DANCE RIVIERA

Jim and Nicky's new blog

2008-08-01T12:06:00.000Z

Catch up with us here

http://jimnicky.blogspot.com/

Happy Birthday to Me!

2008-07-28T17:35:00.000Z

As my final blog as Blog Queen I thought I would wish myself a very happy 40th Birthday - please keep telling me how young I look.

Its been great being a blogger and I hope one day to do it again!

Christine
x

Goodbye and Farewell to the Blog!

2008-07-28T09:42:00.003Z

Jim & I just wanted to say a huge thank you to everyone who has supported and viewed our Blog for the past couple of years. We're closing it down now as Dance Riviera is now part of Evolution Dance (Jules Jive).

Special thanks goes to Tracy Armstrong and Christine "blog queen" Scally who alongside Jim & I have made the blog a true success in building a dance community. We have nearly 1,000 looking at it a month.

Jim & I will most likely do our own blog which will tell you where we're teaching, dancing and of course pregnancy and baby news (sorry to bore you all!). Our new website www.jimandnicky.co.uk will be up and running soon, where you'll see our news, schedule and buy DVDs etc.

Finally, we'll see you soon at a venue for dancing or a guest teach or two when I've stopped feeling so sick and tired and we've finally got our house sorted out. After 5 years of running Dance Riviera we've finally got some time to ourselves for a while, so we're going to enjoy it.

Keep dancing! Jim & Nicky x

Happy Birthday Karen

2008-07-23T06:59:00.001Z

Happy Birthday to Rochester Dance Coach Karen.

Have a fantastic day Karen - you deserve it.

Love from all your friends at Dance Riviera with Jules Jive
x

Its getting hotter!!!!

2008-07-22T08:51:00.006Z

Just as July is starting to heat up we thought we should remind you that the following venues have air conditioning ...

Rochester

Dartford

Brighton

All other venues have fans to help keep you cool - but remember a change of top and some deodorant and a towel are essential items in this hot weather! It makes the joy of dancing that much more pleasurable for all those concerned!

Happy Birthday Teacher Keith

2008-07-19T23:50:00.005Z

Happy Birthday to Teacher Keith.

Have a great day Keith and make sure Frances spoils you on your special day.

With love from all your friends at

Dance Riviera with Jules Jive

Relaunch Party Night - What a great night!

2008-07-19T09:33:00.000Z

Well done to Jules for a fantastic night at a wonderful venue.

DJ Jules and Dwain (with help from Steve Strong) kept the floor filled for the whole night with their great music sets.

If you werent there you missed out on a great night - put these dates in your diary for the Rochester Funky Friday Freestyles (8pm to midnight - £8)

Friday 15 August
Friday 12 September
Friday 10 October
Friday 28 November
Friday 12 December - Christmas Special

TWO Great events this Friday .....take your pick!!!

2008-07-16T08:42:00.011Z

Launch Party for Dance Riviera with Jules - Friday 18 July

Venue – Dance Junction, Maidstone Road, Rochester - Probably the best dance venue in the south of England
Freestyle dancing from 8 to midnight
Music with DJ Jules and the DJ Crew; Dwain and Steve ‘The Hitman’ Strong
£5 - no tickets - pay on the door

Flapjacks Friday - Friday 18 July – Double Bubble!!!!

Venue - The King Alfred Suite, Kingsway, Brighton and Hove
Latin Jive style icebreaker from James and Alexandra, music from Bob Ball
Dancing to midnight in the wonderful art deco Ballroom
Complimentary flapjacks (will still be available in Jules’ absence) and teas/coffee
£9 (or £8 for freestyle only after 9.15pm)

We look forward to seeing you enjoying an evening with us.

Jules
Evolution Dance and Entertainment

Dancing Sunshine at Rochester tonight

2008-07-15T09:56:00.004Z

Rain or shine (bearing in mind its St Swithins Day) - you are in for a bright and sunny night at Rochester tonight - Paul will be teaching with DJ Jules keeping the floor filled until 11pm.

If you haven't been to Rochester yet - you are missing out on a great night at a great venue.

Why not check out the venue before the Launch Party this Friday evening. Remember its freestyle from 8pm until midnight for only £5 – no ticket required.

St Swithins Day - Rain or Shine for 40 days???

2008-07-15T09:26:00.005Z

Britain's short-term meteorological future hangs in the balance today, and it's all down to a modest bishop and some over-enthusiastic monks. Some of you may well be familiar with the weather lore associated with this day:
St Swithin’s Day, if it does rain
Full forty days, it will remain
St Swithin’s Day, if it be fair
For forty days, t’will rain no more.

St Swithin, an Anglo Saxon Bishop of Winchester, died in 862. Legend says that as he lay on his deathbed he asked to be buried in a churchyard "where the rain would fall on him and the feet of ordinary men could pass over him." His wishes were followed for nine years but then the monks of Winchester felt it wasn't a fitting resting place and decided to move his remains to a shrine in Winchester Cathedral on the 15th July 971. Legend has it that torrential rains poured down on that day and every one after for the following 40 days and 40 nights. Believing that it was St Swithin showing his displeasure by weeping in despair, the monks decided against moving his remains. Hence the rhyme.

Basically this myth states that if it rains on St Swithin’s Day it will rain for the next 40 days, or if it is fine it will be fine for the next 40 days - well, I wish we could all be that certain in our forecasts! But according to the Meteorological Office this is untrue. They have tested the myth on 55 occasions and each time 40 days of similar weather did not follow. Despite having dismissed this just now as ‘rubbish’ there is quite an interesting story behind the legend.

To mark St Swithin's Day, I thought I would let you know about some other international weather wisdom with such gems as

"snow is due when the cat washes behind both ears"
Killing a spider will make it rain the next day.
When you see that the ants are excited and coming out at unusual hours to do their work, it means that it is going to rain.
If ant hills are high in July, winter will be snowy.
Worms plug the entrances to their holes when it gets cold.
If the day starts cloudy, once there is a patch of clear blue sky big enough to make a sailor a pair of trousers, the weather will improve (I have heard that one before!)
If you sneeze three times within a few seconds, the next day will be sunny.

Happy Birthday Teacher Clem

2008-07-14T09:01:00.002Z

Happy Birthday to Teacher Clem who is celebrating his birthday today!

Have a great day Clem and make sure Tracy and the family spoil you properly!

Clem and Tracy are teaching at Swanley tonight so we can all wish him a very happy Birthday then too! Clem you may need these energy mints if all the ladies want a dance!

Love from all your friends at Dance Riviera xxx

Race for Life - Press Photograph!!!

2008-07-14T08:54:00.003Z

A press photographer from the South London Press just emailed me this photograph - look at the great friends we made and will be running with again next year - sadly Alison missed this photograph, but the rest of us are all proudly wearing our medals and striking a pose.

If anyone gets the South London Press - take a peek and see if we are in there. Let us know!

Race for Life - WE DID IT!!!

2008-07-13T19:08:00.008Z

WOW what a wonderful time we all had this morning - Swanley Dance coaches Sarah and Christine, Sarah's mum Brenda and Christine's friends Alison and Carol all took part in the Race for Life at Blackheath!

Just like Herne Bay Dance Coach Lynne (who did her Race for Life on Sunday 22 June - see earlier Blog article) we all got ourselves off the couch, did some training and raised money for Cancer Research UK. The order of the day was to dress in pink, which you can see we did, and raise money (which we are still doing) and awareness for Cancer Research - we had all lost family and friends to this disease and walked/ran/danced in memory of them as well as in celebration of friends and family who had survived thanks to the work of Cancer Research. We had a great time and made some great friends with whom we congo-ed over the finishing line! We had made a date to enter the Race again next year - so cant wait to meet up with our new friends from Oxleas NHS Trust and Dartford - ladies we also hope to see you on the dance floor soon!

You can see from the photographs that we had a great time - come on you coach potatoes join us next year (http://www.raceforlife.org/) - I have some spare pink material ....! Lads - dont feel left out the Run for Moore (http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/runformoore) takes place straight after the ladies race!

Thanks to everyone who sponsored us - we will be collecting the money soon - if you didn't sponsor us but wish to donate some money we will be at Swanley tomorrow in our race outfits (wigs, skirts and shiny new run medals) - the collection box will be on the front desk!

Today is Beatles Day in Liverpool

2008-07-10T09:54:00.008Z

Liverpool is celebrating the musical achievements of the Fab Four with the world's first ever Beatles Day. The event has been organised to coincide with the 44th anniversary of the legendary band's triumphant homecoming after conquering the USA in 1964. On July 10, 1964, The Beatles were greeted by thousands of screaming fans when they landed at Speke Airport - now John Lennon Airport - after a hugely successful American tour.That evening a crowd of 100,000 people lined the city's streets as John, Paul, George and Ringo made their way to a civic reception for the premiere of A Hard Day's Night.

Fans are being asked to vote for their favourite Beatles hit and celebrations will include a special concert at the Liverpool Echo Arena. So whats your favourite Beatles track??The event will be hosted by Ricky Tomlinson and include bands from across Britain playing cover versions of the band's biggest hits. There will also be a special fun run and parades through locations the band made world-famous, like Penny Lane and Strawberry Fields.

Cash raised will go towards Alder Hey Hospital and a fund to generate resources for a community centre in memory of murdered schoolboy Rhys Jones. "Liverpool has always been proud of The Beatles and it's a wonderful idea to combine an annual celebration of their music with a fundraising drive for charity," said promoter Chas Cole, who came up with the plan. "Beatles Day will really be about the ordinary people of this city and hopefully, in the future, cities in the UK and beyond." Thousands of inflatable guitars and £5 'mop-top' wigs will be on sale across Liverpool as the city honours its favourite sons. Ricky Tomlinson said: "No wig, no gig! I'll certainly be wearing my mop-top and looking forward to a right old knees-up."

Friday 18 July - Launch Party at Rochester

2008-07-09T10:07:00.002Z

Come along to Dance Junction in Rochester on Friday 18 July for Dance Riviera with Jules' Jive's Launch Party.

At the Opening Party Night dance to classic sounds from Jules and the DJ Crew - DJ "Dirty D" Dwain and Steve "The Hitman" Strong!

Freestyle from 8pm until midnight

£5 only – no ticket required

See you at Rochester

Saving Crayford Town Hall!

2008-07-08T12:16:00.001Z

Catch the BBC 6.30pm news tonight and you might catch Jules, Christine and Sarah dancing outside Crayford Town Hall with Len Goodman (Strictly Come Dancing) who's trying to save the town hall from being demolished!

Way to go, us dancers have to stick together :-)

Nicky

Business as usual ...

2008-07-08T11:05:00.003Z

Yesterday saw the first night of dancing at Dance Riviera under the control of Jules following the announcement at Dartford last Thursday.

If you are still asking the question "who is Jules?" then please say hello to him - he was at Swanley last night and will at Rochester tonight and Dartford on Thursday. Jules is very approachable and friendly - and ladies he is a lovely dancer! If he is not around there are some fliers telling you all about him.

Last night Swanley's regular teachers Clem and Tracy gave a great lesson and DJ Gazza kept the floor filed all night. Rochester will be open as usual tomorrow night with its regular teacher Paul and DJ Jules.

See you on the dance floor

Race for Life - One week today

2008-07-06T16:35:00.003Z

A week today Blackheath will be a sea of pink as another of its Race for Life runs take place!

Swanley Dance Coaches Christine and Sarah along with Sarah's mum Brenda and Christine's friends Alison and Carol will be there resplendant in their pink tutus - yes the colour in the picture is the actual colour of the material that Christine is fashioning into skirts!!

Thanks to everyone who has sponsored them already and there is still time to sponsor them or put money in their collection box. Christine and/or Sarah will be dancing at Swanley, Crayford and Dartford this week.

The training continues!!!

Saturday 5th July - Independence Day Dance at Worthing Town Hall

2008-07-04T14:22:00.006Z

Come celebrate 232 years of independence from our special cousins over the pond. Why celebrate US independence? Let's have our shout! Get dressed in red, white and/or blue and dance Modern Jive to the early hours. There is a prize!!!

The venue is the wonderful art deco Worthing Assembly Hall (The Assembly Hall, Stoke Abbott Road, Worthing, West Sussex. BN11 1HQ).

Journey time from Dartford between one hour and one hour, 10-20 minutes.
1am finish.
Free Parking and a licensed bar plus a fantastic large dance floor.
Over 250 booked in, it’s going to be a good one.

Advance reservations just £10, Call Jules TODAY on 07900 993535 or email info@evolutiondance.co.uk to make a booking or it’s £11 on the door (if tickets are still available - the last two dances have Sold Out).

http://www.evolutiondance.co.uk/index.html

DANCE RIVIERA ... THE ANNOUNCEMENT

2008-07-04T10:51:00.016Z

At last night's cracking 5 year anniversary party Jim and Nicky had a couple of surprise announcements to make.

Nicky is pregnant! Jim and Nicky, fingers crossed, are to be parents. Wonderful, wonderful news.
A friendly merger has been affected between Jules Jive and Dance Riviera such that Dance Riviera will, effective immediately, operate under the Evolution Dance and Entertainment banner. Jules' Jive currently operate from the Worthing Assembly Hall on a Wednesday and Brighton's King Alfred Ballroom Suite.

Julian Hansford (AKA Jules) has been dancing for about 17 years, and running/promoting Modern Jive with Evolution Dance since January 2000. Julian has been extremely successful with the south coasts two principal Modern Jive venues - the Worthing Assembly Hall and Brighton's King Alfred Ballroom. Jules has worked alongside many of the leading names in the industry.

Jim and Nicky Bourgerie, known to many of you in the industry for their innovative teaching and personal manner, with appearances at many of the Jive's industries leading events will continue their involvement with the group at a social level, as a 'non-exec' to Jules, and continue to appear at Dartford as regular guest teachers. Jim and Nicky both have demanding daytime career jobs, and this together with the announcement of Nicky's pregnancy, means that they no longer have the time or energy required to maintain and develop Dance Riviera. See the attached announcement from Jim and Nicky.

Jim and Nicky leave a worthy legacy of five great venues, a wonderful and potentially excellent set of teachers (Clem & Tracey, Paul, Keith & Fran, Pete & Jill), a large and well trained Crew (too many to mention personally) and a couple of very good DJs (Dwain, Steve 'The Hitman' Strong and Gazza) and literally thousands of dancers who have learnt their first dancing steps with Dance Riviera. Quite an achievement.

Julian has implemented the following with immediate effect, saying "It's my belief that venues work best when teams work closely together and so each venue has been allotted a teacher and DJ who will, in the main, work out of that venue, and in so doing I believe, will gain the opportunity to teach to a level, and in a manner, that best suits the clientele at that venue".

It looks like this

Swanley - Clem and Tracy working with Gazza

Rochester - Paul working with Jules

Crayford - Keith & Fran with Dwain

Herne Bay - Keith & Fran, Keith DJ'ing

Dartford - Pete & Jill with Jules

Jim and Nicky are to be monthly guest teachers at Dartford.

Steve 'The Hitman' Strong will be occassional guest DJ at all venues.

Other guest teachers will be used.

The resident teachers named above will have one week off a month, to take a rest or appear at another DR venue in that week.

Jules
Evolution Dance and Entertainment
http://www.evolutiondance.co.uk/
07900 993535

Happy Birthday Dianne - Fabulous at 50!

2008-07-04T08:00:00.002Z

Happy Birthday Dianne (Dance Coach at Crayford).

Have a great day and make sure Martin and the family spoil you absolutely rotten - you deserve it.

Love from all your friends at Dance Riviera xxx

July 4 - A day for Beer and Burgers

2008-07-04T07:00:00.000Z

In the United States, Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain (charming!). Today is the only holiday that celebrates the United States and is a national holiday marked by patriotic displays. A colourful Independence Day event is the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest in Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York City, which supposedly started on July 4, 1916 as a way to settle a dispute among four immigrants as to who was the most patriotic. It has been estimated that in previous years Americans have consumed about 150 million hot dogs on July 4, or almost one hot dog for every other person in the United States.

Whether or not you like hot-dogs July 4th is a good excuse to have a burger and a beer!

Happy 5th Birthday Dance Riviera

2008-07-03T14:14:00.005Z

Congratulations Dance Riviera on your 5th Birthday!

Remember - tonight its Dance Riviera's Anniversary Charity Night Party Special.

So come to Dartford tonight for a great night ... Jim and Nicky are teaching with DJ Dwain ... plus a special announcement ....!

Get ready for a great Party Night at Dartford tomorrow ...

2008-07-02T15:03:00.004Z

Come along to Dartford tomorrow night for a great night's dancing, Jim & Nicky will be teaching (they have got the all clear from their Doctors!), Dwain will be DJing and there is a special announcement for you all ...

Plus since its Dance Riviera's Anniversary night all the teachers will be there dancing - so if you have never danced with Keith, Frances, Paul, Pete, Jill, Clem or Tracy ... now is your chance ... All you need to do is ask them? Its Dance Riviera's policy that no one says no to a dance so none of our teachers and crew will ever say no to a dance!

Saturday's Charity Busk has been CANCELLED

2008-07-02T14:48:00.003Z

Due to circumstances beyond our control, we're unable to busk this Saturday at The Pentagon Shopping Centre in Dartford.

Apologies especially if like me you had planned your shopping around the dancing!

REMINDER - Charity Party Night Special at Dartford this Thursday

2008-07-01T08:17:00.005Z

Remember to take your dancing feet to Dartford on Thursday ... Dance Riviera is celebrating its 5th Birthday with an Anniversary Charity Night Party Special.

Come along and join in the celebrations and raise money for charity ... your admission money will go to Dance Riviera's charity Breast Cancer Research.

Join us on Thursday 3 July at the Acadia Hall Ballroom, Dartford from 8pm for a lesson with Jim & Nicky and then great freestyle dancing until 11pm. We look forward to a cracking night and don't forget we have a Special Announcement to make!

See you there

Herne Bay venue closed for two weeks

2008-06-30T06:00:00.000Z

Our Herne Bay venue is closed for two weeks - Thursday 3rd and Thursday 10th July. Our Dartford venue will be open as usual on both of those dates so please come along to Dartford for the same Dance Riviera welcome.

On Thursday 3rd July Dance Riviera is celebrating its 5th Birthday by having a Charity Night Party where your door admission will go to the Dance Riviera charity, Breast Cancer.

Summer Freestyle - Ball Report

2008-06-29T16:51:00.002Z

A great night was had by all those who came to Rochester for the Dance Riviera Summer Freestyle Ball last night. DJ Colin Shaul was on top form and played some great tunes.

It was great to see so many people dressed brightly for the summer - sorry if your pictures do not appear here I was so busy dancing I didn't take that many photos!

For those of you who didnt get to Rochester last night - put this date in your diary ...

Saturday 6 September Saturday night special at Herne Bay (8pm to 1am)

See you at Rochester (there is still plenty of dancing time left ...)

2008-06-28T18:44:00.007Z

If you have logged on and are wondering what to do tonight - head on down to Rochester for Dance Riviera's Summer Freestyle Ball.

Dress summery or as you are - you will be most welcome either way (coconuts and grass skirts are NOT an essential item!)

Its going to be a great night with freestyle dancing until 1am to the sounds of DJ Colin Shaul.

Happy Birthday Kerry

2008-06-28T18:38:00.005Z

Wishing Kerry (our Herne Bay door host) a fabulous Birthday today!

Have a great day Kerry.

Love from all your friends at Dance Riviera
xxx

An extra hour of dancing this Saturday ... For FREE!

2008-06-25T12:29:00.009Z

Why not polish your coconuts and dust down your grass skirts and hawaiian shirts ... we have the perfect excuse!

The summer is here and its time to have fun - so come along on Saturday night to Rochester and have fun at Dance Riviera's Summer Freestyle Ball . Grab your hawaiian outfit or opt for your own outfit and welcome in a very colourful summer ?

Tickets are still available from all our venues - tonight at Crayford and tomorrow at Dartford and Herne Bay for £10 (they are available on the night but for a cost of £12). Save money and buy yours before the event!

Dance away on Midsummer's Day!

2008-06-25T12:04:00.003Z

The middle of summer comes after the longest day and it is a time associated with witches, magic, faries and dancing.

On the eve of Midsummer's Day, many bonfires used to be burnt all over the country. This was in praise of the sun, for the days were getting shorter and the sun appeared to be getting weaker, so people would light fires to try and strengthen the sun.
Practice of this ancient ritual, which also includes a Summer Solstice Circle Dance, is now mainly confined to Cornwall, the West Country, and London's Hampstead Heath.

So wherever you dance - enjoy your Midsummer's Day!

Happy Birthday Terry

2008-06-24T04:00:00.000Z

Happy Birthday Terry (Dance Coach at Swanley).

Have a great day Terry - a little birdie has told us to say "be prepared to be spoiled all day"!!

Love from all your friends at Dance Riviera x

Summer Freestyle this Saturday - Tickets still available

2008-06-23T14:25:00.007Z

No class - just freestyle from 8pm until 1am . It will be great freestyle too since it will be to the sounds of top DJ Colin Shaul.

Our Summer Freestyle is being held at our Rochester venue this Saturday night (28 June) - and our only instruction is for you to dress bright for the summer! Please let us know what you from from your Saturday night dance - email us at info@danceriviera.com

Tickets are available from all our venues. Remember they are £10 in advance or £12 on the door.

If you have never been to our Rochester venue tomorrow night is the perfect chance. As a huge thank you to those who have supported us at our new venue and to encourage new dancers to try our fabulous Rochester venue we decided to make June a FREE free month at Rochester.

Race for Life - WELL DONE Dance Coach Lynne

2008-06-23T09:00:00.003Z

Dance Coach Lynne (Herne Bay) did the Race for Life at Quex Park, Birchington yesterday (Sunday 22 June) with her two youngest daughters - Danielle (24) and Nicola (22). They did the race in memory of their friend Jack who died last year. He was renowned for his red Kickers boots, hence their red shoes. Lynne raised £214 - grateful thanks to the dancers at Herne Bay who were very generous and donated a substantial part of that amount.

Well done Lynne, Danielle and Nicola - it looks like you had a lot of fun and some great warm-up dancing! Next its the turn of the Swanley coaches (Christine and Sarah) at Blackheath on Sunday 13 July! What wonderful pink ladies we all are!! Come on lads!!

Charity Busk in Chatham - come and join us

2008-06-22T11:14:00.004Z

Join us in the Pentagon Centre, Chatham on Saturday 5 July from midday until 2pm.

Come along and dance the afternoon away with us and help to promote Dance Riviera to the people of Chatham and Rochester. These promotions are a great way of getting new people to come along and try us out, giving you lots of new people to dance with. So why not join in and bring your friends - dancers and non-dancers! We have recently had busks in Herne Bay and Dartford and both were enjoyed by all those present.

You will get a FREE entry ticket as a thank you for helping support this event - and all we ask is that you wear Black and White.

We will again be collecting for our charity Breast Cancer.

Happy Birhday Shelley

2008-06-21T07:00:00.003Z

Wishing Shelley (our newest coach at Swanley) a very Happy Birthday! Make sure you are thoroughly spoilt on the day by all those around you!

Gents - be sure to grab Shelley for a birthday dance when you next see her.

Love from all your friends at Dance Riviera
x

The Summer is here! Tomorrow is the Longest Day of the Year!

2008-06-20T07:00:00.001Z

The longest day of the year is June 21st. It is the day when the sun is at its most northerly point and this is why it is "the longest day". Except for the fact that people dance around the stones all day so their feet must hurt?

On this day you can see a very old custom at Stonehenge, in Wiltshire, England. Every June 21st hundreds of people go to Stonehenge to watch the sun rise. Stonehenge is one of Europe's biggest stone circles. A lot of stones are ten or twelve metres high. The earliest part of Stonehenge is nearly 5,000 years old. It is thought that the Druids used Stonehenge for a calendar.

The sun shines on one famous stone - the Hell stone. For the Druids this is a very important moment of the year. The Druids were the priests in Britain 2,000 years ago. They used the sun and the stones at Stonehenge to know the start of the months and seasons.

A week later on Saturday 28 June we have our own Summer Freestyle - so come and celebrate the Summer with us with freestyle from 8pm until 1am with DJ Colin Shaul at our Rochester venue.

Race for Life - Good Luck Dance Coach Lynne

2008-06-19T14:25:00.003Z

Dance Coach Lynne (Herne Bay) has entered into the Race for Life at Quex Park, Birchington for Sunday 22 June (this Sunday!). She will be doing the race with her two youngest daughters - Danielle (24) and Nicola (22).

Lynne's sponsorship form will be circulated around the Herne Bay venue tonight so please give generously for a great cause!

Good luck Lynne - we cant wait to hear how you did!
From all your friends at Dance Riviera x

Race for Life - Regular updates on the progress of the Pink Ladies

2008-06-19T12:57:00.004Z

Christine and Sarah will be continuing their training regimes next week and its great to report that Sarah is back to health (and life without a wrist support). Our little group is steadily increasing ... we are being joined by Brenda (Sarah's Mum), Alison (Christine's mate from Rotaract and newly returned to dancing at Swanley) and Carol (from Christine's Rotary club)! Its not too late to enter and think of the fun you will have!

Jim & Nicky will be at Dartford but NOT TEACHING OR DANCING!

2008-06-19T09:13:00.004Z

Due to Doctor's orders, Jim & Nicky won't be dancing until the beginning of July!

They said they hoped to be able to visit the venues - and tonight they will are! They will be at Dartford for a chat and a drink but please do not ask them to dance because they will have to go against Dance Riviera Policy and say "NO"!

They are so sorry not to have been around and are really missing dancing and seeing people but they'll be back teaching and dancing soon!

Dartford & Herne Bay - Teacher change tonight!

2008-06-19T05:00:00.002Z

Sadly both Jim & Nicky are under Doctor's orders NOT to dance until early July! So although they may turn up at classes please do not ask them to dance since they would have to go against Dance Riviera's policy and say "NO" to a dance. I am sure you will join me in wishing them both a quick recovery.

Dartford - Teachers Keith & Frances are making a welcome return!

Herne Bay - Clem & Tracy will be strutting their stuff once more!

Summer Freestyle - Saturday 28 June

2008-06-18T07:00:00.005Z

Get your tickets for this great Summer Freestyle night and put the date in your diary - Saturday 28 June.

There will be freestyle dancing from 8pm until 1am to the sounds of top DJ Colin Shaul. We are holding this at our Rochester venue - our only instruction is for you to dress bright for the summer!

Let us know what you from from your Saturday night dance - email us at info@danceriviera.com

Tickets are available from all our venues. Remember they are £10 in advance or £12 on the door!

Week 3 of our FREE Rochester Promotion

2008-06-17T15:12:00.003Z

For the last two weeks and throughout June we decided to make dancing at our Rochester venue free for the whole month! So tonight sees the third free Tuesday of our "FREE JUNE" promotion with next Tuesday being the last! Check out the earlier blog for more information

We have received great feedback including:

"I was at Dance Junction, Rochester last Tuesday evening and really enjoyed it because Dwain played a really good mix of music. Look forward to more of the same from Dwain." Regards, S, Rochester

"Thoroughly good evening at a superb venue. I expect to be there again." C, Dartford"

Come along to Dance Junction at Rochester TONIGHT and enjoy all that Dance Riviera offers ... for free!

30 years on ... Grease is STILL the Word

2008-06-16T12:20:00.004Z

Grease starred John Travolta as Danny Zuko and Olivia Newton-John as Sandy Olsson. It was originally released to theatres on June 16 1978 (having been set in 1958). Can you believe 30 years have passed??

But did you know?

Danny's blue windbreaker at the beginning of the film was intended as a nod to Rebel Without a Cause (1955).
Because of a zipper breaking, Olivia Newton-John had to be sewn into the pants she wears in the last sequence (the carnival at Rydell), and was unable to remove the trousers until the filming of that scene was over.
Voted the best musical ever on Channel 4's 100 greatest musicals.
Henry Winkler, who was playing Fonzie on Happy Days, was originally supposed to play Danny but didn't for fear of being typecast.
Marie Osmond turned down the role of Sandy because she did not like the fact that Sandy had to "turn bad" to get the boy.
Lucie Arnaz was first choice for the role of Rizzo but was rejected after her actress mother Lucille Ball refused to allow her to screen test at Paramount Studios (she wrongly claimed that she used to own it).
Jeff Conaway ("Kenickie")had to walk slightly stooped so that John Travolta would appear taller.
Carrie Fisher was considered for the role of Rizzo.
For a time, it was the third highest grossing movie of all time behind only Jaws and Star Wars.
The official premiere after-party was at Studio 54.
Adult film star Harry Reems was originally signed to play Coach Calhoun. Producers got cold feet weeks before filming and replaced him with Sid Caesar.
In the song "Look at Me I'm Sandra Dee", it originally references Sal Mineo in the stage version. However, due to Mineo's murder the year before shooting began the reference was given to Elvis Presley.

Race for Life Update - the training increases

2008-06-16T08:00:00.004Z

Seeing as everyone says that July is fast approaching - that also means that the Cancer Research "Race for Life" is just around the corner!

Both Christine and Sarah have continued with their power walking - Sarah is taking her daughter with her on her walks and Christine's only company is her iPod (sniff) but that helps on the 4.5 mile walk she regularly does (in an hour!!!)

Sarah has recently been seen sporting a support on her wrist after commencing some additional training ... a bit of impromptu stair diving. She did say she was listening to one of her favourite songs at the time "I believe I can fly"! Oh dear! Note to Sarah - its Aerobics not Stairobics!!!

Christine (& Sarah)
xx

Happy Fathers Day to Dads everywhere!

2008-06-15T06:00:00.001Z

As the Dads of the world unwrap their presents of ties and slippers I thought I would give you some background to the day!

Father's Day is a day to celebrate fatherhood and occurs in almost every country of the world, however many different days are chosen to celebrate it. In the UK and US, Japan and many countries in Europe it is celebrated on the third sunday in June. This date was chosen rather by accident.

The celebration was suggested by Mrs Sonora Smart Dodd whose father, Civil War veteran William Jackson Smart, had as a single parent raised his six children. She wanted the anniversary of his death, June 5th to be chosen, but did not leave enough time for a celebration to be organised and so the 3rd sunday in June became the date. In many countries it is celebrated on 19th March which is St. Joseph's day, while other dates chosen include Korea which celebrates it on 8th May, in Scandanavia it is celebrated on the second sunday in November and in Thailand December 5th is chosen , being the King's birthday.

A few Dad quotes:

"A father is always making his baby into a little woman. And when she is a woman he turns her back again." - Enid Bagnold
"One father is more than a hundred schoolmasters." - English Proverb
"To be a successful father . . . there's one absolute rule: when you have a kid, don't look at it for the first two years." -Ernest Hemingway
"I cannot think of any need in childhood as strong as the need for a father's protection." - Sigmund Freud
"Be kind to thy father, for when thou wert young,
Who loved thee so fondly as he?
He caught the first accents that fell from thy tongue,
And joined in thy innocent glee." - Margaret Courtney
"If the new American father feels bewildered and even defeated, let him take comfort from the fact that whatever he does in any fathering situation has a fifty percent chance of being right." - Bill Cosby
"Blessed indeed is the man who hears many gentle voices call him father!" - Lydia M Child

The sun shone brightly in Herne Bay today

2008-06-14T16:37:00.003Z

It was Street Music Day in Herne Bay today so we headed to the town centre for a dance!

With music supplied by Keith, we danced from midday until 2pm with a very supportive audience of the general public - some of who danced with us and others who have promised to be at Herne Bay for our regular Thursday night.

It was great to see so many people - a few shy ones left at the sight of cameras and so are not in this photograph - but their participation was very much appreciated!

Dancing tonight??

2008-06-12T15:19:00.007Z

If you are off dancing (like me) tonight you are in for a treat - whether you go to Dartford or Herne Bay ...

Keith and Frances are teaching at Dartford tonight - making a much welcome return to this part of Kent. Come along tonight to Dartford for a treat - both Rochester and Crayford have recently enjoyed their teaching.

Clem & Tracy will be teaching at Herne Bay so if you go down to the coast you are in for a treat too!

Dance Riviera's 5th Anniversary - 3rd July at Dartford

2008-06-11T14:55:00.001Z

Can't believe we're going to be 5 next month! It's gone so quickly. We hope you'll come along to celebrate and give your admission money to Breast Cancer Research. We look forward to a cracking night and don't forget we have a special announcement to make!

Nicky x

ROCHESTER - Week 2 of our Free June promotion

2008-06-10T08:55:00.005Z

Tonight sees the second free Tuesday of our "FREE JUNE" promotion! Come along to Dance Junction and enjoy all that Dance Riviera offers ... for free!

Below is just some of the feedback received after last Tuesday:

"superb venue"
"lovely floor, lovely venue"
"nice atmosphere"
"great vibe"
"easy to find"
"easy parking"
"thoroughly good evening. I expect to be there again"

I wasn't able to be there last week due to my tooth agony but I will be at Rochester tonight!

See you tonight for a dance!
Christine x

Dancing in the street - Saturday 14 June

2008-06-08T23:15:00.002Z

Come along and dance the afternoon away and help us to promote Dance Riviera and our Smooth Jive to the people of Herne Bay – as part of their Street Music Day

These promotions are a great way of getting new people to come along and try us out, giving you lots of new people to dance with. So why not join in and bring your friends – dancers … and non-dancers!

Get a FREE entry ticket as a thank you for helping support this event.

Happy Birthday Dennis

2008-06-07T09:17:00.004Z

Wishing a Happy Birthday to Dennis, a member of our great Herne Bay coaching crew.

Have a great birthday Dennis and enjoy the "sunshine" that is promised this weekend.

Love from all your friends at Dance Riviera xx

Smooth Lounge Reminder - Friday 13 June

2008-06-06T14:01:00.012Z

Dance Riviera's Smooth Lounges at Rochester are enjoyed by all those who attend.
You may have tried the rest - now come to the BEST!

There will be no class from now on as we've listened to your feedback - so get there for 8pm for lots of freestyle until midnight to the tunes of our great DJ ... DJ John Miller, one of Kent and Sussex's best, will be keeping the floor filled all night!

Whatever your dance level, you will thoroughly enjoy some great dances to fantastic music and catch up with friends. Bring your dancing friends along for a great and different night.

The Smooth Lounge will let you enjoy music from Blues, West Coast, RnB, Tango and musicality tracks.

For £9 you get all of this and ...

free parking
fantastic sprung floor
licensed bar
dancing from 8pm until midnight to the sounds of DJ John Miller; and
the inimitable Dance Riviera ambience!

Our Rochester venue is free for our Tuesday night classes for the whole of June so come along and see for yourselves what a wonderful venue it is!

Dance Junction
681 Maidstone Road
Rochester ME1 3QJ
(Jct 3 M2 or Jct 5 M20)

Happy Birthday Teacher Paul

2008-06-05T09:00:00.000Z

Happy Birthday to Teacher Paul - have a great day Paul and enjoy being spoiled by all those around you.

Love from all your friends at Dance Riviera xxx

Dancing stopped by teeth!!!

2008-06-04T23:23:00.006Z

I managed to keep dancing at the weekend stocked up on painkillers but unfortunately it turned to tooth agony on Monday so I have been unable to dance this week! Fortunately I am now on antibiotics so my mouth is celebrating in its drugginess and I will be back on the dance floor soon!

Christine x

The weekend is here - smile!!!

2008-05-31T09:00:00.002Z

Did you know that smiling and laughing is good for you ...

A lonely person is likely to die five years younger than one with plenty of friends

Scientists say that having friends around in old age can do more for life expectancy than having family members around. The benefits might be due to the fact that people an choose their friends, as opposed to family members!

Laughter increases our capacity to fight disease. It relaxes the body and reduces problems linked to high blood pressure, strokes, arthritis and ulcers

A belly laugh exercises the abs and shoulders and even gives the heart a workout. Laughter can also take your mind off anger, guilt and stress!

Do you need any more reasons - plus its the WEEKEND!

Off to Jive Addiction's dance weekend in Southport ...

2008-05-30T11:05:00.007Z

Terry and I are off to Southport ("The UK's No 1 Modern Jive Weekender") to join around 1,500 dancers from every region of the UK and abroad who come together to give Southport an atmosphere and friendliness that’s unmatched! There are 4 dance floors (Jive Addiction Ballroom, The Blues Lounge, Latin Quarter and The Marquee) all playing different genres of music - and since its warmer the "Open air terrace with wooden dance floor" will be open (must remember to pack a scarf!)

With around 40 hours of dance classes to choose from we will had loads to report on Monday - watch this space!

Cant wait - see you soon
Christine x

Christine & Sarah get their numbers!!

2008-05-29T09:30:00.002Z

We now have our race numbers! As you can see from the numbers Sarah enrolled a lot earlier than Christine - but from Christine's number you can see how many entrants there are so far ...!

We are both undertaking some "get fit" and training programmes for the Race for Life on Sunday 13 July so all will be well on the day!

We are both running in memory of loved ones and in support of people fighting cancer at the moment so many thanks to everyone who has sponsored us so far and given us plenty of encouragement!

Christine & Sarah
xx

PS If we are ever a bit stiff dancing it could be due to the amount of training we have done that day - but don't be too gentle with us!

Happy Spring Bank Holiday

2008-05-26T07:06:00.001Z

I thought this would be a topical picture given the rain that is forecast here in the South!!

Did you know that British bank holidays have been recognised since 1871. The name Bank Holiday comes from the time when Banks were shut and so no trading could take place. Even though Banks are still closed on these days many shops now remain open but its still thanks to the Banks that we get the day off!

Enjoy!!!

BANK HOLIDAY MONDAY - Swanley open as usual

2008-05-25T11:40:00.000Z

It may be a Bank Holiday but as usual Swanley is open!

Come along and continue your Bank Holiday happiness by spending a night dancing!

DJ Steve "The Hitman" Strong will be there to provide the tunes to keep the dancefloor filled all night!

See you there!

Happy Birthday David

2008-05-25T08:10:00.002Z

Happy Birthday to another of our great Dance Coaches - David who coaches at Herne Bay.

Have a great day David and make the most of the Bank Holiday weekend.

Love from all your friends at Dance Riviera
xxx

Happy Birthday Pete

2008-05-25T08:00:00.002Z

Happy Birthday to a great Dance Coach - Pete who coaches at Swanley.

Have a great day Pete and I hope Nick and the family spoil you rotten - and prepare a great "hair of the dog" for the day after.

Love from all your friends at Dance Riviera
xxx

Charity Dance Experence - Update

2008-05-24T22:09:00.004Z

With our new DJ Andy playing some great tracks and a great turnout from crew and regular dancers we had a great time in the Orchard Shopping Centre today.

We enticed a few people to dance with us today but we had a lot of interest from those watching us and we look forward to seeing you on a Dance Riviera dancefloor soon!

Well done to everyone who turned up and I hope you enjoyed yourself as much as I did!

Christine x

Happy Birthday DJ Steve

2008-05-23T09:00:00.003Z

Hope you find time to have a restful birthday Steve .

Thanks for all the great music you play! Ladies grab Steve for a dance when he can escape from behind the decks!

Enjoy your day Steve!
Love all your friends at Dance Riviera xx

Street Music Day - Saturday 14 June at Herne Bay

2008-05-22T01:01:00.001Z

Join us in Herne Bay on Saturday 14 June and dance the afternoon away - and at the same time help us to promote Dance Riviera and our Smooth Jive to the people of Herne Bay – part of their Street Music Day

These promotions are a great way of getting new people to come along and try us out, giving you lots of new people to dance with. So why not join in and bring your friends – dancers … and non-dancers!

Turn up and support us and receive a free entry ticket to dance at any of our venues.

Dance Riviera's Pink Ladies will be staggering for charity!

2008-05-21T22:54:00.009Z

Dance Coaches Christine and Sarah (from Swanley) will be walking, running or staggering 5km for the Race for Life on Sunday 13 July to raise money for Cancer Research.

We will be carrying joint sponsor forms wherever we go so please dig deep and sponsor us ... we will keep you updated on our "training". Both of us have started regular walks - as well as our regular exercise of dancing!

Wish us luck
Christine & Sarah
xx

REMINDER - Dance Experience this Saturday in Dartford

2008-05-20T14:40:00.004Z

Come along to the East Mall in the Orchard Shopping Centre, Dartford Town Centre this Saturday afternoon from midday until 2pm ... dance to the sounds of DJ Andy ... have a great time ... raise money for Breast Cancer Research ... and earn yourself free entry into one of our venues!

What could be easier!! Our Charity Dance Experiences are not to be missed!

Space Burgers!!!

2008-05-18T10:00:00.002Z

The first Wimpy Bar opened in London, Have a treat and visit your local Wimpy, or have a burger night – there you have it - the perfect excuse!

Also today in 1991 - we saw the first British Woman, Helen Sharman, in space in 1991. I bet she didnt eat too many burgers!

There will be dancing in Portsmouth tonight!

2008-05-17T21:29:00.007Z

CONGRATULATIONS PORTSMOUTH FC!

No I havent been transformed into a football fan - I still love the egg shaped ball! But seeing as a good friend of mine is a Portsmouth fan - I thought it only right to blog this!

Well done Portsmouth FC on beating Cardiff FC in the Final of the FA Cup! Not being a football fan I can't really say any more than that!

Dance at Rochester for FREE during June

2008-05-16T10:47:00.005Z

As a huge thank you to those who have supported us at our new venue and to encourage new dancers to try our fabulous Rochester venue we have decided to make June a free month* at Rochester! *PLEASE NOTE - This does not apply to Smooth Lounges or Saturday Specials.

Simple enough ... you pay nothing ... but get to enjoy the same great teachers, Kent's best DJs and famous Dance Riviera atmosphere - FOR FREE! What a great time to introduce your non-dancing friends to Dance Riviera.

If you have never been to the Rochester venue - come along to our Smooth Lounge tonight and have a great night out!

Dartford tonight - Jim & Nicky teaching with DJ Steve "The Hitman" Strong

2008-05-15T10:12:00.003Z

No more working late tonight!!

Jim & Nicky are back teaching with some lovely routines tonight for both beginners and intermediates. Alongside them playing the music for the night is the very popular Steve "the Hitman" Strong.

We look forward to seeing you a good night's dancing and socialising.

J&N x

Smooth Lounge Reminder - Friday 16 May

2008-05-14T16:02:00.008Z

Dance Riviera's Smooth Lounges at Rochester are enjoyed by all those who attend.

Just some of the feedback received "What a fantastic atmosphere on Friday night, music was great and Jim and Nicky's class was excellent as usual."

So whatever your dance level, you will thoroughly enjoy some great dances to fantastic music and catch up with friends. Bring your dancing friends along for a great and different night. The Smooth Lounge will let you enjoy music from Blues, West Coast, RnB, Tango and musicality tracks.

- Free Parking
- fantastic sprung floor
- licensed bar!

Jim and Nicky will be teaching - so get there for 8pm for their class and then dance until midnight to the tunes of our great DJ!

Dance Junction
681 Maidstone Road
Rochester ME1 3QJ
(Jct 3 M2 or Jct 5 M20)

The sun is shining but who needs to slim into their summer clothes?

2008-05-10T15:14:00.005Z

I do!

I have just been on line (like fellow dance coach Sarah) and booked my place on the Cancer Research "Race for Life" on Sunday 13 July at Blackheath. Watch this space for news on our training and progress! I am starting my training (as well as a new me/get fit for 40 regime) on Monday morning at 7.30am! I have decided that I am going to walk for an hour a day - so if anyone sees me out early in the morning walking to no particular destination dont panic! Not only am I known for my directionless but I will also be learning a route!

If you like me have a special celebration this year and need to find a way of getting fit - and dont fancy walking to the end of the earth (or what feels like it) why not dance one more night a week! That means at least another 3 hours of dancing a week ... at least 12 more a month .... over 140 more hours a year! A lot more fun than walking I am sure you will agree!

See you on a dance floor soon!!
Have fun
Christine x

Paul is teaching at Dartford tonight

2008-05-08T14:58:00.007Z

Due to work commitments, Jim & Nicky cannot teach tonight so you have the pleasure of Paul.

Paul, another of Dance Riviera’s great teachers is teaching at Dartford tonight so if you havent been to one of his lessons in a while you are in for a treat tonight at Dartford!

If you have - you know you are in for a treat! Have fun!

Charity Dance Experence - Saturday 24 May

2008-05-07T13:42:00.004Z

Come along to the East Mall in the Orchard Shopping Centre in Dartford from midday until 2pm on Saturday 24 May (our next Bank Holiday weekend).

Wear Black & White and dance along with the rest of us - bring along your friends whether or not they can dance - introduce them to us and we will give them some tips and get them onto the floor!

Everyone who turns up will get a free entry ticket by way of thanks for your support.

We will be collecting money for Breast Cancer Research - so its an afternoon for having fun and raising money!

We look forward to seeing you there.

Pete & Jill teaching at Rochester tonight!

2008-05-06T16:02:00.003Z

Pete and Jill will be teaching at Rochester this evening - so prepare yourselves for a fun night. DJ Andy will then keep you dancing on the floor all night with his great array of music.

If you have never been to Rochester before - make tonight the night you will go!

Dance Riviera's Tuesday nights at Rochester are not to be missed - tell your friends and leave comments on the blog so that others can see what a great night you have had!

Have fun!

Happy Birthday Nigel

2008-05-06T09:05:00.002Z

Wishing one of our lovely dance coaches from Herne Bay, Nigel, a very Happy Birthday today.

Hope you have a great day!

From all your friends at Dance Riviera x

Happy Birthday Teacher Pete

2008-05-05T10:55:00.002Z

Happy Birthday Pete!

I hope your Bank Holiday birthday is extra special and that Jill and the family spoil you rotten.

Love from all at Dance Riviera xxx

2008-05-05T10:45:00.002Z

Well at the moment the sun is shining so as we can all enjoy and celebrate another day of work (hopefully). Whether you celebrate today dancing around a maypole or Morris dancing (or joining us at Swanley for a dance!) there have been and still are some strange traditions associated with today …
Decorating Houses - May Day began early in the morning. People would go out before sunrise in order to gather flowers and greenery to decorate their houses and villages with in the belief that the vegetation spirits would bring good fortune.
Washing in the early morning dew - Girls would make a special point of washing their faces in the dew of the early morning. They believed this made them very beautiful for the following year.
May Queen - The rest of the day was given over to various festivities. There was dancing on the village green, archery contest and exhibitions of strength. The highlight of the day was the crowning of the May Queen, the human replica of Flora. By tradition she took no part in the games or dancing, but sat like a queen in a flower-decked chair to watch her 'subjects'.
May Day Garlands - Young girls would make May Garlands. They covered two hoops, one at right angles inside the other, with leaves and flowers, and sometimes they put a doll inside to represent the goddess of Spring. In some parts of Britain, May 1st is called Garland Day.
May Day Lifting - There was once a tradition in England of 'lifting' where a gang of young men would lift a pretty girl in a flower bedecked chair on May day. Then the girl would choose a boy on May 2nd.
May Day Tricks - In the North of England, the first of May was a kind of late 'April Fooling' when all sorts of pranks would take place and 'May Gosling' was the shout if you managed to trick someone. The response would be: 'May Goslings past and gone. You're the fool for making me one!'
May Day Celebrations today
Rochester Sweeps Festival - Rochester's annual Sweep Festival celebrates the traditional holiday that chimney sweeps used to enjoy on 1 May. It was the one time of the year when the sweeps could put away their tools and have some fun. The Sweeps Festival is a colourful mix of music, dancing and entertainment. An opportunity to see some of the traditional dances and hear the songs which have been past down from generation to generation.
Padstow 'Obby 'Oss - The oldest May Day celebration still taking place to day, is the Padstow 'Obby 'Oss celebration in Cornwall. Its roots date back to the 14th century. Every May Day thousands of people come to see the two famous Hobby Horses, the Old Oss and the Blue Ribbon Oss. Celebrations in Padstow officially start the night before at midnight, when a groups of 'mayers' meet outside the Golden Lion Inn to serenade the owner with their Night Song: “Rise up, Mr. Rickard, and joy to you betide, For summer is a-come in today; And bright is your bride, that lays down by your side In the merry morning of May.”

Back to poles though … Did you know that the tallest maypole is said to have been erected in London on the Strand in 1661; it stood over 143 feet high. It was felled in 1717, when it was used by Isaac Newton to support Huygen's new reflecting telescope.

DJ Bob Ball returns to Dartford on Thursday!

2008-04-30T21:14:00.004Z

We are pleased to announce the return of DJ Bob Ball to Dartford on Thursday.

DJ Bob specialises in Modern Jive dance music being resident at Le Roc venues in East Sussex.

He played some great sets last weekend at Warmwell ... and ladies DJ Bob is a lovely dancer so if he able to leave the decks at all please ask him for a dance.

WARMWELL - wow what a weekend!

2008-04-29T13:44:00.003Z

As you can see from the photographs (and I didnt catch everyone as I was so busy dancing myself) a great time was had by all at The Party Weekender at Warmwell. We also arranged a surprise birthday party for Tracy and boy was she surprised!

We were told after the weekend in November that Darren the organiswer was going to make some changes and he did!
- Less bands but he still brought live music to the weekender, "it's what we're all about" and the bands were great!
- A separate dance floor for more classes during the day, plus freestyle when the bands are on - plus it was a blues room from 9pm until 2am.

I personally had a great weekend and spent most of my nights in the Blues Room - I have now become one of the weekend regulars and have booked my chalet for November and beyond.

Come to Warmwell - put the date in your diary: 7-9 November. Its the 10th Anniversary so places will sell out fast! If you dont know what to expect ask any of the people who have been before!

We are off to the Party Weekender in Weymouth!

2008-04-25T12:20:00.004Z

Today a group of DR dancers and crew are heading off to Warmwell in Dorset for Jive Leisure's Party Weekender. For those of you who want a last minute getaway this weekend, there are a few cabins left and special deals to have. Call Darren on 07957 249149.

As always, we look forward to seeing you all on the dancefloor. I will uploads some pictures of the weekend next week!

TTFN I am off down to Weymouth so signing off from my blog duties until Monday
Christine xx

Oh what a night! St Georges Day rocked!

2008-04-24T11:14:00.003Z

With the Crayford venue adorned with flags, banners and balloons it was set to be a great night with Pete and Jill planning to do a George and Dragon style intermediate routine - and then everyone arrived (most dressed in red and white - and some blue) and with their minds set on having a great night (as you would expect at Crayford) but also making money for The British Heart Foundation!

I am so proud to announce that we raised £121.07 (and a button!). Thank you so much! Well done Crayford for such a great night - particular thanks to DJ Dwain for his two great fundraising ideas especially "Julie does Crayford" which meant that not only did we raise an extra amount of money but also Birthday day Jules got a lot of special dances! Thanks also to Jules for her birthday buffet - much appreciated!

The decorations have now returned to my ever-increasing fancy dress box! So what can we celebrate next??
Christine x

Happy Birthday Julie

2008-04-23T08:36:00.007Z

Wishing our Jules, Dance Coach at Crayford a fantastic birthday!

Jules will be at Crayford tonight so we will all help her to celebrate her birthday in style. Make sure she has plenty of dances!

Love from all your friends at Dance Riviera

St George's Day – England’s National Day

2008-04-23T08:24:00.003Z

HAPPY ST GEORGE'S DAY!

If you dont know what to do to celebrate St George's Day - join us at Crayford tonight where we will be celebrating in style and raising money for The British Heart Foundation. Wear red and white (and blue) and join in the fun!

St George is best-known for his fight with a dragon, but its highly unlikely that he ever fought a dragon, and even more unlikely that he ever actually visited England. Despite this, St George is known throughout the world as the dragon-slaying patron saint of England. He is always depicted as a knight carrying a shield with a red cross (or a banner with a red cross), generally sitting upon a horse and always killing a dragon. The Saint's name was shouted as a battle cry by English knights who fought beneath the red-cross banner of St George during the Hundred Years War (1338-1453). By tradition, April 23rd is the day for a red rose (the national flower) in the button hole. However, unlike other countries, England does not celebrate it like Americans celebrate 4 July with fireworks. In fact, you are more likely to see big St Patrick parades in England celebrating Ireland's National Day, more than you would see any sign of St Georges Day being celebrated. But we will be at Crayford tonight – wear red and white (and blue) and celebrate St George’s Day and raise money for The British Heart Foundation.

Who was the real St George and what did he do to become England's patron saint? St George was a brave Roman soldier who protested against the Romans' torture of Christians and died for his beliefs. The popularity of St George in England stems from the time of the early Crusades when it is said that the Normans saw him in a vision and were victorious. His emblem, a red cross on a white background, is the flag of England, and part of the British flag. This emblem was adopted by Richard The Lion Heart and brought to England in the 12th century. The king's soldiers wore it on their tunics to avoid confusion in battle. Like England, every country in the UK has its own patron saint who in times of great peril is called upon to help save the country from its enemies.

Did you know? Shakespeare was born on April 23rd, 1564 and he died on the same day in 1616.

Happy Birthday Tracy!

2008-04-22T08:29:00.001Z

Happy Birthday to Teacher/Demo Tracy.

Make sure Clem and the kids spoil you in a completely Birthday sort of way!

Have a great day
Love from everyone at Dance Riviera xx

Happy Birthday Jim - Birthday Bleatings!

2008-04-20T11:43:00.002Z

Happy Birthday to Jim (AKA "Mr Smooth"), Dance Riviera Director and Teacher!

Have a fantastic day Jim - make sure Nicky spoils you!!

Love From
The Dance Riviera Team x

St George's Day Celebrations at Crayford next week

2008-04-18T15:51:00.005Z

Wednesday 23 April is St George's Day and to celebrate this we will be decorating Crayford in red and white (and blue) and we will be collecting for the British Heart Foundation.

At our Halloween event at Crayford last October we raised £83 - thanks so much to everyone for their support that night and for dressing up - that was a fantastic night!

Lets do that again ... on Wednesday lets celebrate England, have a great night and raise money for a fantastic charity.

Wear red and white (and blue) and join in the fun - see you Wednesday night.

Sparkling Spring Ball - 3 days to go!

2008-04-17T09:29:00.006Z

Only 3 days to go until another of Dance Riviera's great nights - our Sparkling Spring Ball at Herne Bay - with the dress code of denim and diamonds its bound to be a great night!

One of the best parts of Dance Riviera's balls (in my opinion) is the Dance with a Stranger fun jive competition - all you have to do is add your name to my list on Saturday night, guys you will be given a number and ladies you can look at your possible dance partners! Then later on in the evening its competition time and time to pair up - its not a case of grabbing your favourite dancer ... its all done fairly so to make the competition a FUN and enjoyable competition! You never know who you will be dancing with - but they could become one of your favourite dance partners! I will be helping out on the door Saturday night answering any questions you have about this - so if you have never entered this competition before let Saturday be your first time!

Tickets for the Spring Ball are still available before the event for £10 at any of venues or £12 on the door.

It will be money well spent as you will get ...

Finger buffet
pot of gold lucky dip (the last winner won £200)
freestyle dancing from 8pm until 1am to the sounds of Top DJ Steve "Hitman" Strong!
... and of course (my favourite) the Dance with a Stranger jive competition!

REMEMBER to get your ticket before the night to guarantee your entry - these nights are usually a sell out!

See you on Saturday night
Christine x

Dance Coach John wins weekend jive competition

2008-04-17T08:00:00.004Z

Congratulations!
After a 3 night competition, Dance Coach John won the Dance With a Stranger competition at the Holiday Rock Weymouth weekender! A different partner each night, our John smoothly beat the competition and emerged victorious amongst the group.

John, a Dance Riviera dancer through and through, showed his dancing skills and flew the flag for Smooth Jive.

Very proud of you John, well done!
From all of the Dance Riviera crew

Ramsgate closing tonight

2008-04-16T07:14:00.005Z

We'd like to thank all our Ramsgate dancers for supporting this venue.

We have found that despite advertising, and everything else that we've done to promote this venue, we are reluctantly closing it tonight Wednesday 16th April.

A big thank you to our crew for making the nights so special for everyone.

All those people attending the last night will get a voucher to attend our Thursday night Herne Bay venue and get a FREE night (within 1 month of today).

We've got the atmosphere, the crowd, now let's make Herne Bay the venue to be in East Kent - every Thursday night

APRIL 15 – RMS Titanic sunk but there was music until the end!

2008-04-16T06:55:00.003Z

At the time of her launching in 1912, RMS Titanic was the largest passenger steamship. During her maiden voyage, she struck an iceberg on April 14, 1912, and sank two hours and forty minutes later on April 15, 1912 resulting in the deaths of more than 1,500 people.

One of the most famous stories of Titanic is of the band. On 15 April, Titanic's eight-member band, led by Wallace Hartley, had assembled in the first-class lounge in an effort to keep passengers calm and upbeat. Later they moved on to the forward half of the boat deck. The band continued playing music even when it became apparent the ship was going to sink. None of the band members survived the sinking, and there has been much speculation about what their last song was. Some witnesses said the final song played was the hymn "Nearer, My God, to Thee." Hartley reportedly said to a friend if he was on a sinking ship "Nearer, My God, to Thee" would be one of the songs he would play.

When I in Belfast last year there is talk that since the Titanic was built by Protestants, that the Iceberg was the creation of the Catholics (a true act of God if ever there was an insurance claim)!!

APRIL 14 - St Tiburtius Day – Spring is here (flooding in!)

2008-04-16T06:54:00.001Z

The arrival of the cuckoo is the signal that spring has come (if it could be heard amongst the heavy rain storms!).

The cuckoo sings from St Tiburtius’ Day (today - Monday) until St John’s Day (24th June) – and as you would expect there is a superstition about this day … If you should hear the cuckoo sing on St Tiburtius’ Day, you should turn over all the money in your pockets, spit and not look at the ground! If you do this and are standing on soft ground when you do it, you will have loads of good luck. However, if you are standing on hard ground, the cuckoo’s call will mean bad luck!

The Highway Code was introduced today back in 1931! When it was first launched in 1931 there were just 2.3 million motor vehicles in Great Britain, yet over 7,000 people were killed in road accidents each year. Some things have not changed over the years: the very first edition of The Highway Code urged all road users to be careful and considerate towards others, putting safety first. However, other aspects of the code have changed considerably. For example, in 1931 mirrors were not even mentioned and drivers were advised to sound their horn when overtaking. Nowadays, advice on how to cross the road fills a whole chapter, but in the early days it only merited a paragraph. On the other hand, more than a third of the original 24-page booklet described the various hand signals the police and road users should use, compared to the single page given to the subject in the current edition. How times change?

Do you want to get off your couch and "run" for charity now?

2008-04-13T10:40:00.005Z

If you (like me) have just watched the London Marathon and want to do something like that for charity - but not as far ... Lets enter a team for Cancer Research UK's "Race for Life" and “Run for Moore” - and walk, jog or run 5k and raise money for Cancer Research UK’s life-saving work.

There are a good many events running around the South East but having done the one in Blackheath (and run/walked around the heath) in my schooldays I can promise nice soft walking/running ground (and a good few local pubs!) and there is a race for the ladies in the morning and the lads in the afternoon!

WHY DON’T WE ENTER TWO DANCE RIVIERA TEAMS ON SUNDAY 13 JULY AT BLACKHEATH?

When I did my Race for Life I didn’t know what to expect but it was a great day with a great atmosphere - everyone was so friendly and supportive to each other. The emotions that come with the day give you such a feeling of power - feeling you have done something to help others and had such a great time doing it! I am glad that I did it and I can’t wait to do it all over again this year.

Come on ladies lets go pink for a day and lads go red for a day!

Ladies - Entry costs £12.50 per person. This covers their costs in organising and running the event on the day (e.g. venue, hire, medals and toilets). This means that the sponsorship money we raise will go directly towards their work into the prevention, treatment and cure of all forms of cancer. Enter for the race on http://www.raceforlife.org/
Lads - Entry costs £15 per runner. This helps us cover the cost of staging the event and also includes a Run for Moore T-shirt. They also invite you to make a pledge of your sponsorship target – but any pledge you make is non-binding. The only thing you will be charged once you have finished the form is the entry fee. Enter for the race on http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/runformoore.

Please register yourselves on these websites and then let us know so that we can all keep in touch regarding what is happening on the day – keep reading the blog and email us at info@danceriviera.com.

Doing the events on the same day we can all support each other … rubbing each others aching legs, looking after bags - and getting the drinks in!

Christine x

London Marathan 2008 - Dancers galore ...

2008-04-13T10:19:00.003Z

Six Maasai warriors from Tanzania will run wearing traditional clothes, shoes made from car tyres and plan to sing along the route. The warriors are raising money to provide safe drinking water for their village, Elaui, in east Africa. Before the Maasai Warriors arrived in London a week ago from Eluai village in Tanzania they had never been out of their country. After years of little rain the search for water in their country has become increasingly desperate. Initially, it was the cattle that died, now it’s the village elders, the sick and the children. “That is why we came to London,” said Isaya, the group’s leader. The aim of Isaya and his five fellow warriors is to raise enough money to provide their village with clean water, which will cost between £20,000 and £60,000, and the courage and dedication of their efforts have earned the respect of the nation. “Where we are now, there is nothing we can compare to home,” said Isaya. “We saw a film of the London Marathon, and that is all we knew before we came here.” They expect to finish in around four hours despite wearing full Maasai dress, including shields and shoes made from rubber tyres. They found it incredible that they could raise funds through running, something they do every day. They said “we will be dancing and singing on the way round,” said Isaya, “so people understand our culture better.”

The London Marathon is a popular road marathon that has been held each year in London since 1981, run over the traditional distance of 42.195 km (26 miles and 385 yards). An unusual feature is the very large amounts of money raised for charity, much more than other marathons. Sometimes in ludicrous fancy dress and often collecting money for charity, these runners make up the bulk of the 30,000+ runners and help to draw crowds of half a million on the streets.
On March 29, 1981, nearly 7,500 athletes participated in the race. The Marathon's popularity has steadily grown since then. Today some 40,000 runners are taking to the streets hoping to cross the finish line at the London Marathon. The 26-mile route runs from Greenwich and Blackheath in south-east London to Buckingham Palace, but was rerouted after a gas leak near Canary Wharf (The gas leak was said to be serious enough to slightly divert the remaining runners by about 200m). Forecasters say the fine weather is perfect for a marathon, with showers likely for people taking longer.

Races to watch out for:

Buster Martin, aged 101 and father of 17, is hoping to become the oldest person to complete the 26.2 mile (42km) race. He said: "I may not be a millionaire in money, but I'm a millionaire in health."
Dave Heeley, a blind runner from West Bromwich, is aiming to make London his seventh marathon, as part of the Seven Magnificent Marathons challenge run across seven continents in as many days.
Rebecca and Mike Tomlinson - The daughter and husband of multiple marathon runner Jane Tomlinson, are running together (Jane died in September after a seven-year battle with cancer during which she performed many feats of endurance and raised millions for charity.)
Michelle Frost on stilts – raising money for the Reach volunteer charity (for families of children with upper limb deficiencies). She said: "It was a bit of a spur of the moment idea because I could already stilt walk, and I thought why not?
The celebrity runners include chefs Gordon Ramsay and Michel Roux and Big Brother 2002 winner Kate Lawler who is running for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust wearing underwear designed by Ann Summers. Also running are James Cracknell, Adrian Chiles, Graham Poll, Jonathan Pearce, Phil Daniels and Amanda Holden.
25 Met Police officers linked together
basketballer Jean-Yves Kanyamibwa dribbling a basketball and aiming to raise £1000 for his nominated charity Victa (Visually Impaired Children Taking Action)
Neal Walker (dressed as Elvis) wants to break the Guinness World Record for running the fastest marathon dressed as Elvis which Ian Sharman set last year at 2:57:44. His aim of raising between £2000 and £3000 for the Alzheimer’s Research Trust in London, and at the New York Marathon this November, should be incentive enough.
Lloyd Scott, who is wearing a 9ft (2.74m) robot suit and expects to finish on Friday. He’s run London's marathon in a deep sea diving costume, a suit of armour and dressed as Indiana Jones dragging a 300lb boulder. Now Havering’s most famous charity fundraiser Lloyd Scott is preparing to run this year’s race as a 9ft tall iron robot (raising money for the Autism Trust). Lloyd said “It’s not the most comfortable thing to wear- I've recently had my second hip replacement and I probably have as much metal in me as any robot! The Autism Trust charity supports autistic youngsters once they are 19 or over and have left supported education. Lloyd said “often the perception of autistic people is that they have a robotic existence when in fact they are very real people, with huge potential and the ability to flourish with the right help and support."

REMINDER - Smooth Lounge tonight with Paul

2008-04-11T10:53:00.002Z

Be there and be smooth!
Our Smooth Lounge is open at Rochester tonight - this month features our popular teacher Paul who will teach a Smooth (and no doubt slinky) lesson for you all. Paul will be partnered by a guest DJ, Dirty D (aka Dwain)!

If you've not been before - it's a fantastic experience and atmosphere.

Different genres of music will be played throughout the night to keep the dancers happy and on the floor from 8pm until midnight

£9 on the door (no freebies or loyalty card stamps).

Dance Junction
671 Maidstone Road
Rochester ME1 3QJ
(Jct 3 M2 or Jct 5 M20).

Teacher Keith is at Dartford tonight!

2008-04-10T10:55:00.004Z

Keith is another of Dance Riviera’s great teachers (mainly teaching at Herne Bay and Ramsgate) so if you havent been to one of his lessons in a while you are in for a treat tonight at Dartford!

Jim & Nicky teaching at Holiday Rock Weekender this weekend!

2008-04-10T08:39:00.001Z

Denim and Diamonds - your chance to be a Diva (if you want to!)

2008-04-09T13:03:00.004Z

Only 10 days to go until our fabulous Sparkling Spring Ball on Saturday 19 April at Herne Bay. With a dress code of denim and diamonds - if you are not sure how to dress come as a Diva - guys that can apply to you too!

Get your ticket at any of venues (£10 now or £12 on the door) . So for just £10 you will get ...

Finger buffet
Dance with a Stranger fun jive competition
a pot of gold lucky dip
freestyle dancing from 8pm until 1am to the sounds of Top DJ Steve "Hitman" Strong!

If you dont fancy driving all the way to Herne Bay - there may be a coach from the London/Kent area to Herne Bay - please leave your name with the welcome host at your venue and they will pass this information onto the people arranging the travel. Numbers for this are limited!

Wear your denims and as many "diamonds" as you can sparkle as you can and sparkle the night away!

REMEMBER - Tickets are on sale at all our venues - get your ticket early to guarantee your entry - these nights are usually a sell out!