Southport June '08 the aftermath.

[dave the scaffolder]

Ok boys, ie Steven 666 and Robd. Steven baby I must have asked only 5 people to dance that I did not know over the whole weekend.

This was not my fault as women were queing up to dance with me in the blues room I am a popular dancer, and by the time I danced with all of the Scottish lassies and lads, and the rest of the people I do not see from one SP to the next, the night has gone.

Robd is a much, much better dancer than me, I am but dog sh1t on his shoes. I kid you not, he is a very, very popular dancer and excellent in a lot of different styles.

So him not asking new people is very feasable as he would be hard pressed to get off the dance floor before someone grabbed him.

He is not a hot shot, but he is a sh1t hot dancer and he pays the price for that at times.

DTS XXX XXX

[Steven666]

Guess I'm just a mere mortal.

Oh and an arguement reply based on spelling is not a reply. I have said that before.

(And try typing on the wii, although I could just pick the keyboard off the floor but I'm far too lazy)

[tsh]

EDIT - So you knew who she was! How may I ask or is that a silly question?

I'd have sought her out and asked for a dance if I had a chance

[dave the scaffolder]

I have been dancing for 3 years and know a load of people Robd has been dancing for, I dont know how long but he is better known and a much better dancer than me.

When a dancer is brilliant, which I think he is, and well known and popular, sh1t like this happens mate.

Honest mate you have misjudged him he is an ok bloke who likes his dancing.

DTS XXX XXX

[Little Monkey]

I personally aim for for people I don't know as people I do know I can usually dance with week in week out. Doesn't mean I refuse people I know, I just wouldn't neccessarily make a beeline for them at such a weekender.

You know S666, you sound like you're just trying to be awkward and argumentative here....

Rob happens to know an awful lot of dancers from way down south in England to the very north of Scotland, so I'd think he'd be very busy just catching up with all the people he doesn't get to see and dance with on a regular basis. I know this is at least one of the reasons I like Southport so much!

I only danced with a handful of new people all weekend, too (and didn't make any conscious effort at all to seek out new people like Rob actually did at the end of the weekend, as there were so many friends I wanted to catch up with!), and they were all people who asked me. I also turned one person down this weekend, as I was gasping for some water and a break. Shock Horror.

Most of the people I dance with at Southport are people I only have the chance to dance with a couple of times per year, as they live so far away (some of them abroad), and it's such a treat for me to have so many of my favourite dancers all gathered in one place that I feel like a kid in a sweetie shop! I think it's probably the same for Rob and for a lot of other people.

[Chef]

What makes this even more ridiculous is that CC is a fabulous dancer! It just doesn't make sense that she would be turned down ..

I feel the same way but I am hugely biased. While she feels comfortable with her MJ she is not as similarly confident with her WCS (neither am I for that matter). We both know a similar confidence with WCS will take time, application and tutition but we thought this would be achieved within the framework of a social dance scene rather than having to emerge fully formed as a wonderful dancer like a butterfly from a cocoon. It has made me very grateful that my local club at Petts Wood, although small, is hugely mutually supportive of all who come along at all levels and espeically of those taking their first few weeks of lessons.

I know it will never happen and, to be honest, probably for the best but it is these situations where I favour naming and shaming.

I didn't ask for names and I am sure that Commis Chef would never tell me anyway even if I did ask. I couldn't see any purpose in having the information as I would have no fruitful use for it. My focus at the time was dealing with her feelings.

[rubyred]

Honest mate you have misjudged him he is an ok bloke who likes his dancing.

DTS XXX XXX

Yes I think Rob has been misjudged here, I have found him to be a gentleman to me on the dance floor.

[Little Monkey]

Anyone else got the dreaded post-weekender lurgy? I'm feeling awful! Even my skin is hurting!! Cold and shivery, achy, sore throat, headache..... Yay!

[HelenB]

I'm sounding really husky but not feeling too bad (well apart from the lack of motivation to do anything and the general daydreaminess that normally follows SP). I could make some serious money with a voice like this

Have some hugs LM (I'm hoping your skin isn't looking like it did on Saturday night )

(p.s. I think the moderators have been abusing their powers - hey Ducasi )

[Little Monkey]

I'm sounding really husky . I could make some serious money with a voice like this

Wahey!!! You saucy little minx, you!

Have some hugs LM (I'm hoping your skin isn't looking like it did on Saturday night)

(p.s. I think the moderators have been abusing their powers - hey Ducasi )

Thanks for hugs and rep!

Yeah, I actually look a lot healthier than I did on Saturday. After a bit of exfoliating and moisturizer my skin is all peachy soft again.

In fact, I probably look very healthy for someone who's ill. I spent about 1 1/2 hours sitting in the garden today, which is a wonderful sun-trap, so I've topped up my tan whilst being ill.

Will post a few photos in the forum photo gallery from the weekend....

[Caz]

I am still croaky after losing my voice on Sunday night / Monday morning.... had to go chemist and spend a fortune on lozenges etc throat not sore but voice wrecked... the pharmacist now just looks at me disapprovingly as i am there after most weekenders with no voice...

[Mr Darcy]

Having now been to 4 Southports, it's about time I joined in with an aftermath thread!

The Sublime

All the dances I had, all of them were wonderful. Highlights included sharing the trip there and back with HelenB, dancing Stairway To Heaven with SnowWhite ( is right!), and then dancing a different version of it later with Aleks (who has the most wonderful way of requesting another dance ). Some hot dances as always with Trouble and also Double Trouble (hope it's not so long this time until the next). RubyRed, always a pleasure. Kel_Warminster, at last! Tessalicious ShinyWeeStar , Plum, JacksonDonut, Eeyore, NaughtyLinda(!), Liz, Laura, Cat, Michelle (who put up with my attempts to practice WCS), JennyC, Lucy, Tunde, MelAndTonic (How do you always manage to look like you just stepped off a catwalk?). Sapphire (simply gorgeous dancer) and many others who made it such a great weekend, thank you all. (Sorry if I don't have all the Forum names, not even sure they're all on here).

Musically, I liked a lot of it (especially Mariachi sets from CJ and also Dance Demon). I don't expect to like it all, I didn't ever see the floor cleared so it seemed most of the people were mostly pleased most of the time. Every time it got too fast for me was just a push to go check out the other rooms or have a cup of tea instead.

I only did two classes, the second WCS one each day. I found Arjay & Melissa's teaching style very helpful and clear, I much preferred it to February's classes.

The Forgettable

I packed too much stuff... Again. Nothing else I'm going to bother dwelling on or remembering.

See you all again in September.

[Dance Demon]

It would appear that there is no longer such a thing as a swing/blues room anymore as there seemed to be close to naff all of either played at Southport. I know all the DJs want acclaim and the way to do that seems to be to play what is flavour of the moment. I don’t see the point of playing WCS music (yes I know you can MJ to some of it – but it is still not swing/blues) in the swing/blues room when there is supposed to be to be two WCS sets being played in the marquee. If the DJ has no intention of playing swing/blues then they should not accept the DJ slot.

I only played Two blues room sets this weekend. My Saturday night set didn't start 'til 4.30am, so maybe you were off to bed by that time, but it included at various points between 4.30am & 9.30am

Let there be love - Silje Nergaard
How Could A man take Such a fall - Curtis Stigers
Love Has Got a sting In It's tail - Gwynn
Eat at Joes - suzy boguss
Your Mind is on Vacation - Curtis stigers
girl from ipanema - Lou Rawls
Sweat - popa chubby
Heart attack & vine - Screamin Jay hawkins
Black velvet - Alanah Miles
Quiet fire - melody gardot
Spooky - bill wymans Rythm kings
At 17 - Janis Ian
Rio de Janeiro blue - Randy Crawford & Joe sample

to name but a few that can be classed as swing or blues. It also included a few other genres of music, and fished off with half an hour of tango between 9am & 9.30am.
Sunday night was a different kettle of fish. As always I was in the blues room to listen to the previous DJ and to get a feel for the mood of the room. I never work to a pre selected playlist. The music being played by MickS had a fairly funky feel to it and seemed to be going down quite well with the punters. ( He did throw me a bit by playing the Dolly Parton track at the end of his set though ) I decided to try to keep the vibe going at the start of my set then gradually mellow it out a bit, and TBH it seemed to work. basically I try to play what appears to be pushing the buttons for the majority, and to be fair Sunday night didn't contain much swing, although there were a couple of bluesy tracks in there. But it was what the majority of the punters appeared to want.

[David Bailey]

We both know a similar confidence with WCS will take time, application and tutition but we thought this would be achieved within the framework of a social dance scene rather than having to emerge fully formed as a wonderful dancer like a butterfly from a cocoon.

Interesting stuff.

Is it a general perception that WCS-ers within the MJ environment are "snooty"?

Because, in contrast, the AT-ers within the MJ environment are generally lovely, welcoming, friendly and inclusive - I can honestly say I've never felt worried or intimidated doing AT with MJ-ers (Of course, this is counter-balanced by the fact that AT-ers outside MJ are evil nasty beggars, who give serious scare...)

If that perception of WCS-ers in MJ snootiness is common, then I wonder why there's such a difference? Are WCS and MJ too close to each other, so that WCS is seen as "something that good MJ-ers do" rather than a separate dance form?

Hmmm... possibly a separate thread here...

I got one refusal, by the way - in the Blues Room - a woman asked "Do you do swing", and when I replied no, she said she was looking for a Swing dance. Fair enough, I guess - I think she was part of the Paris bunch.

[David Bailey]

I only played Two blues room sets this weekend. My Saturday night set didn't start 'til 4.30am, so maybe you were off to bed by that time

Sorry, but most people were off to bed by that time. It's no good only playing Blues music in the Blues Room at silly o'clock, it'd be nice to play it at other times also.

So, as I said in my first post, there was no Blues Room, just a room playing different music from the Main and Latin rooms. Continuing to call it a Blues Room is, basically, a lie.

[CJ]

Sorry, but most people were off to bed by that time. It's no good only playing Blues music in the Blues Room at silly o'clock, it'd be nice to play it at other times also.

So, as I said in my first post, there was no Blues Room, just a room playing different music from the Main and Latin rooms. Continuing to call it a Blues Room is, basically, a lie.

The end of the world is nigh... I'm agreeing with David Bailey.

[ducasi]

Anyone else got the dreaded post-weekender lurgy? I'm feeling awful! Even my skin is hurting!! Cold and shivery, achy, sore throat, headache..... Yay!

Achy, shivery, sore skin. Fortunately my head is (as yet!) unaffected.

Hugs to anyone who feels the same.

[Georgious dancer]

Honest mate you have misjudged him he is an ok bloke who likes his dancing.

DTS XXX XXX

Rob is lovely, it took me ages to have the guts to ask him to dance but when I did he didn't make me feel like he did it because he had to. He is a real gentleman.

[CJ]

ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuch

[Lory]

Achy, shivery, sore skin.

Am I the only one who had to do a double take?