used to do a chill out Sunday afternoon dance, had some brilliant afternoons there. Definitely no chance of anymore there


    But my favourite of all the Tea Dances that I’ve been to was at Muswell Hill, Temptation Sunday in a bar in a converted church. Great blues music all afternoon, fantastic surroundings and felt so decadent, wish they would hold some more, don’t think they have done any for over a year

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    Re: Tea Dances, popular or not?

    The venue I danced in Auckland had Sunday afternoon classes/freestyle. They never promoted it as a Tea Dance, but that's really what it was. The classes were usually relaxed, the music cruisy and the whole atmosphere just great fun. Follow it with dinner or even takeaways in a park and it was just a very cool way to spend a Sunday afternoon and get me in a good mood for the week.

    I'm a huge fan - my favourite time to dance.

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    Re: Tea Dances, popular or not?

    Quote Originally Posted by Maxine View Post
    The boat is always a good afternoon, it is normally a nice chilled sociable afternoon, even better is the sun is out.
    I enjoy the afternoons on HMS President too, it does have a totally different feel and like you say there is something special when the sun is out and you are dancing on the outside deck, even if you are gawped at and photographed by passing tourists!

    Also have really enjoyed 'Cheeky Monkeys' in the past on a Sunday afternoon. Makes you feel that you are in a latino type bar, far far away...a little bit of escapism goes a long long way

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    Re: Tea Dances, popular or not?

    I love tea dances! I like the relaxed atmosphere, and there's no late night involved so I can get up early the next day and feel fine.

    I wish there were more of them, but they don't seem to attract as many people as evening dances. It's a shame they are in decline - it's a lovely tradition.

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    Re: Tea Dances, popular or not?

    Quote Originally Posted by Miss Flicts View Post
    I love tea dances! I like the relaxed atmosphere, and there's no late night involved so I can get up early the next day and feel fine.

    I wish there were more of them, but they don't seem to attract as many people as evening dances. It's a shame they are in decline - it's a lovely tradition.
    Miss F and I had some lovely dances on Sunday at the tea dance - and I prefer it when there's less people as I get to dance with her even more

    But, in general, I have to agree that tea dances are not as popular as evening dances. Last weekend we had a dance on Saturday night and a tea dance on Sunday - we had three times the attendance at the evening dance.

    And tea dances are expensive. The hall costs about the same, you have to work harder with the music and you have to provide food. And you can't charge as much as for a Saturday dance - these factors, compounded with the lower attendance makes tea dances a poor business proposition. But I do them, when they fit in with other things, because I enjoy them - we need to remind ourselves, once in a while, why we run lifestyle businesses like ours - we are doing what we enjoy

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    Re: Tea Dances, popular or not?

    Very popular IMHO...

    Franck used to do a regular Focus Workshop/ Tea-Dance in Stirling (2 years ago now ), they were just sublime. Great music (Tiggerbabe), fabulous dancers, sun streaming on to the dance floor and tea/ coffee & cakes all thrown in to the magical mix. Tiggerbabe was hinting last night there maybe a come back of the Tea-Dance and in the Edinburgh area (looking forward )

    John (Dance Demon) held a wonderful birthday party for Irene last Sunday. It had all of the above except the music was by DD himself and a few hours by Pete and birthday cake

    Southport afternoon dancing in the Blues Room (Lounge) is still the ultimate Tea-Dance for me... roll on the weekend and a few sets by CJ.


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    Re: Tea Dances, popular or not?

    I love tea-dances. Less formal, so more relaxing, cake, tea, good value for money, usually, and no need to lose sleep. Especially good in winter to ease one through the dark tea-time of the soul.

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    Re: Tea Dances, popular or not?

    The Bromsgrove 'T dance took a little time to get off the ground, but I sooo love it now, it gave the children a chance to learn without feeling intimerdated.

    its clashed the last few with weekenders but i will be back asap.


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    Re: Tea Dances, popular or not?

    When I first started MJ I saw a T dance advertised and thought it wouldn't be nearly as fun as putting on a nice shirt (with cufflinks and all...) and going for an evening out. So I didn't go to one for ages until there was a Jango workshop + T dance combo in Oxford not too long ago. It completely changed my perception of them: really chilled atmosphere, seriously cool music, free tea, and just the most relaxed dreamy feel you can get while dancing.

    I'm really looking forward to the next one - a WCS workshop with Cat and (hopefully) a sublime 3 hours of chilled dancing next weekend . So yes, I'm a huge fan, but in answer to the question - I think they're not nearly as popular as they should be.

    Dan

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    Re: Tea Dances, popular or not?

    Quote Originally Posted by The Passion Harem View Post
    Franck used to do a regular Focus Workshop/ Tea-Dance in Stirling (2 years ago now ), they were just sublime. Great music (Tiggerbabe), fabulous dancers, sun streaming on to the dance floor and tea/ coffee & cakes all thrown in to the magical mix. Tiggerbabe was hinting last night there maybe a come back of the Tea-Dance and in the Edinburgh area (looking forward )


    Fond memories!

    Scotland needs tea dances! Glasgow especially!
    Let your mind go and your body will follow. – Steve Martin, LA Story

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    Re: Tea Dances, popular or not?

    Quote Originally Posted by Bluey View Post
    Following on from the thread about demise of dance halls.

    Most big dance halls only get used in evenings as I understand in some areas there is a demise in the Tea Dance traditional week day events, again cost of public liability forces small "old time" clubs to close.

    Do you enjoy Tea dances for MJ or WCS ?

    Where do you go?
    The problem with a "week day" Tea dance is that normally it attracts those who do not work and have time during the day. Which is not the majority of people.

    I used to enjoy the HMS president and the Dorking T-dances, which did have good attendance, however, considering those were the only ones around (as far as I knew) at the time I went, it did draw from a large database of dancers, it was also at the weekend, so it would not have helped the "week day" filling of dance halls.

    Personally I would love a Sunday afternoon T-dance locally
    Might be something to suggest to the local organisers...

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    Re: Tea Dances, popular or not?

    Quote Originally Posted by Martin View Post
    Personally I would love a Sunday afternoon T-dance locally
    Might be something to suggest to the local organisers...
    That's a "yes please" from me when I get back to Brissie in two months time. However would the aussie scene be ready for a chilled "cruisey" type of afternoon; has anyone managed to acheive this in Oz/NZ? I'm not sure that continual fast bouncy music would suit the ethos of an afternoon/arvo dance?

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    Re: Tea Dances, popular or not?

    Quote Originally Posted by SteveK View Post
    That's a "yes please" from me when I get back to Brissie in two months time. However would the aussie scene be ready for a chilled "cruisey" type of afternoon; has anyone managed to acheive this in Oz/NZ? I'm not sure that continual fast bouncy music would suit the ethos of an afternoon/arvo dance?
    I am not convinced it would get high numbers, but you don't know until you try.

    Having just talked to the local organisers, it is something they have considered. What has stopped them so far is the focus on a new venue on Thursdays, teaching routines, travelling around the country for various champs and dance camps, Emmas trip to the UK and all the 101 things they do, as well as thier full time jobs
    Right now they are teaching routines on Sunday afternoons, but after the routines have been taught and things have settled down a bit, they are happy to re-consider it.

    The advantage they have, is that they have a full time venue Dance HeadQuarters - Its All About Dance
    which is available to use on a Sunday afternoon, so all it will cost them is time and a bit of tea and cakes to give it a shot.

    On the subject of cakes - a thought came to me... Why not offer discounted entry if you bring a home made cake? Then all that would be needed to sort is the tea.

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    Registered User Mary's Avatar
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    Re: Tea Dances, popular or not?

    I LOVE T-dances. I also miss the Kent House T-dances although I did think it became a victim of it's own success as in the end it became so busy it was like a rugby scrum. (No offence rugby fans)

    I disagree with Andy about the price of halls. In my experience the hall hire is much cheaper on a Sunday afternoon. I like the idea of not too many people so there is room to see who is there, room the chat, and room to dance with a much more chilled approach to the dancing aspect, and more freedom to practice/experiment with other dances styles.

    If hall hire costs are reasonable then even with fewer punters it still makes it cost-effective. There are limits I know, but you know what I mean.

    M

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