Dance Matters.

How the year has travelled along from heart break to a semblance of normality or as near to normality as one could get, don’t get me wrong I am not out of the woods yet, there has been and continues to be up’s and downs but one can only take one day at a time..

Classes at the good companion are on a Thursday Since landing on my sister’s doorstep on the 21st of December 2012 the end of the world god those Mayans must have been talking about me! And my tipsy turvy of a life, so many times I wanted to just give up and roll over and well literally die…

But here I am with only a few days to my most happy time of the year celebrated of course by my birthday in September, Halloween and of course guy faulks and in between that the Autumn and Winter Gala’s for the Argentine Tango, looks September on wards is going to be busy.

I went to my first workshop a few weeks back with a few of the local dancers we had a visit from a teacher from Argentina Mariana who runs the queer Tango in Buenos Aires, and I want to actually now travel as part of my bucket list and learn Argentine Tango in the place where it all started, what I would love is to stay not in a hotel but with the actual people so lucky I got her fb details.

One thing that clicked that night at the Milonga was I was almost able to do an actual Milonga dance with Mariana’s girlfriend, we were spinning around and around the music becoming a blur like to revolving star’s little did I know that this feeling would get stronger as the weeks and month progressed.

There is a moment when you have a partner you can really click with on the dance floor, that the music can almost carry you away, how special that feeling was, very much an eye opener, and it all came from a work shop which was Hosted by Brighton Dance our main teacher Carola got for us Alan from Mariposa dance school in London for an evening class, the moves were so supple and graceful I did not have too much difficulty in picking them up but putting them into practice with the ladies that were there made them all the more sensual, as we went from partner to partner, practising all the moves along the way.

Considering it was my birthday I was asked to go to the middle of the dance studio and for one track I had to dance with any lady that came up to me, needless to say there were a few, I have yet to see the video that Carola took, maybe one day!

About a week later after the workshop, a new face in the beginners class, a middle aged Hong Kong lady by the name of Elaine, smiled at me her face was familiar but I can’t remember from where, then she said ah the birthday boy, it clicked she was in the same workshop as me and had only just took up Tango.

So we or Carola started the class and I help out on a Friday with the students being a good lead I help keep the ladies on a sure foot, and make it a much more enjoyable experience, half way into the lesson we have a quick break or wine break as we call it, we got to chatting and she asked if we could do some practice I said yes and lead her to the studio, the music that was playing was Milonga a few couples were dancing, I asked Elaine has she done Milonga before? Her response was no.. Don’t worry I said I will lead you.

For the first time ever, the music actually carried us away and we were using up the whole room and not once did our feet meet my frame was so spot on, Carola spotted us and told me a day or so later when I was doing her feet, that we looked so good together and we danced as if we been dancing for years.

It was very moving, and was only to get better, to me after that dance a lot of things were starting to fall into place where my tango was concerned my confidence is growing.

Roll on a few weeks later and I was at another workshop this time by superstars of Tango Rui Barroso and Ines Gomes these two people are so important there energy and love of the dance shows so much and I learned one very important lesson from Rui, about the male lead is you dance for her, and in doing so she will give you everything she has on the dance floor that is. Now this is important I have met two of the best dancers I have ever met and had a lesson from namely Rui Barroso and Ines Gomes such a lovely couple there photos are so amazing not that it was me taking them lol but if your going to Portugal you must seek them out and get a class they can be found here.

I also had the pleasure of doing their feet for them when they graced out dance school my skill as a reflexologist is really starting to show itself even more than ever now.

During one of the Thursday classes I was asked by one of my dance pals Denise if I would help her with some moves she was to demonstrate on Friday 25th at the King Alfred centre in Hove we met at my fav place to dance on the bandstand between Brighton and hove we spent just over 2 hours on the moves, and she gave me my first Jive lesson, which was fun, it was not until the Friday that I finally got hooked on the jive.

I duly arrived at the King Alfred just before 8pm I was going to take some photos of David Bailey and Denise Green practice the moves, Denise looked stunning in a slinky black dress with a split up the side just about hiding her modesty but as you can see from the photos she not only looked good but her dance was amazing and I am so happy I played a little part in it all.

If your from London then look up this guy he good fun and I am fully looking forward to seeing him in Brighton next month, he runs a good website so please have a look. http://www.learningtango.com/

So dance really does matter, I am now hooked on Jive it’s not my first love but it is my second choice and I am so looking

I have my own little group that meet at an ad-hoc basis to not so much learn but to work on the moves we learn in class from my favorite teacher in the world Carola from Dance Brighton so please feel free to add me on Facebook or join my dance at the bandstand Hove and if your around and free come do some moves.

Dancing to Bark in the Park!

Just half way through the month and it’s been a long one so far, my medication rattles most morning when I can drag my sorry bum from under the Duvet. It would help if I ate a more hearty breakfast!

Some times during this month I have had such a great time from having a dance on the beach, ice cream, flash mob, dance class and the Melonga on Sunday 16th June, I so look forward to these evenings in my social calendar.

Classes are a mixture for the past few weeks, cause of the nice weather there has been a marked lack of dancer’s coming to the practice evening, but I have been going religiously for the past month, and my Friday free practice and help out of Carola my dance tutor.

She is an inspiration a good mentor and has really showed me the joy of movement, dance and a willingness to push me and the other students on to perform our best, what more could I ask for?

I even have a dance partner Kim although she is not fully tango, she does ballroom as well, poor girl has to keep in mind of so many moves how she does this is beyond me.

I have been really just dipping my feet into different forms of dance, ballroom and all that it encompasses, which is vast much more than I give the contestants on Strictly come dancing.

Well its Sunday 16th and there are two things on the Bark in the park, for Obi which we went too, I was impressed by the sheer size of it, and the rain did threaten to make an appearance but maybe all the dogs barking drove the dark clouds away?

Who knows… so many dogs and owners even some of these leads, not sure if I agree with that, maybe it’s because I can’t let Obi of the lead, there’s a bit of envy there I think?

All in all the occasion was a very enjoyable and a little chaotic with the judging dog’s coming and going and getting tangled in there leads with other dogs that want to do the same thing sniff bums and do circles around each other.

On the lead up to Queen’s park, I think that Obi must have sniffed, peed and tried to dig up every tree, all that dog pee and not enough to sniff, by the time we got in the park, he was dribbling and drooling at the dogs on show.

I was only too glad to get a way, my arm was hurting from all the pulling and being pulled all over the place with one excited Tibby, the sun was really quite hot, and I did not bring a bowl for Obi in case he needed a drink of water but I found an old plastic beer glass, cleaned it out in the men’s toilet and gave him a drink from it, he lapped it up poor boy was suffering maybe a little too much heat, he is after all a winter dog with that thick coat of his.

Here I come crys Obi off he trots. On the beach there was more distraction, the bike ride from London to Brighton was in full swing thousands upon thousands of cyclists descended upon this seaside town/city. I like it when Brighton hold’s these shows, can’t wait for the next one, not sure what it is but no doubt, I will see all the portable loo’s and van’s arrived just in time.

Nose to nose with a baby Tibby only 5 months old, and ready for his first cut, I pointed them in the direction of Doggy fashion in Kemptown. Ola!

Health and movement.

You know the more I dance the more I have a deeper appreciation of music past and present, just this week, I've found a great album and re-discovered a old favourite singer of mine her music is just so tango well some of it. Not all music is suitable for a sensual dance like Tango, but just every now and the pen someone plays a track you remember from the past and.... Wham! That be great to tango to! Over the past couple of weeks I've been using an app called Tune-in radio at first it was just to listen to one of my live UFO shows and I started to tinker with the various radio stations and found a few tango stations in actual Argentina and Germany! Yeah Germany it's big there and my teacher is German so it makes seance. The first bolt out of the great and hard as nails Grace Jones's classic Walking in the Rain and I've seen that face before, so powerful is the image it leaves I can dance it all in my head, some of the other tracks of note pull up to the bumper and La Vie En Rose a wee bit long but worth an arch or two. One group I've heard of but never listened too is Massive Attack Mezzanine why am I only hearing them now? I find its great to play on the beach watching obi run around like a loonies, I can practice to it but I find I am no longer doing tango to it but something else! For the past week I've been practicing the 4-6-8 step and going into cross space to get the follower to do the arches and the kink is getting her to cross leg before going back to the 4-6 step, I think I've sussed it at last. I will practice a lot more tonight at the dance class, so I might go early the class has been a little on the thin side with all this nice weather I am not suprized, although I am not one for standing in line for a partner, I just hope there is a balanced crowed tonight. There is a flash mob on Saturday at the jubilee library in Brighton I like to dance but will turn up and hope for the best and also I will want to take photos as well so I might only do one flash mob and the next one which is in Churchill square I will photograph this one and we off to the bandstand for a Malonga yay. What a result I got a paint of second had leather souled shoes for £6.50 out of the Sussex Beacon the AIDS Charity shop, I'm so over the moon I'm going to try them out at tonight's dance class. That was a bad move, I stepped on the foot of Isabella my foot shot forward like a palaris missile, poor girl jumped up and down a million times, I wish the ground would open up and just swallow me. On a nice note I met up with Kim my best friend in the world who does practice with me poor girl I wore her socks out lol, we or she got me involved in Ballroom now so not only am I now doing Argentine Tango I am also doing Ballroom!

The Brighton half Marathon

What a beautiful day for running your heart out having fun, weather as a spectator or as myself a spectator dog walker, even Obi found it all rather amusing personally I could not have asked for a nicer day, and as with any nice day it all starts in the morning.

Well its 5:18am the time I have started this blog, I woke to use the loo, but feel actually quite refreshed and actually wide awake, I was dreaming about a trip I had following in the footsteps of someone who died over 2000 years ago! (Don't ask!)

I have sent a feeler into the Astral for a pair of dancing shoes, size 8 one inch heel black or B/W and I asked out of the blue does that big boot sale still go one up the top of the hill on the Sunday? Nicola responding it indeed did, and gave me directions on how to get to it, so it a really early start for me and fingers crossed the powers that be have heard my plee.

Well for a start there was no boot-sale at the race corse it was all turned over to the Brighton half Marathon, which was ok, I don't have that much money till Saturday or Monday. So it was over the hill for me and Oberon and right down to the beach front, coming from the tall mobile phone mast with its array of antenna's and round dishes, it brings you out directly behind the hospital where I spent a small amount of time after my first heart attack.

What a day for a Marathon the sun was shining it was cool I would not say it was very warm but the buss of the crowd watching and taking part was such good fun, I even cheered on Batman and a Banana egging them on only a little more to go fella, and Lassies.

Such a good positive vibe from everyone it keeps me going by the time it was time to head back to the flat in Whitehawk I was clapping and cheering my lungs out that is something no one could ever take away from the British public we are a nation of we care passionately for family, friends and our good causes, well done all of you runners whom or who ever you are, I salute you xxxx

I'll stop the world and melt with you...

That's is the words to a song that have always had a message for me, no mater what the world is going through the words remain the same love, I can close my eyes and melt with you, the beat and harmony to the song is a slow Bossa Nova slow beat, the girl singing the song has a wonderful voice, I could never think of a dance for it other than swinging in a hammock on a Mexican tropical beach, until now.

The future is open wide and I'll melt with you baby. The Argentina Tango is perfect for this song.

In all my years of marriage I can safely say I have never had not only make my own entertainment but actually for once in my life take the bull firmly by the horns, and I shook it.

I stood apprehensively opposite the Station Pub, with the sounds of daily life, the trundling trains as they take of to Brighton and Worthing, a taxi cab obscures my view of the pub, I silently curse him to move on, darkened figures emerge from the Hove commuter station a single man with a black umbrella darting into the waiting cab.

I continue to watch trying to see inside the dark interior of the Pub two people dance a slow tango, the bust stop board springs into life the number 7 bus to the marina is due in 3 mins.

Silently accept my failure and decide to go back on the bus to the Marina I start to type out on Facebook for some reason I stop and I have courage and dash across the road and will and push myself into the pub walk to he back and a few of the students from my class standup smiling and waving me to join them at the table.