Watching Lory's video left me wondering if any actual dancing happened at the weekend... there was a brief glimpse towards the end though! It also reminded me of the only "big" weekender I've been on, Skegness in June, and how much I didn't enjoy it. I'm not sure how I'm managing to miss all this wonderfulness that everyone keeps talking about, and what it is that makes people reschedule the rest of their lives around dance weekenders, but I'm afraid I've never encountered it - although judging by quite a few people's reactions to my 'dancing' at Skegness, maybe the problem's just me.Originally Posted by Lory in Mod mode
Last edited by Lory; 18th-November-2009 at 01:01 PM.
By the way, I had a look at Lory's Video and I have to say, if you think your weekend experience is going to be like that the you're going to be very dissappointed. Weekenders are great, but not that great!
Weekenders are what they say on the label 'Escape'.
I can be with like minded people, who love dance as much as I do and are there just to have a brilliant time.
Accomodation is crap, food is what you make it but it's the socialising and dancing when and whenever you want that makes it for me.
I go twice a year and have always had a cracking time. Although I would say with there being so many to choose from now it seems to have spread the crowd, as before you knew most people would be there but now it is only the hardcore you see everytime, which is a shame, I used to look forward to seeing people I only ever see at weekenders now there is no guarantee that they will be there.
I love them, they are 'all that' for me.
what I look for in a good weekender.
1. I don't so work shops or lessons so i'm looking for other activities in the day, dancing Quiz Karioke , etc.
2. I like to socialise and chat, so people milling around.
3. I don't like to eat before I dance so posh dinner doesn't do it for me.
4. I like to dance late and party on, so finishing at 2am doesn't do it for me.
5. I don't spend time in my apartment so cheep and cheerful, is all i'm looking for
6. I don't need a colour T.V. or microwave
7. I love to be close to the venue, so I can change quickly, pleasssse
8. Muggles don't understand my dress style, so NO thanks i'll stick with dancers.
9. ceroc weekenders seem to fit what i'm looking for at the moment.
If I had a partner that I wanted to spend time alone with might mean what i'm looking for might change, I have never experienced that feeling, dancing and socialising with different people has always been more important.
Why didn't you enjoy it? What was your experience?
Only done two - but both were good.
Just the whole atmosphere, - as JayJay says, the (Ceroc) label is a very good description, it is a complete "Escape: Dance, laughter, memories".
A few random things that spring to mind
So many people to dance with;
Familiar faces you probably dance with reguarly... Familar faces you haven't danced with in ages! And a huge amount of people you've never danced with before (and finding you have an instant connection with someone you've only just met is always a buzz !).
Dance aquaintances can turn into friends as you've got more time to chat than on a normal class night.
Plus the whole, spending the weekend away in friends company is usually fun too.
A huge choice of classes - I find learning a buzz.
Watching some of the really good dancers is inspirational.
As for finding playmates to enjoy it with, - well, I really enjoyed my first weekender, i'm not part of any "in crowd", I didn't go with a group, just one friend, - and although I did see a lot of people from my local venues there (which was great, and did add to the enjoyment) I think I would have still really enjoyed it had I not recognised many anyway. If you don't know many people you're more likely to socialise with new people, - and dancing with new people is brill.
Believe it or not, I can totally understand and appreciate that weekender's aren't for everyone
I know people who positively hate them and have many valid reasons
I think that weekenders have a habit of exposing and highlighting all your weaknesses.. your insecurities, your fears, your bad habits, also lack of sleep can all also expose your intolerance's, of people or situations too
I'm sure that the people who get the most out of weekenders, are those who will happily go with the flow and don't have fixed idea's about what they're going to do or achieve
Also, people who're very 'independent' and don't need to rely on others for moral support or encouragement to join in and participate. And weirdly, considering the context of the subject, people who actually don't mind being on their own and doing stuff on their own.
Not needing a lot of sleep, also helps.
Personally, I'm happiest, when I'm allowed to roam free. I don't like being part of any particular group but I do love to be asked to everything (hey, I'm just being honest )
Having a compatible chalet mate/s is very important to me!!!!
I hate needy people and my idea of a nightmare would be having someone who kept asking me, where I was going, or what I was planing to do or what time I was eating etc
Thankfully I've only experienced that a couple of times
MODERATOR AT YOUR SERVICE
"If you're going to do something tonight, that you know you'll be sorry for in the morning, plan a lie in." Lorraine
I did my first weekender about 13 (? I can't remember exactly) years ago. At that time I only danced locally (Chelmsford area) so I only knew my local crowd. I went to the weekenders once a year (Camber), it was a totally different experience to the weekenders I've been on in the last few years (about 4 or 5 a year).
This is mainly due to where I was/am on my dance journey.
I was in my 'honeymoon' period and went to experience new teachers, new dance partners and danced non stop til the doors shut. Back then I don't recall there being dancing all night long, just til about 2am. I was in awe of the dance teachers and more experienced, but that also made me too nervous to ask the 'good' dancers. So the enjoyment was more about having the opportunity to be totally absorbed in dancing for two and a half days. Pure escapism!
As the weekenders were only once or twice a year you would meet new people and only see them at weekenders. So it was a great reunion and every year there would be more people added to that reunion.
Weekenders are now a completely different experience for me, I go more for the socialising. There are still some people I only see on weekenders, but as they are so often that can mean I would see them every month or two instead of annually. I have travelled for my dancing more and more over the years so a lot of the people I will see at freestyles too.
Recently I've found the buzz from weekenders has dissipated because of the market being saturated, the 'reunion' isn't so large, as not everyone goes to the same weekenders anymore.
Reviews on weekenders can be taken with a pinch of salt as most things that make or break a weekender for the 'author' are out of the organisers control. All they can do is supply the best music (even this is down to each person's personal taste), floor, workshops, accommodation, and non dancing activities possible. The rest is up to you!
Lory's video shows approximately 3 minutes out of 3 days of the event. I'm sure she could equally have made a 3 minute video with sad music and made it look like it was a crap weekend. So to look at that and expect to have 'the time of your life' is a bit like watching The Wizard of Oz and thinking every time you wear your red heels you'll be able to talk to lions.
Last edited by Cruella; 18th-November-2009 at 02:50 PM.
For me the great thing about weekenders is the complete absence of Muggles
Go to the pub and not only is it playing fantastic music, every one in the pub can dance, they dance your dance and they speak your language, not only that, the carpets, and the deck outside, have been covered over by portable dance floor
Then to cap it all, just as you are staggering home, having worn your self out in the thunder room, a beautiful stranger drags you off to blues room
I've seen and experienced many drama's due to tiredness at weekenders!
again! I prefer to be able to do my own thing and a chalet mate is just someone you share the 4 walls (unsubstantial as they are) with for the weekend. I have been on a weekender and not seen my chalet mate all weekend! (Not because they were avoiding me on purpose, before certain forumites jump in )I hate needy people and my idea of a nightmare would be having someone who kept asking me, where I was going, or what I was planing to do or what time I was eating etc
Last edited by Cruella; 18th-November-2009 at 03:03 PM.
I remember my first weekender, I did the share with a stranger option.
I'd only been dancing about 9 months, once a week and only in my local ceroc venues in Norfolk.
I found I was sharing with a bloke who'd brought his guitar and his "gay" dance shoes who I barely saw for the whole weekend.
He did tell me that he'd started dancing after me, but he'd been dancing about 6 or 7 times a week!
It was only later that he became the infamous "Woodface". and No, I didn't tell him about the forum .
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