Happy Birthday Dennis

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

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

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!!!

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!!!

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 ...

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!!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!

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

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!!!

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!

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

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

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

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?

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

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

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!

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

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

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

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!

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!

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!

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!

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

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

xx

St George's Day – England’s National Day

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!

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!

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

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!

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

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

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!

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!)

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?

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 ...

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

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!

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!

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

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!

Introducing our new Coastal and Medway DJ - Andy

We are pleased to introduce a new DJ for the coastal and medway venues ... DJ Chippy (aka Andy Carpenter) will be spinning the discs for you at Ramsgate this week and Herne Bay.

Andy is a seasoned dancer and with lots of experience as a modern jive DJ, he should be able to please all of you dancers and would-be dancers out there!

We hope you will support Ramsgate (Wednesday) and Herne Bay (Thursday) this week to welcome Andy on board.

REMINDER - Smooth Lounge on Friday

This month's Smooth Lounge sees a guest DJ, Dirty D (aka Dwain!) who will be partnered by our popular teacher Paul.
Paul will teach a Smooth (and no doubt slinky) lesson for you all.

Different genres of music will be played throughout the night to keep the dancers happy, so hopefully you'll get a taste of the Smooth Lounge on Friday if you've not been before - it's a fantastic experience and atmosphere.

8pm - midnight.
£9 on the door (no freebies or loyalty card stamps).
Be there and be smooth!

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

April Snow Showers!!!

Heavy snow is falling across the UK as early signs of spring are replaced by winter weather. Overnight snow started falling in the North East, Manchester and north Wales and headed down towards the Midlands in the early hours. Snowfall was later reported in Birmingham and Loughborough and by 6am it was snowing heavily in London. North Wales was experiencing a second wave of snowfall. Forecasters said the snow was settling in places but it is not expected to cause problems on the transport network (lets see if they change their mind tomorrow morning!).

The Met Office has issued a number of flash warnings of severe or extreme weather. It warns there is at least an 80% chance of heavy snow and widespread icy roads across Northern Ireland, north Wales and northwest England as well as a strong possibility of heavy snow in the West Midlands, southwest England and London and the South East.

Temperatures dropped significantly this weekend after an unseasonably warm week that saw the hottest day of the year on Thursday. The wintry weather moved southwards last night, becoming more widespread through England and Wales and bringing temperatures of between 0C and -3C (I know I went out last night!). Today is expected to be another cold and wintry day.

April is known for its changeable weather, and it seems that this year is no exception. Two weeks after a white Easter, the weather became significantly more spring-like last week with temperatures soaring to 18C in a number of places across the UK. Thursday was the warmest day so far this year in Inverbervie, Aberdeenshire, which hit 18.9C.

The Met Office warned last week that this summer is likely to be hotter and wetter than usual. It is predicting a return to the traditional British summer of "three fine days and then a thunderstorm". But forecasters refused to rule out a repeat of last year's torrential rain, which caused widespread flooding. Nor would they rule out an extremely dry summer.

Do you think they are just hedging their bets???