Last weekend, I was luckily enough (did I mention it enough times) to go to the Brighton Lindyhop festival which I have been super excited over!
We set off from my house at about 8.30am and arrived to The University of East Sussex for around 10am where we went to register. It was all very exciting and mysterious as we didn't know what ability level each group was- each person was given a coloured wrist band- red, yellow or blue (everyone had to fill out a registration form in reference to our ability) and we went to the Sports centre for a united warm-up.
It was when we got chatting to some lovely Brighton, fairly new lindyhoppers of 3 months (but still REALLY good) that we realised that CBC and I had different wristband colours!!!!! Disaster! I appeared to have the same colour as our new friends.
The tutors (all except the main leader, Lizzie) arrived to lead a warm-up in a big circle- all to swing music and based on dance moves which was hugely fun and gave an interesting introduction to all of them.
Then the groups were split up and we were still unsure what ability group we were but eventually thought we had it sussed that we were Intermediate. CBC stuck with us.
The first class was led by Ichtis and Solveiga and was a fun Lindy-charleston based routine which we built up bit by bit. One thing that struck me about the people (who were mostly Brighton-based: I didn't meet any Londoners) was how delightfully open and friendly they were as I swapped partners around the table.
The lesson moved at a good pace and the tutors had a wonderful energy. Ichtis came to dance with me when I was in a space once (more men leaders than women followers) and he had a great energy and brilliant smile and eyecontact when dancing that was great fun!).
(My fiance has a 'great' sense of humour by taking angled shots of the University of Sussex sign to mock me!)
After the 1:45 of class, we broke for lunch and CBC and I headed over to the slope by the University sign overlooking an Archery club meet-up, to share our picnic I had prepared: goats cheese and cucumber sandwiches, olives, cassava crisps, tracker-bars, apples and water. I, being the dutiful blogger I am, was eyeing up the sign thinking it would be a funny background for some photos. CBC dutifullly took photos with little resistance at the time- I now know I should have been suspicious as to why he didn't complain!
With time to spare, we headed off to the Student Union for the common room where we chatted to Jenny and Sarah and new friends. They had a great idea in the Union called a 'Free shop' where you could leave things you didn't want anymore on shelves, organised by category and anyone could take them- books, shoes, tennis rackets, whatever!
After that, we headed back to the sports hall for our next lesson with Simon and Jess. The aim of this session was to improve following and leading and general techniques and signals. For CBC and I who have had some private lessons was Simon, this was definitely more of what we needed- though I think it was a bit hardgoing for some of the others who just wanted to dance! I felt a complete twit though because he'd told the women to shut their eyes for one exercise so we'd rely on the hand connection rather than visuals and I idiotically assumed that we had to keep our eyes shut for all the next exercises and dutifully went round to my new partners and shut my eyes. It wasn't until half an hour later (or more!) that a partner finally said- "You don't actually have to shut your eyes!". DOH!!!!
A very slight break lead to our final class with Lizzie and Rina who led a 'silly moves' class which was outrageously funny, very very silly and somehow, the perfect end to the lessons- we learnt, The dirty old man- a hilarious lindy-charleston move involving big legs, the hijack- a move where the woman decides to duck the man's arm during a lindy-turn and takes over as leader briefly (I LOVED this one and I was quite good at it!), the lindy-turn jumpout (not so good at this one) and the most outrageous was The Fish which basically involved being swung through the man's legs, ending up lying on the floor, he jumps on you, you roll over and then proceed to swim across the floor. Sounds totally dodgy, looks a bit dodgy but once you realise the aim, is totally hilarious! The lesson ended with a 'FISH RACE' across the room. I was totally awful at this one as I cried, I was laughing so much!
After this, most headed for the showers to get ready for the dance in the evening. It was total girly bonding time everyone put on their finest. I missed the memo that said it was going to be a 20's theme so I'd gone in fairly-tame 50's-ish teadress in white florals whereas most were in dark-coloured Great-gatsbyesque attire.
A 3 course dinner in the canteen (very tasty except for slug-soup) and lots of chat and then the party began, first with a charleston taster class. Sadly, because we weren't staying till Sunday, we didn't get to join the flashmob shimsham and Charleston on Brighton pier, though we learnt the routine and I've FINALLY sorted my charleston foot-swivvels!
I'm afraid,this horrid unsmiling flash-shot is only clear one I got of my outfit, comprising of Laura Ashley dress via Charity-shop, mini-pillarbox hat (in complementary shades, courtesy of Florrie (Festivities prize), white and floral brogues -Primark, white, pearl, lace and floral cardie- Portobello Road, pearl collar Dorothy Perkins, Pearl Earrings- Craft fair, floral handbag- Topshop.
The hilarious thing was that SO many people came up to me saying how much they loved my little hat and could not believe how well matched all the elements of my outfit, down to the floral trim on my brogues. Surprising since I felt SO the odd one out in white!
CBC and I had a jolly good few dances though I did get bruised ankles when CBC tried to do jig-walks without giving me the signal and he jig-walked into my ankles with his VERY hard John White brogues!
The floor was awash with dancing talent- the Brighton lot are REALLY good dancers!
At around 9.30pm, the teachers on the course gave a cabaret starting with an amazing Charleston lindy-dance routine by the London-based teachers like Simon which was incredibly witty and brilliant!It was amazing to actually watch Simon dance live. More often than not, he's DJing, teaching or the dance floor is so crowded, it's hard to watch! All the other tutors danced too! Rina is a total maverick and also ignored the 1920's memo and did a giggle-inducing charlestony routine to Play that funky music white boy
More dancing, lots of chat, including to a 19 year old Bio-med student who competed in the Friday night Brighton Lindy-competition, donuts, brownies and cookies at midnight and finally CBC and I had to wend our weary-way back to London.
It was an amazing, amazing weekend and I can thoroughly recommend it!
Hope you are well!
Oh and I totally forgot about my 8th blogiversary prize. The winner is Ang so please contact me with your address so I can send you your beret and gloves!!!xx